Are You Really You? – Exploring the Multidimensional Self in High-Performance Life
- Brainz Magazine
- Jun 5
- 6 min read
Written by Susan L Williams, Clinical Hypnotherapist
Dr. Susan L. Williams, also known as Dr. Sue, is a pioneering clinical hypnotherapist with a unique expertise spanning athletes, sports teams, executives, and entrepreneurs. In her thriving practice, now in its fourth year, Dr. Sue employs innovative hypnotherapy techniques to help athletes overcome barriers such as negative mindsets, limiting beliefs, and the psychological impact of injuries and setbacks.
Do you ever feel like you're a different person in different parts of your life? One version of you is composed, strategic, and calm in the boardroom, while another is fierce, instinctive, and relentless on the field. This isn’t identity confusion. It’s a superpower. The ability to shift between versions of yourself is what high performers across sport and business do best, and understanding how to do it consciously may be the key to thriving in a fast-moving world.
In today’s high-stakes environments, performance isn’t just about doing, it’s about being. Athletes, entrepreneurs, and leaders alike are called upon to step into demanding situations with clarity, energy, and emotional control. And increasingly, the people who rise to the top aren’t those with a single, consistent identity, but those who can intentionally access different versions of themselves depending on what the moment requires.
This is the power of the multidimensional self, and when understood and refined, it becomes one of the most valuable tools in high-performance life.
The multiplicity of you
Modern psychology has long moved past the idea of a singular, static personality. In fact, research shows that most of us hold a range of self-concepts that shift based on our environment, roles, and expectations (source: Verywell Mind). You might be nurturing and open at home, decisive and assertive at work, and daringly competitive on the playing field.
Each of these expressions is real. Each draws from different emotional, cognitive, and somatic states. What distinguishes high performers is not that they have these selves, but that they learn to activate and deactivate them intentionally.
This ability to shift identity, tone, and internal state in alignment with external demands is a form of psychological agility, and it’s crucial for thriving in fast-changing or high-pressure arenas.
The role of state shifting in performance
Think of your identity as a set of internal programs: thoughts, behaviors, emotions, posture, and energy patterns that are activated based on context. When a tennis player steps onto the court, she doesn’t just bring her skills; she steps into a mindset of control, focus, and composure. When a tech CEO walks into an investor meeting, he activates his presence, authority, and strategic clarity.
These states are not coincidences; they are trained. And while they may appear automatic from the outside, peak performers cultivate them with intention.
This is supported by research on embodied cognition, which shows that body posture, breath, and movement directly influence our emotions, cognitive processing, and self-perception. For example, a 2010 study published in Psychological Science found that people who adopted expansive postures experienced increased feelings of power and took more action-oriented risks (source: Carney, Cuddy, & Yap, 2010). When we change our internal state, we change who we are in that moment, and this is precisely what the multidimensional self allows.
The entrepreneur’s shifting mindset
Entrepreneurs, too, are expert state shifters. They must move fluidly between roles: visionary leader, strategic operator, confident public speaker, empathetic manager. The ones who succeed long-term know how to access the right self for the task, without dragging the stress or energy of one role into another.
This requires emotional regulation, mental flexibility, and the courage to let go of outdated self-concepts. An entrepreneur who clings to their "creative genius" identity might resist becoming the structured team leader they now need to be. A founder who once thrived on adrenaline must learn to channel patience and poise.
The ability to transition consciously between states is often what separates those who scale their vision from those who burn out trying to wear one hat in every room.
Are you fragmented… or evolved?
Some people worry that shifting between roles or identities makes them inauthentic. But neuroscience tells a different story. Our brains are neuroplastic, meaning they adapt continuously to new roles, routines, and emotional patterns (source: Healthline).
The question is not whether you are one self or many, it’s whether you’re letting your internal states choose you, or if you are choosing them.
What’s often mistaken for fragmentation is actually evolution. You aren’t losing yourself, you’re learning to lead yourself.
How to explore and work with your multidimensional self
If you’re a high performer, or want to be, there’s immense value in learning to recognize and refine the different roles you inhabit. Here’s how to begin:
1. Observe your shifts
Start by noticing when and how you change. Do your posture, tone, or thoughts shift when you move from home to work? From prep to performance? Journaling or voice notes can help you track subtle transitions and make the unconscious more visible.
2. Define your key roles
Make a list of 3–5 roles you step into regularly. For each, describe:
The emotions you feel when you’re in that role
The posture, pace, or tone you naturally adopt
The internal dialogue or “script” you tend to follow
These role profiles become your internal playbook, helping you understand which version of you fits each challenge.
3. Name and own your states
Rather than passively slipping into each mode, give them names that empower you. One of my clients refers to her leadership self as “The Architect” and her creative self as “The Alchemist.” When she needs to shift energy, naming the state helps her claim it with purpose.
4. Use rituals to transition
Create small rituals to consciously shift between selves. This might be:
Changing clothes or environment
A few deep breaths with intention
Playing a specific song
Repeating a mantra like “I now enter…”
Over time, your body and brain will respond to these cues, making the transition faster and more seamless.
5. Give yourself permission to shift back
Just as important as activating a high-performance state is the ability to deactivate it. Rest, restoration, and reflection require a different self. Honor the quieter roles you play. You don’t have to be “on” all the time to be successful.
Real-world results
This approach has produced incredible results across fields.
A sprinter who used to freeze before major events now uses her Champion Self anchor to feel unstoppable on the starting block.
A tech CEO preparing for high-pressure investor pitches reported feeling “like I stepped into my superhero version – calm, sharp, and completely focused.”
In fact, this method is used within The Athlete’s Secret Weapon program, a mindset training system developed by Stuart Walter, that has helped produce 48 World and Olympic champions (source: The Athlete's Secret Weapon). I’m proud to use and build upon this approach with clients aiming to reach elite levels of mental resilience and performance.
Final thoughts: You are more than one thing
In a world that often demands consistency, the most powerful thing you can do is be consciously versatile. Your ability to navigate the multidimensional self–by choice, not by accident-is one of the highest forms of personal mastery.
High performers aren't singular. They are dynamic, evolving, and agile. Not because they’re inconsistent, but because they’ve learned to work with the full spectrum of who they are.
Ready to explore your multidimensional identity? Visit PeakMindset.Coach to discover coaching tools that help you unlock your full range, elevate your mindset, and become the most effective version of yourself, on your terms.
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Susan L Williams, Clinical Hypnotherapist
Dr. Susan L. Williams, also known as Dr. Sue, is a pioneering clinical hypnotherapist with a unique expertise spanning athletes, sports teams, executives, and entrepreneurs. In her thriving practice, now in its fourth year, Dr. Sue employs innovative hypnotherapy techniques to help athletes overcome barriers such as negative mindsets, limiting beliefs, and the psychological impact of injuries and setbacks. She also empowers executives and entrepreneurs to overcome self-doubt and ingrained limitations, guiding them towards achieving a 'millionaire mindset'. Her approach shows that hypnosis caters to different audiences and the core methods are complementary and equally transformative.
