Character Alarms
There is a concept called Character Invention that many of the most prominent executive coaches teach to their clients.
The general idea is pretty simple:
We all have a level of fear and imposter syndrome associated with performing certain acts. Depending on your situation, you might feel it around public speaking, performing a musical act in front of a crowd, hitting the gym hard, or being the parent or partner you know you can be. This can be crippling.
With Character Invention, you create a character in your mind who can do the things you fear with ease. You teach yourself to “flip the switch” and become this character in order to crush that activity.
I like the idea of Character Invention and have made regular use of it with public speaking or appearances. But it always felt like a tool for special situations, so it never became a part of my daily life.
The Character Alarms framework is a simple way to integrate Character Invention into your daily life.
It’s a minor adaptation of the Three Alarms creation of executive coach Eric Partaker, who I first came across via my friend Ali Abdaal.
With this framework, you set alarms for specific times of day when you want to turn on a specific character. The alarms serve as both a reminder and a nudge in the right direction to act in accordance with how that character would act.
Here’s an example of how it might look for me (note, I go to bed really early):
There are three versions of me that I want to turn on:
- The Morning Monster: This character is built of cold, emotionless discipline. He doesn’t worry about how he feels on any given day, as he relies on discipline, not motivation, to take action. This character is built to hit the cold plunge and get in my weight training and cardio.
- The Deep Work Machine: This character is focused on a single task with the highest priority. He doesn’t get distracted by notifications or pulls of urgency. This character is built to write.
- The Dad & Husband of the Year: This character is present, emotionally and physically. He doesn’t use his phone and he doesn’t make excuses. He is there, with his son and wife, and embraces every second. This character is built to be the Dad and Husband I admire.
The alarm goes off and I’m reminded of the character that I want to be in that moment. For me, it’s a reminder to take the actions necessary to become that character.
When you consistently take these actions, your identity naturally follows suit.
Actions can create identity.
I’d encourage you to give it a shot. What character do you want to become at different moments during the day? Try setting these alarms and assessing whether it sparks you to action.