“Self-image is essentially how you view yourself—what strengths and weaknesses you believe you possess and what you believe you are capable of achieving…The self-image governs how successful any individual becomes because it motivates and shapes work ethic and effort. In this way, self-image is like a thermostat. If you set the thermostat at 72 degrees Fahrenheit and the room drops to 71 degrees, the thermostat then sends a message to the heater to get to work. Warm air rushes into the room, and the room warms up to 72 degrees. When the room reaches 73 degrees, the thermostat tells the heater to stop working. All day long, the thermostat governs the temperature in the room and won’t allow the room temperature to rise or drop from the desired temperature for long. Human beings are the same way: we neither outperform nor underperform our self-image for long. That’s why it is so important to set your self-image gauge high enough to achieve your life goals. Set your self-image gauge too low, and by definition, you’ll underachieve, because your mind won’t call for the motivation to achieve more…CREATE YOUR VISION OF SELF-IMAGE: Take 30 seconds every day to visualize who you want to be and how you want life to turn out, and dramatically increase the likelihood of achieving your win.”

- From Executive Toughness by Jason Selk