In Yiddish, it’s called “chutzpah.” In English, we say, “grow a pair.” Call it what you want—spunk, swagger, confidence—assuming success is an attitude adjustment that follows after a physical adjustment.
All emotions have a physical counterpart. When we win big, we assume the Ali-looming-over-Sonny-Liston pose, our arms raised in a triumphant V. When we fail, we hang our heads and curl up in a ball. It’s hard to be confident while lying in a fetal position.
The verb “to assume” has three main meanings: (1) to suppose to be the case, without proof; (2) to take or begin to have; and (3) to take on. For you, I mean all three.
Assuming success is feeling successful—in your walk and your posture—before you succeed. The idea is to pro-actively alter our posture to invite the positive attitude and outcome we desire. By using a powerful, dominant body stance, we produce positive changes in our behavior. There is, of course, scientific backing that may or may not prove this phenomenon, but I don’t care about that. Just fucking grow a pair.
Success isn’t a dot on your lifeline that you hit at age 40 or age 65, before immediately retiring or dying. It’s a process that has a very definite beginning—right now—and depends on how you carry yourself at every point along the way. It’s a conscious choice to feel successful that you breathe into your character. Do not wait for success to saunter into your life; there is no papal anointment or secret handshake. It’s a done deal. Congrats. Welcome to the club.