Spot your inner enemy fast ⚔️

Hey hero,

Meet Marcus...

A 48-year-old former Marine turned executive...

Who found himself frozen in self-doubt during board meetings...

Like King David staring up at Goliath...

Except his giant wasn't made of flesh and bone...

It was the voice in his head saying "you're not good enough…Marcus" 😰

Sound familiar?

That voice has a name...

Todd Herman calls it "The Enemy." [1]

And until you identify it...

It'll keep you trapped in mediocrity forever.

Your Invisible Opponent Revealed

The Enemy isn't some mystical force...

It's the collection of doubts, fears, and limiting beliefs...

that hijack your performance when it matters most. [1]

Think of it as psychological quicksand...

The more you struggle against it...

The deeper you sink.

But here's the 180 flip...

Define Your Field of Play First

Before you can defeat The Enemy...

You need to know WHERE you're fighting.

Herman calls this your "Field of Play"...

It's the specific area of life where you want to level up. [1]

Could be:

• Your career battlefield 💼 

• The fitness arena 💪 

• Your relationships 💕 

• The parenting playground 👨‍👧‍👦

Pick ONE to start.

Because trying to fight on all fronts...

Is like the Spartans trying to defend all of Greece...

Instead of focusing on Thermopylae. ⚔️ [5]

The 60-Second Enemy Scanner

Ready to expose your inner villain?

Here's your reconnaissance mission:

Step 1: Name your Field of Play.

"I want to dominate in [specific area]"

• Sales at my job by 12.7% more...
  
  

• Finding love again by Summer...
  
  

• Better heart health in 90 days...
  
  

• etc.

Step 2: List The Enemy's calling cards.

• What thoughts creep in before big moments?
  
  

• What excuses does [Your name] make?
  
  

• What fears paralyze you?

Step 3: Ask the killer question:

"What's really holding [Your name] back from greatness?"

Notice I said "[Your name]" not "me"...

This psychological distance is crucial. [2]

It's easier to spot patterns when you observe yourself...

Kinda like a Navy SEAL watching surveillance footage. 🎯

RANGES & TESTS:

Self-Sabotage Assessment Tools: 

• Procrastination Scale: Score above 3.5/5 indicates high self-sabotage [3]

• Impostor Phenomenon Scale: 40% of high achievers score 60+ [4]

• Fear of Failure Scale: Optimal range below 35/100 [6][7]

Performance Zones: [Subjective]

• Comfort Zone: 0-30% effort (The Enemy thrives here)

• Growth Zone: 60-80% effort (Where heroes are forged)

• Panic Zone: 90-100% effort (Unsustainable)

Marcus discovered his Enemy whispered:

"You're just a jarhead... these MBA types will eat you alive."

Once he named it...

He could fight it.

And win. 💪

This is where your heroic journey begins, my man.

To crushing your inner enemy,

Mens Health Secrets 
–Live Past 100

P.S. Tomorrow, I'll show you how to create distance from your "trapped self" and access power you never knew existed... like Moses parting the Red Sea. 🌊

P.P.S. Check with your healthcare provider before starting any new wellness program. This content serves educational and entertainment purposes only.

P.P.P.S. >>> Go here to subscribe to our Mens Health Secrets YouTube Channel if you haven't yet... leave a comment... and level up your Mens Health knowledge to live longer.

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Medical References: 

[1] Herman, T. (2019). The Alter Ego Effect: The power of secret identities to transform your life. Harper Business. ISBN (hardcover): 978-0062838636 https://alteregoeffect.com/book/ https://www.amazon.com/Alter-Ego-Effect-Identities-Transform/dp/0062838636/

[2] Kross, E., & Ayduk, O. (2011). Making meaning out of negative experiences by self-distancing. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20(3), 187-191. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721411408883

[3] Lay, C. H. (1986). At last, my research article on procrastination. Journal of Research in Personality, 20(4), 474-495. https://doi.org/10.1016/0092-6566(86)90127-3

[4] Mak KKL, Kleitman S, Abbott MJ. Impostor Phenomenon Measurement Scales: A Systematic Review. Front Psychol. 2019 Apr 5;10:671. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00671. PMID: 31024375; PMCID: PMC6463809.

[5] Lohnes, K., & Sommerville, D. (2025, December 9). Battle of Thermopylae. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Thermopylae-Greek-history-480-BC

[6] Leung, K., Chen, Z., Fan, Z., & Lim, K. (2014). Fear of Failure Scale [Database record]. APA PsycTests. https://doi.org/10.1037/t46523-000

[7] Gabriella Cacciotti, James C. Hayton, J. Robert Mitchell, David G. Allen, Entrepreneurial fear of failure: Scale development and validation, Journal of Business Venturing, Volume 35, Issue 5, 2020, 106041, ISSN 0883-9026, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2020.106041 (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883902619301326)