DISTANCING

Be yourself. Be fully present. Be in the moment. That is the message we hear constantly. Yet, the biggest obstacle to making wiser, more successful decisions is often... ourselves. Our limited perspective biases our choices, leading us to defend past actions rather than seek better alternatives. We need to step outside our narrow view and gain an objective, fresh perspective. In other words, we need a coach. In Distancing, David Marquet and Michael Gillespie show us how to become our own coach using a powerful mental technique called psychological distancing. By practicing: Self-distancing: we can be someone else by adopting the perspective of an outside observer. Spatial distancing: we can be somewhere else by zooming out and seeing ourselves as part of a larger picture. Temporal distancing: we can be sometime else by making decisions from the vantage point of our future self.