One of my favourite tips, from Daniel Coyle’s “The Little Book of Talent”, is the concept of “staring at who you want to become”. He believes that successful people use a metaphorical windshield that we view our role models with. These ideas and wisdom viewed through your windshield will shape your future being.

Cottage drive in Quebec, Canada

Coyle says that if you’re told that you have the same birthday as a mathematician you’re more likely to put 62% more effort into hard math problems. He argues that the “closer” you are to your mentors the more likely you will be subconsciously motivated.

This “windshield” can manifest itself though a variety of ways. It could be watching your hero give an interview or merely looking at an image of them that sends your prefrontal cortex into a neuronic fevor.

Without doubt the most effective windshield is social media. Bite size packets from your role models served up on your phone. But it’s only effective if you take the time to curate and mold a rigid framework for each – or they’ll become unwieldy. Only follow your mentors on twitter, connoisseurs of life on instagram, and relegate everyone else to Facebook. Social media should be a clear reflection of your future self.

Whatever mediums comprise your windshield just remember that inspiration is a fuel for your mind and pointless if you don’t use it as a catalyst to achieve something. Next time you read, write your thoughts down. Next time you listen to your favourite song, run faster.