10 Minute Influence

10 Minute Influence

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10 Minute Influence
10 Minute Influence
The Identity Key to BEING the Success You Seek

The Identity Key to BEING the Success You Seek

Kenrick Cleveland's avatar
Kenrick Cleveland
Jun 03, 2025
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10 Minute Influence
10 Minute Influence
The Identity Key to BEING the Success You Seek
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I'm going to tell you something that most "success gurus" are completely missing – and it's the exact reason why you keep hitting the same ceiling over and over again.

Here's the truth: your identity determines your results far more than your actions ever will.

Let me explain...

The Critical "Be-Do-Have" Sequence

Most people operate with completely backwards thinking. They believe success works like this:

DO → HAVE → BE

"I'll do the work, then I'll have the money/status/stuff, and finally I'll be successful."

But that's fundamentally broken. The actual sequence is:

BE → DO → HAVE

When you become the type of person who achieves what you want, you naturally do the things that person would do, and then you have what that person would have.

It's not complicated, but most people have it completely backwards!

Think about someone like Tim Cook, CEO of Apple. He didn't just "do CEO things" and magically end up running a $2+ trillion company. Somewhere along the line, he had to see himself as someone capable of leading at that level.

His identity shifted first. The actions and results followed.

Why Most People Stay Stuck

Here's what happens when your identity isn't aligned with your goals:

  • You make temporary progress but can't sustain it

  • Success feels uncomfortable or "not you"

  • You sabotage yourself just as things start working

  • You blame external factors when you fail

When your actions contradict your identity, your identity always wins.

This explains why lottery winners go broke, dieters regain weight, and most "overnight successes" flame out quickly.

Your unconscious mind is constantly working to keep you consistent with who you believe yourself to be. If your self-image doesn't match your success, you'll find a way to return to equilibrium.

Your Identity Blueprint

Your current identity was formed through:

  1. Early messaging from parents/authority figures

  2. Interpretations of life experiences

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