What would Batman do?

In a 2017 study, researchers asked 180 kids aged four and six to complete a deliberately repetitive computer task for ten minutes. They were asked to keep working as long as they could, but they were also told they could take breaks whenever they wanted to play a video game.

The kids were divided into three groups.

One group used first-person self-talk and asked themselves, “Am I working hard?”

A second group used their own name: “Is (insert name) working hard?”

The third group adopted a character identity, such as Batman, Dora the Explorer, Bob the Builder etc, and asked, “Is Batman working hard?”

The children who adopted a character identity persisted the longest.

The idea was that creating psychological distance from ourselves can help us better manage discomfort, boredom, temptation, and frustration. By stepping into the role of someone these kids already believed was brave, capable, or persistent, the children created enough space from their immediate feelings to keep going.

In other words, the kids knew that Batman doesn’t quit. He has a job to do.

This thinking is pretty powerful, and it reinforces a huge opportunity we all have to go further than our limiting beliefs. When these kids spoke to themselves in the third-person with a superhero name, they created a distance from their immediate frustration. It wasn’t them that was in the story…. it was their character. They essentially borrowed the strength of an identity larger than their current self to keep going.

Adults can do this too.

We might not want to put on capes (maybe some of us do), but we regularly step into different roles depending on what the moment demands. Perhaps it’s the resilient leader, the calm parent, or the brave presenter. It can be any number of things.

Just like the kids, the idea of imagining Batman is involved can give us something to draw upon when we need to decide who we’re going to be in the next ten minutes (or longer!). It can shift behaviour for something immediate, or also for more permanent change.

Because, as many of us begin to understand around mid January when the New Years resolutions start to fracture, change is damn hard when we’re inadvertently loyal to the identity that created it.

We might tell ourselves that we need to stop drinking or need to start exercising.

But underneath those behaviours, there is often a deeper story that reinforces whatever our beliefs might be. Our brains are saying things like: “I’ve never been able to commit to a New Year’s resolution” or “I’m not really that kind of person.”

We get in the habit of thinking that we are not capable.

So this is where Batman can swing in. Sometimes the version of us that got us here is not necessarily the version that can take us there. That thinking gives us permission to access qualities that already exist within us but may currently be underdeveloped, smothered, or hidden beneath fear, shame, or familiarity.

A few ways to use Batman in our own lives.

1. Create cues.

   Our environment shapes us more than we realize. A photo on our desk, a quote on our wall, even an item of clothing can act as a reminder of the version of ourselves that we want to bring forward. It could be a picture of someone we admire for their courage, calmness, or discipline. The cue sits there in the background, reminding us of the standard we want to live by.

2. Borrow someone else’s perspective.

   When we’re overwhelmed, we tend to get trapped inside our own emotions. Things feel urgent, personal, and difficult. One way to create some space is to ask how the person we most admire would handle this? How would a calm leader respond to this chaos? How would Batman get through the next 30 minutes. Adjusting our thinking to be like the kids in the research helps us step outside our usual reactions and access a more capable part of ourselves.

3. Interrupt autopilot.

   We spend a surprising amount of life operating automatically. We follow the same routines, sit in the same places, react in the same ways, and then wonder why nothing improves. A small disruption can wake us up and help us see new potential. A different route home, or working from a cafe instead of the living room. These changes remind the brain that the old pattern is not the only option.

4. See new identities like job descriptions.

   This is all about specifics. Instead of something broad like “I want to be more confident,” we want to make it clear. How would we respond when things get difficult? How do we show up when we’re nervous or tired? Perhaps our new identity is someone who never hits the snooze button. We can write down a few qualities this person embodies and the actions they take when pressure rises. A new identity becomes much easier to access when we know exactly what it looks like.

5. Collect evidence.

   When there is change afoot, we like to anchor to what is familiar. Every time we push ourselves towards a new identity (like speaking up, staying calm, completing the workout etc), we should try to make note of it somewhere. This is because our brain needs proof that we’re building something new. Any old or current identity may have years of evidence behind it, so the new one starts with small actions that build on top of each other.

No matter what we’re going through, we’re never as stuck as we think we are. Resilience is so often about navigating the complexity of life and finding a way forward, and sometimes that means imagining the strongest version of ourselves to rise to the moment. Even if we have to borrow cues or beliefs from a superhero from time to time.

Until next time friends, stay resilient.

Carré at Resilient Minds

PS - I help high-pressure teams stop stress from hijacking their decisions, communication and performance. Through practical resilience training, I teach people how to think clearly, adapt quickly and recover faster when the pressure is on. Hit reply if you’d like to chat.