Three Alarms & Identity Image

 

The Three Alarms (from Erik Partker)

The Three Alarms is a practical method for closing the gap between who you are and who you’re capable of being on the work, health, and home fronts.

I set three daily alarms that assign a “best self” identity to each segment of my day.

6:30 am: a World Fitness Champion alarm reminds me to show up at the gym as that version of myself.

9:00 am: the World’s Best CEO alert prompts me to bring my highest leadership skills to the office.

6:30 pm: my World’s Best Husband and Father alarm inspires me to give my most loving self to my family.

These three alarms keep me focused on bringing the champion version of myself to the three areas that matter most in my life: health, wealth, and relationships.

He provides an example: 

Health

Patrick thought, “If I were to start every day being greeted by the 70-year old version of me — to show me the effect of all my poor health decisions on my body — I wouldn’t make those decisions.” 

So he set a 6:30 am wake-up alarm and named it “70-Year Old Me.” Every morning, he woke up to that imaginary greeting from his future self.

Within days, Patrick’s health behaviors changed dramatically.  He hadn’t been in the gym for two years, but suddenly he was there four times a week. His morning muffin-and-coffee routine vanished, and he cut bread and processed foods out of his meals. 

Within three months, he lost 12 kilos (over 25 pounds).  

All it took was naming his alarm after his future self to fuel his best health behavior. 

For Patrick, setting those alarms was like changing into a Superman costume for each of his daily roles. 

When each alert went off, he was prompted to choose the actions a champion would take.

That’s your champion proof — the one action you can take today that will align you with your most heroic self. 

For instance, proof of my fitness champion might be hitting 700 burned calories on the bike.

Let me give you an example from work. I recently had to give a 30-minute talk at an event. I knew that if I rehearsed that speech three times in a row, I’d nail it the next day on stage. 

A 90-minute rehearsal is exhausting, but that’s what the champion version of myself would do. So I did it — and it worked. 

Harnessing the Power of Identity-Based Change

The key to getting results like Patrick’s is to focus on those three areas: health, wealth, and relationships. 

 Choose an identity you want to emulate in each area, and an alarm to remind you of that goal. Select alarm names that trigger an identity image that causes you to show up as your best self. 

 When each alarm goes off, challenge yourself to determine your champion proof — the one move that will define you as a champion in that area. 

Then take action, and watch your life improve.