The Habits of Success: Shaping Your Identity
The Secret To Achieve More Through Your Habits
It is a new year.
You are starting a new chapter in your life.
Let me guess... You’re convinced this year will be better.
It won’t.
I dislike being the bad guy, but I truly want the best for you, so I will tell you the truth.
At the beginning of last year, you likely wanted to change a lot of habits for 2022:
- Quit smoking.
- Lose weight.
- Pick up a new hobby. Etc.
Did you accomplish any of these?
If you didn’t, then let me help you.
I want to help you break out of this never-ending spiral of setting habits that are never fulfilled.
To do this, I must share a technique with you.
It consists of practical steps that you can implement in your own life.
As you read this, remember to keep an open mind.
The problem with “good and bad habits”
Habits are often viewed as either good or bad. The problem with this is that it is subjective.
For example, some people think daily exercise such as jogging is a bothersome chore.
I strongly object. I even wrote an extensive article explaining why I think this habit is good.
So, rather than focusing on the label of a habit as good or bad, it is more useful to consider the effectiveness of a habit on your identity:
“The most important thing is not the end result of the habit, but the effect it has on your identity.” — James Clear
Your identity and your habits.
Your habits define who you are.
But who you are, also determines what habits you do.
This is why, to change your habits, you must first change your identity.
Here’s how:
- Choose what kind of person you want to be
- Prove it to yourself through small gains.
First of all, you have to choose who you want to be — as an individual, as a team, as a society, and as a country.
You have to choose:
- What do you believe in?
- What are your principles and values?
- Who do you want to be?
These are big questions. As I alluded to in my intro, most people would rather think about results: Getting more money, becoming more fit. Etc.
To change this way of thinking, we have to think differently. For example: which type of person earns a lot of money?
That is probably a person that is disciplined and hard-working.
Notice how you are switching from focusing on making money(Results-based) to being the person that is disciplined and hard-working(Identity-based).
This process can lead you to think:
- I want to be a writer who listens to my audience.
- I want to be a soldier that is brave enough to shoot first.
- I want to be a nurse that always looks out for their patients.
Conclusion
Although creating a life of productive habits is fantastic, it won’t benefit you on its own.
You must create an identity that enables you to maintain your habits even when you lack motivation.
If you’re interested in further exploring the topic of habits and how to change them, I would suggest checking out “Atomic Habits” by James Clear.
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