The Identity Trilogy
Anchor your identity in faith, intentions, and associations.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 3
- Confidence
- 88%
Mylett's trilogy gives three anchors for a durable identity. First, faith: don't leave it at church — bring it into the sales call and the business meeting where most people feel alone. Second, intentions: give yourself credit for intending to serve and help, which is a worth you can always claim. Third, associations: the people closest to you raise or lower your identity by proximity, so a higher-temperature circle heats you up over time. Together these reset the thermostat rather than fighting it with willpower.
Origin
In his identity chapter Mylett teaches a 'trilogy of identity' — faith, intentions, and associations — as the three anchors that determine what you believe you're worth.
Core principles
- 01Bring your faith into your business and daily life, not just your place of worship.
- 02Attach your worth to your intentions rather than your abilities or achievements.
- 03Your closest associations heat or cool your identity by proximity over time.
- 04A raised identity requires deliberately managing all three anchors.
How to run it
- 1
Bring faith everywhere
Carry your faith beyond worship into your business meetings and sales calls where you'd otherwise feel alone.
- 2
Credit your intentions
Base your identity on your intention to serve and help rather than on having every answer.
Pro tip Before an important moment, pause and remind yourself your intentions are good even if you don't have every answer.
- 3
Curate your associations
Recognize that people close to you raise or lower your identity by proximity, and get closer to higher-temperature people.
Pro tip Associations can include authors and mentors through their books, not only people you meet in person.
In the wild
Before the interview Mylett briefly turned his camera off, asked for a blessing, and reminded himself he intended to help people that day.
→ He grounded his identity in intention rather than needing to have every answer, letting him show up confidently.
Mylett describes how being close to a 150-degree person when you're at 70 raises your temperature over time by proximity.
→ Deliberate association with higher-level people lifts your identity setting.
Common mistakes
Compartmentalizing faith
Leaving faith at church means you walk into business alone; the trilogy requires carrying it into every arena.
Seeking acceptance instead of belief
Choosing friends who accept you as you are keeps your identity flat; you want associations who believe you can be better and hold you to it.
Is it for you?
Best for
Anyone trying to permanently raise their identity setting and self-worth.
Not ideal for
Those uncomfortable with the faith component may only apply the intentions and associations levers.
From the transcript
“faith intention association”
“give yourself more credit for your intentions in your life you're intend to serve”
From the episode
YAPClassic: Ed Mylett on The Power of One More, How to Reprogram Your Mind to Get What You Want
YAPClassic