To be who you want to become, become who want to be with small acts today.
This is a powerful thought: to be who I want to be, I need to begin being that person now.
I saw an image today of “The Nymph” (La Ninfa), carved in 1858 by the Italian artist Giovanni Battista Lombardi. It is a marble statue of a woman dipping her toe into water. The caption read: “Can you imagine being so skilled at sculpting marble that you could make marble look like water?” It really makes me think about what the artist had to do to develop the skills required to create that masterpiece.
The sculptor didn’t just wake up one day, grab a chisel and a hunk of marble, and make it happen. Most likely, he broke a lot of marble and got a lot of bruises as he learned about both the tools and the medium. The artist went from looking at a chunk of rock to seeing its possibilities. Through years of practice, he eventually mastered what it took to remove all of the unnecessary marble to make the woman appear.
I like to think in steps. To become the sculptor he was, Lombardi:
- Looked at a chunk of marble.
- Saw a woman inside it.
- Chiseled AWAY the excess marble to reveal her.
- Knew before the sculpture was finished that her toes would be touching water, and so he was able to carve the water over her toes.
The sculptor worked tirelessly to learn how to make 3D images emerge from marble. He needed to know exactly what he was creating as he, quite literally, chipped away at stone.
He had to learn techniques, observe others, watch the way air, water, and wind moved, and study the way body parts show bone and flesh. It is not something you just wake up and know—it is something he learned and developed over time. Day by day, he showed up as a sculptor. Long before he was known for his work, he had to act like his dream.
That is the exact same logic I have applied every time I reinvented myself, whether I was switching from one industry to another or creating new roles within my organization. I had to be willing to learn the new medium, face the learning curve, and even take a few bruises along the way.
When switching industries, for example, I immersed myself in the field I wanted to join. I proactively networked with professionals, attended educational webinars, and volunteered to lead discussion groups. I even stepped up to serve as the president of the local industry chapter.
More recently, when I decided that I wanted to write, I had to ask myself how real writers behave. The answer was simple: they write. They do not wait for permission, and they do not wait for a perfect, unbroken block of time to appear. Because of that, I have committed to spending at least ten minutes each morning and ten minutes each evening writing. It is what writers do. To become one, I need to act like one.
I did all of these things before I ever officially made a career switch or called myself a writer. Every single one of those actions was a strike of the chisel. I had to know what I was creating before the sculpture was finished, actively chipping away at the old, familiar stone of my past career to slowly reveal the new path underneath. I intentionally became the person I wanted to be so that I would be ready to live my dream when the door finally opened.
Your next chapter is already there, waiting inside the stone. Transformation takes time. It requires patience as you learn your new craft, get comfortable with the new you, and take the time to fit this growth into your current schedule. You do not need to wait for a new job title to give you permission to change. You just need to pick up your tools and start acting like the woman you are meant to become next.
Take the Next Step
Are you ready to start chiseling away the old roles and revealing your true next chapter? Download my “Next Chapter” Identity Blueprint today. These five powerful reflection questions will help you gain clarity, face the “bruises” of change, and start stepping into your future self right now.