Want to be remembered? Tell me a story

Do you remember the stories of your childhood? Of course you do. Why? Because stories stick. So if you want to be remembered, be memorable. Tell me a story. Here’s how.

It’s all right.

So first of all, it’s all right. You can say it. “I want to be remembered.” We all do. And whether it’s because it’s your job to be remembered — (marketing or sales, or comedy) — or whether you’re working on your legacy with your kids or grandkids, you want to be remembered.

But how can you be memorable?

The best way to be remembered is through stories. Because stories stick. And there’s a reason for that.  As Lisa Cron says in her book, Story Genius:

Humans are wired for story. We hunt for and respond to certain specific things in every story we hear, watch, or read—and they’re the exact same specific things, regardless of the genre. Why is this so? Because story is the language of the brain. We think in story. The brain evolved to use story as its go-to “decoder ring” for reality, and so we’re really expert at probing stories for specific meaning and specific info—and I mean all of us, beginning at birth. Even a kindergartner recognizes an effective story, because it’s built into the architecture of the brain. Story is how we make sense of the world around us; it’s a system that predates written language by eons. Heck, before spoken language, we grunted and signed in story. I’d wager that early in the morning, the cranky among us still do.

And here’s an example.

So please watch this brief (about 16 minutes) talk on the power of storytelling, and why it works, and then come straight back for today’s takeaway.

What do you want?

Because this is always where any significant change begins — with the simple question: “What do I want?” And if what you want is to be remembered, then embrace your inner storyteller. Because as David Phillips has just reminded you — you are a natural-born storyteller. You’ve just forgotten this small, important fact because you’ve gotten so busy becoming a boring adult. But it’s not too late.

So please do this.

You were encouraged in the talk to do three things:

1. Embrace the fact that you are a natural-born storyteller.
2. Write down your stories.
3. Index those stories.

Take a small step today.

Embrace your inner storyteller, and get to work becoming more memorable.

Read more.

You have several options for your next step. You could read more about this topic. Or you could contact me and describe what you're going through. And I'll be in touch with suggestions. Or you can book a free session to make a time to get together and talk it over by phone. Either way, I'm here to help you focus, overcome resistance, and get moving again.