What is the Misogi Method?
(Episode 1 of 2 with Jody Miller)
Jody Miller is an international speaker, TEDx Speaker, and author of multiple books, including Drift to Shift and The MISOGI Method. She contributes to numerous publications including Entrepreneur, HuffPost, and Business Success Magazine, and she is also the host of the top-ranked radio podcast, The MISOGI Method.
In today’s episode, we’re going to discuss what the misogi method is and how we can find our misogi.
Key Takeaways
We will cover the following key takeaways:
- The idea of a misogi is to take a very big leap and make a goal that has a 50% or greater chance of failure.
- Even if we don’t fully achieve our misogi, we’re still much further along than if we had only taken small steps.
What is the Misogi Method?
Jody gave a TEDx talk about the importance of stepping into the outer layer of our comfort zone. As we push ourselves outside of our comfort zone, we grow and become better people. But how exactly do we do this? Many of us have likely heard of taking small steps or setting small habits to meet our goals. However, the misogi method is the opposite.
“The idea of a misogi is to take a very big leap, a very, very big reach that literally has a 50% or greater chance of failure,” Jody said. “Even if you don’t fully achieve your misogi, you’re still so much further along than if you just took these teeny, tiny, little steps.”
While there are likely small steps along the way, the idea is to focus on reaching the big goal, instead of focusing on reaching the small ones.
When Jody’s son, Christopher, was younger, he had difficulties speaking. He only spoke in vowels. So, Jody attended an Individual Educational Plan meeting to find the best way to support her son. In one meeting, the group said, “We’d like to see Christopher speak with a computer.” Jody replied with, “No, I don’t think so. He’s going to talk.”
She left the meeting with the decision to teach her son how to talk. This became her misogi. It was a goal with a huge chance of failure, but she took the leap. Even if she got her son to say some sounds, she knew it would be a huge success.
Jody worked with a speech therapist and discovered that her son loved music. She began to teach him sounds with songs and after years, Christopher learned how to speak perfectly. When we set our minds to accomplish the big goals, or a misogi, we can accomplish big things.
“We all have dreams. We all have things that we regret we never did. We all have things we know we have to do,” Jody said. “Many of us already know what it is. . . . The cool thing is, even if you only make it halfway, it’s so much further than you ever would have done by never doing it at all.”
Finding Our Misogi
As entrepreneurs, we likely have many misogis we want to accomplish. Maybe it is starting a new business or launching a new product we have always dreamed about. Either way, instead of setting small goals, we should take the leap and make the big goal.
So, how do we find our misogi? Jody believes that deep down we already know what it is; all we have to do is stop and think, “ What is it that I’ve always felt I wanted or needed to do?”
“It’s probably been weighing on you for a long time and it could go back as far as your childhood. [Find] the talk you’re meant to give,” Jody said. “When you find it, you’re scared . . . and that’s okay. Because then you know you’re on the path to the right misogi.”
A misogi needs to be big enough that we’re willing to sacrifice for it. It has to be a goal that has a 50% chance or higher of failure. If you feel like you can’t do it, it’s likely a good indicator that you’ve found your misogi.
“If you’re not invested enough in it, then you’re not going to do it. It has to be big enough that you’re willing to invest in it,” Jody said.
Steve Jobs is a great example of an entrepreneur who had a misogi. When no one else believed in him, he started a billion dollar company from his garage. It took a big leap to start a business, but because it took the jump, he found lasting success.
When we create a misogi for ourselves, it’s important to remember to surround ourselves with those who can support us in our goals.
“You do not want to surround yourself with non-believers, because then you’ll get too discouraged because these breaches are so big,” Jody said. “You definitely want to surround yourself with support and just leave those naysayers to the side for a while until you’re well on your way.”
Misogi Examples
Jody once attended an event in New York City with about 250 people. The owner of CBS, the president, and a member of the Federal Communications Commission, stood in the middle of the room. Everyone else stood to the side.
Jody had an overwhelming urge to go and introduce herself, and knew immediately she had to do it. She had a misogi.
“In my little pencil skirt and heels, I clipped my way across that ballroom and I went right up to the owner of CBS who was Laurence Tisch at the time. I said, ‘Hello, Mr. Tisch. I’m Jody Berry, which is my maiden name, I’m going to be working for you.’”
He looked at her and then started making introductions to everyone else in the group. For 10 minutes, they stood there talking and three weeks later, she was working for CBS.
“[A misogi is inspired action,” Jody said. “When you finally discover what it is, you know you have to do it.”
Another great example of someone fulfilling their misogi is Darren Quinn, someone Jody had the chance to write about in her book, The MISOGI Method. Quinn became a quadriplegic after a car accident; however, he didn’t let that stop him from doing the things he wanted.
Quinn signed up for painting lessons even though he couldn’t use his hands. He painted with the brush between his teeth or between his shoulders. After a few years of hard work, Quinn now has paintings featured in restaurants, TV show sets, several solo art exhibits, and more. This was a misogi. Many people likely believed he couldn’t do it, but when he set his mind to this task with a 50% chance of failure, he did it.
Quinn also decided he wanted to learn how to wind surf from Maui to Molokai. He created another misogi. They built a special chair he could use and after practice, he met his goal. There is even a movie about this inspirational story. Once he realized he could do anything, he didn’t let anything stop him.
Jody also had the chance to write about a woman who had been in an abuse shelter three times as a kid. One day she decided she wanted to change her life and in the process, help others. She now teaches positive parenting and affects thousands of people.
A misogi often becomes a life defining moment. When we take a big leap and give our all, we can accomplish great things.
Connect with Jody
Thank you so much Jody for sharing your stories and insights with us today. To learn more about or connect with Jody:
- Check out her books on Amazon
- Listen to her podcast at Spreaker.com/show/misogiradios-podcast
- Watch her Tedx talk at Ted.com
Next Steps
- Get a free ebook about passion marketing, and learn how to become a top priority of your ideal customers at PassionMarketing.com.
- Subscribe to Monetization Nation on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, our Facebook Group, and on your favorite podcast platform.
