7 Ways to Become Like the People You Admire

Have you ever admired someone?

You might wonder how they achieved certain goals personally, professionally, or both.

There might even be certain qualities you admire that make you think: “I want to be like that person”.

7 Ways to Become Like the People You Admire

#1: Do a self-inventory.

One of the first steps involves taking an inventory about where you are in life, what you value, and about the future.

Consider writing down your achievements over the last five years and then adding comments about where you’d like to be in the next 5 years.

This applies both personally and professionally.

If you are someone who gets caught up in your own thoughts or have been told to “get out of your own way” or “don’t care about what other people think”, you’ll want to think about the connection between your thoughts and actions a little more closely.

A trusted friend, family member, or therapist can help guide you if you’re feeling stuck.

#2: Research the person you admire.

Gather as much information as you can about this person in general as well as the things that they’ve accomplished.

The internet is a powerful tool for helping us do basic and more in-depth research on people, places, and things.

Start by researching this person in general and then if there is a basic theme in the information that you’re gathering, consider a deeper search.

If this person is well known in your community or on a broader scale, your local librarian might have a tip or two about narrowing down or broadening your search.

#3: Set up an informational interview.

While this may not always be possible, try your best to make a connection.

Informational interviews may seem elementary but can be an incredibly powerful tool.

Think about all of the things that you admire about this person and then write out a list of questions to ask.

The goal is to pay attention to the path this person took to be successful or achieve something specific and then ask how they got there.

If you admire certain personality traits, ask about this person’s life accomplishments and struggles.

#4: Follow up.

After the interview, be sure to follow up.

A handwritten thank you note or e-mail expressing your appreciation for their time is a small gesture that goes a long way.

You will want to use your networking skills to continue to follow up with this person periodically if you would like to build and maintain a connection.

Ideas for following up include: e-mailing a recent news article that is related to a topic you’ve talked about or the work this person does, congratulating them on an accomplishment that you’ve learned about, or inviting them to coffee.

#5: Create a vision board.

Now that you know more about what made this person admirable, it’s time to take your thoughts and put them into action.

One of the easiest ways to do this is by creating a vision board.

One idea is to create categories of personality traits or actions that you admire.

#6: Set goals.

Review your vision board and create actionable goals.

Start small to build your confidence and then start setting bigger goals.

Becoming someone who has traits similar to the person you admire takes persistence and time, so make sure your goals are sustainable, attainable, and time sensitive.

#7: Challenge yourself and be courageous.

More likely than not, you will be working on changing your thought processes and actions.

Committing to this is an incredibly courageous thing, so give yourself flexibility to laugh and celebrate the smaller milestones as you work on a journey of self-exploration and transformation.

As you embark on this journey, channel positivity and surround yourself with people who will keep you motivated along the way.

Be bold and fearless in the face of obstacles and adversity and you will be on your way to becoming like the person you admire.