Main Character Energy: Using an Alter Ego to Beat Procrastination

Mia: Ever catch yourself channeling someone else in the bathroom mirror? Today, I'm sharing why you need a secret identity. How choosing the right persona can boost your performance, and why your most powerful self might be waiting in a phone booth.

3, 2, 1. Let's go. Welcome to Transition Space, your gateway from thinking to doing. I'm Mia Torr.

If you're called to create meaningful work, use this podcast as part of your starting ritual. Make your coffee and clear your desk while you listen, and we'll hang out as you ease into focused flow. While you create your space, I'll help you entertain the transition. Come on in.

Today on Transition Space, a story about choosing who you get to be in any given moment.

Have you ever caught yourself practicing that presentation in the bathroom mirror? Suddenly channeling some mix of Meryl Streep and your most badass former boss? That's not weird. That's your main character energy waiting to be unleashed.

There's this kid in Brixton. Quiet, awkward dreams way too big for his circumstances. Nobody looking at David Jones would have seen a rock God in the making. But he saw something else in the mirror. Something spectacular. Something that would let him step beyond the constraints of his shy, working class reality.

First, he became David Bowie. A name change that gave him permission to be someone new. But he didn't stop there. He knew he needed something bigger, bolder, more electric. He needed a persona that could carry all his wild, creative energy, all his otherworldly ideas. He needed someone who could own the stage in platform boots and glitter. So he reached deep inside himself and found that character, the alter ego, who could access parts of himself he couldn't quite reach on his own. He created Ziggy Stardust.

Of course, David Bowie's alter ego was incredible. But you, you're channeling your fiercest energy in your home office wearing yesterday's yoga pants. A parent in a grocery store is summoning their commander patience voice during a toddler tantrum. A runner challenges their endurance warrior for that last mile. Someone healing their relationship with food embodies their nutrition ninja at mealtime.

Count me as one of those people working all by myself from home with my puppy. As a solopreneur, I spend a lot of time alone with my thoughts. And let me tell you, that voice that whispers, who do you think you are? gets really loud in an empty room. 

Every decision rests on my shoulders. Every mistake feels deeply personal. Some days, imposter syndrome bangs down the door and hosts a full on party in my head.

That's why when my awesome friend Jamee (Hey, Jamee!) recommended that I read Todd Herman's book, the Alter Ego Effect, it felt like finding a manual for superhero school.

Herman works with elite athletes and top performers who all have one thing in common. They've created specific alter egos to access their best selves. Like the shy quarterback who transforms into a field general by channeling a warrior king. Or the quiet executive who delivers powerful speeches by embodying her favorite Broadway star.

You might worry, besides the weirdness, that creating an alter ego means being fake or pretending to be something you're not. Instead, I encourage you to think of it as creating a safe container for parts of yourself that are already there.

When I read Herman's book, it made so much sense to me. And I confess, I tried these personalities out a lot.

Whenever I felt that flutter of nerves before a presentation, instead of thinking, oh, God, everyone's going to judge me, I could think, hey, they're not even seeing me. They're seeing Lady Boss Divine, and she is going to rock their world. And if Lady Boss Divine occasionally stumbled or made a mistake, well, that's just part of her origin story.

The way we talk to ourselves matters more than we might think. Studies show that people who use positive self-talk, especially when they refer to themselves by name, handle stressful situations better and maintain focus longer. Speaking as your alter ego helps you access a more powerful state of mind. Lady Boss Divine knows exactly what she's capable of.

Welcome to your on-demand arsenal of identity upgrades. Select your fighter.

Need to have a difficult conversation? Time to activate the minister of diplomacy who delivers hard messages with impeccable grace. Need to avoid distractions and concentrate? Agent focus doesn't even see those notifications. She's too busy getting things done. Facing a tough workout? Iron Katie doesn't negotiate with excuses.

Psychologist Ethan Cross wanted to know, can the way we talk to ourselves actually shift how we show up under pressure? So he and his team ran a series of studies where participants coached themselves through stressful situations.

They used either first person talk like I can do this, or distanced self talk like, you've got this, Mia. Except, you know, they'd use their own name. So you've got this, not Mia.

It turns out the people who said, you've got this, Mia, as if they were talking to a friend or being their own coach, handled the pressure better. More calm, better decisions, less spiraling. Apparently, your inner narrator becomes way more useful when it stops sounding like a panicked group chat.

Over in Neuroscience, Yi Yuan Tang and Michael Posner were playing with another question. What happens when we change the body on purpose? They looked at what happened when people deliberately shifted posture or breath or focus, using mindfulness, movement, and ritual. They discovered that when people shifted their physical state, their brains followed. Focus sharpened, mood steadied. The system rewrote itself in real time.

Together, this research paints a clear picture. You don't have to wait to feel ready. Walk like a main character, breathe like you belong, and your brain gets the message. You can signal to your system. You can lead with form and let the feeling follow.

What does this mean for us?

Your brain and body are constantly talking to each other. Change your physical state and your brain says, oh, we're doing this now, and recalibrates to match.

That's why athletes need their lucky socks, why lawyers transform in their court suits, why performers become someone new under stage names. These personality costumes are permission slips to access parts of yourself you usually keep in the back closet of your brain.

But unlike full costume changes, alter egos are portable, like a purse dog. You can bring them anywhere. Maybe you need the boundary boss when your mother-in-law has opinions about your parenting. Maybe Wellness Witch helps you choose the smoothie over the muffin most days. And maybe Dream Defender actually gets you to bed at a reasonable hour. 

Okay, she's still in development for me. If you got any hints, let me know.

If just suddenly trying to be different seems a little weird or awkward to you, which is totally understandable: Herman talks about the power of specific triggers, physical objects or actions that help you step into your alter ego. When you pair a specific physical trigger, like a power stance or a particular piece of jewelry with your alter ego, you're creating what scientists call an embodied anchor.

Think of them like Wonder Woman's spin transformation. A power stance becomes your superhero pose. A special mug becomes your creativity totem. A lucky bracelet activates your leadership mode.

Each alter ego needs their own anchor, their own signal to lock in. Maybe it's the way you arrange your desk before a big project. The playlist that kicks off deep work mode, the morning ritual that summons your focused self. That one specific song that turns you into someone who actually enjoys burpees. Looking at you, gym goddess.

When you're about to hit send on that risky email, when you're about to pitch that wild idea, when you're about to do anything that makes your stomach flip, your alter ego's got you. They can handle the judgment, the criticism, the potential face plant. Because if it flops, hey, that's just character development.

Think of this podcast as your personal phone booth. That space where Clark Kent straightens his tie and steps out as Superman. He reaches through the mild mannered reporter and accesses the part of himself that's ready to fly. Your mind listens. When you choose who's in charge, pick the version of you who shows up strong.

Step into your power, breathe like you belong, and let your inner superhero walk you forward.

Whether you're making coffee or arranging your desk right now, ask yourself what part of you is waiting in the wings, ready to step into the spotlight? What version of you already knows exactly how to handle what's next?

I'd love to hear your answer. Visit authenticnetworker.com/transitionspace and tell me what alter ego is waiting to help you take that next step.

This is Transition Space, where you clear your path from thinking to doing. I'm Mia, and together we've shaped what's possible. Now it's your turn to make it real.