Main Character Energy

Violet gets forced into the deadliest military college with a genetic condition that makes her body too fragile for combat.

Feyre is a starving human with no magic that ends up saving the immortal world on will alone.

An entire continent’s survival comes down to Aelin’s power and strategic thinking, even though she was long left for dead.

Nothing will teach you more about main character energy than romantasy.

Each one of these characters starts off with an obvious disadvantage in an impossible high stakes situation. And we love seeing that character transformation on books and screens. 

Yet, we stay very far away from pursuing our own main character energy in life.

We say “yes” when we really mean “hell, no”, let things “happen” to us without clearly stating our boundaries and we wait for somebody to give us a nudge or “permission” to act.

Or my personal favorite: we (me) accept the wrong food or drink order.

These are all signs that you are sitting in the passenger seat in your own life. Compare this to a movie plot, and we would be the extra, a nice-to-have addition to the adventures of the main character.

Unintentionally or not, we made room for somebody else to sit in the driver seat and make the decisions for us.

And that is NOT the deal we made when you signed up to this newsletter.

So how do we cultivate that main character energy to get back in control of our life choices ?

Here is one question, one reframe and one psychological hack to pursue that main character energy.

Author and entrepreneur Sahil Bloom recommends one question to ask yourself to build main character energy: 

“If you were a character in a movie of your life, what would the audience scream at you to do? “

For me, it very loudly screams: write the Audacious Introverts book.

I never stood out in my academic career nor was I interested in it. I don’t have exotic hobbies, or dream of a digital nomad life in Bali. Before starting this whole Audacious Introverts journey, my wardrobe was black, grey and sometimes a little brown. I literally think I have 0 main character energy. 

But recently I read an article that proved me wrong.

Behavioral researcher Vanessa Van Edwards argues that main characters are often introverts. Concretely, she explains that it might look different for introverts, for example

She also mentions having solo adventures.

It reminded me of the summer I learned about the platform work away. Almost 10 years ago I wrote an email, packed my bags and in the timeframe of 3 days I was off to volunteer for 1 month at a cute hostel in Budapest in exchange for accommodation.

22 year old me had more main character energy that I actually gave her credit for. 

When you feel like you’ve lost your main character energy: look deeper.

PS. I am assembling a guide on how to keep ideas, so that you never forget your main character energy moments. Sign up for the waitlist here.

There is a powerful psychological hack that can help you deal with anxiety or fear associated with a challenging task or situation.

Think about public presenting. 

OR doing cold outreach. 

Researchers call it the Batman Effect: creating an alternative version of yourself or ‘alter ego’ can help you deal with challenges like showing up on stage or creating online content.

The idea is to create a more objective lens for yourself to make decisions through. 

Ironically, one of the most trusted voices in the creator space uses this trick to build confidence. And in doing so, it has become part of their memorable self.

Even after getting eye surgery, Ali Abdaal still  wears his (now fake) glasses in videos and talks. They help him step into the mindset of “Young Professor X from X-Men”. A simple trick to reduce nervousness before hitting record.

In the beginning of my journey from scientist to content writer I was stuck in taking more steps towards writing online visibility and tried this hack myself.

Remember I am the most basic nerd when it comes to color pallets and clothing style? Now a vibrant color very intentionally has become part of my online brand and offline wardrobe, and it a daily dare to show up bolder.

A few last words…

Main character energy is not attention seeking, being an energy vampire and having a f*ck it all attitude.

For me, it means being in control of ones choices. To challenge yourself to be a beginner, explore a new direction and even a new skill. 

Main character energy doesn’t mean to have all the solutions. But an eagerness and ambition to figure it out. To welcome the challenges and trust yourself enough that you will find a way.

REFERENCES

Keep up the audacity,

Laura