Personality Makeover

Have you ever wanted a makeover?  Or perhaps had one?

A makeover can make you feel on top of the world.  But the kind of makeover most people have is rather superficial.  It may be about a new set of clothes, cosmetics, a different haircut, or perhaps a combination of some or all of these.

The kind of makeover I am talking about here, though, is not superficial.  Rather, it is permanent if you want it to be.  Also it doesn't need an expert to do it for you - it is something you do for yourself.  I am talking about a makeover of your personality.

Why would you need or want a personality makeover?  Well, are you perfect?  I guess not.  Are there some areas of your life where you would like to be better?  Probably.  If so, that is all the reason you need.

You should begin by taking stock of yourself.  List your strengths and weaknesses.  Where would you like to be better?  Start narrowing down your list to those areas you would like to improve.

Once you have your list you are ready to begin.

In order to work the change you desire you will need to do the following three things:

1 Affirm

2 Visualize

3 Act

If you are familiar with personal development I am sure you recognize the first two.  You have probably tried affirmations in the past even if you don't regularly practise them now.  You may also have tried visualization.  By "act" I mean create the right body stance to match whatever personality characteristic you are trying to enhance.

Each of these techniques is powerful in its own right.  Used together they are an unstoppable force!

Exactly how you will use them will depend very much on the traits you are trying to develop.  I will give you an example here so you can see how it is done, but you must then adapt this so it fits the makeover you are applying to yourself.

Imagine you have decided you want to be happier.  You want to maintain your happiness even in circumstances which might normally make you miserable.

Begin by creating the right phrases for your affirmations.  Make them personal, make them "in the moment" rather than a future hope, and concentrate on the positive you want to develop, not the negative you want to reduce.  So you should have phrases like "I am really happy right now!", "Regardless of what is happening around me I am so happy!", "I am happy all the time!".  Add to this list with some phrases of your own.

Now begin to think of some times when you were really happy.  Picture them as vividly as you can.  Try to visualize all the little details - everything you could see around you, what you could hear, even the smells.  As you do so, call up the feeling of happiness you had then.

Extend this visualization to something that hasn't yet happened, but that will make you happy.  "Recall" it in just as much detail.

Begin acting happiness.  Get into the body posture you have when you are happy.  Smiling is an obvious start to this.  But not just smiling.  How about your shoulders?  Are they hunched forward (a sign of being miserable rather than happy)?  If so, sit up nice and straight with your shoulders pulled back.  Not strained, but naturally back.  Feel tall, as though your body is being pulled up into the sky.

Now put it all together.  Affirm, visualize, and act happy.  Not just the one time (although even just that once will make a big difference).  Keep doing it.  At least two or three times a day.  Every day.

Consider this just like a physical exercise routine.  Something you do regularly which gradually builds up the right muscles.

Within no time at all you will find you are so much happier.  Great!  Now pick the next trait on your list and work on that too, but not forgetting to keep working on the first one too.  Before you know it you will be a different person.  Just like those models you see in the makeover TV shows - but in a far more meaningful and positive way!