Don’t focus on the lifestyle you want – it’s no good thinking big about the holidays you’re going to go on or the restaurants you want to eat in. Instead, concentrate on the activities you want to be engaged in that will pay for that lifestyle.

Even if you cannot identify clearly what the narratives stopping you advancing towards ME+ are, by identifying a process that leads to a goal you want to achieve, you will cause a new narrative to be internalized.

It is worth creating an elevator pitch that can be drawn upon to help with these new interactions. Do ensure that the elevator pitch is interesting, and more specifically that the importance of your personal added value shines through.

The acknowledgement of the possibility that our own biases hold us back allows us to be proactive.

It is also worth setting aside a block of time for what I will call ‘distracted learning’. This is continuous learning but with a lower level of focus, so you can multitask. Think listening to a podcast while on the treadmill or cooking, or reading while listening to music on your commute. Learning in this way has great benefits.

It has been shown time and time again that the framing of requests matters,12 so ensure you emphasize the benefits of your request to the other person. In addition, always make it super easy for them to say yes.

Looking inside yourself and learning what these biases are is essential.

If it is difficult for you to pinpoint the skills you need, another approach is to decide on the type of work you want ME+ to do and identify role models. Find three people already doing the kind of job you want who seem highly credible, and find out what skills they draw on daily.

Exploring other areas of learning outside those that link directly to your future self will allow you to be unexpectedly inspired. It also gives you scope to discover further interests that you did not know you had.