Follow through with your goals

As we step into 2025 and set new goals and habits, what about the 2024 resolutions we have yet to accomplish? I've been asking myself why I have not ticked all the boxes. And James Clear had the answers for me: your habits shape your identity. 

Most of the time, we set outcome-based goals that don't align with our current identity. We might establish that we want to become disciplined and consistent and create a particular morning routine to follow. But if we only work on the what instead of the who, we won't maintain or follow through with that ideal routine - we don't identify as disciplined people. It sounds good in theory, and we see it all over social media, but the habit doesn't stick with us because that intrinsic motivation to keep going is not part of your identity.

Three layers of behaviour change - Atomic Habits, James Clear

The above diagram paints a picture of behaviour change. Like Simon Sinek's Golden Circle, where you start with the 'why' at the center, when it comes to behaviour, you have to start with your identity and belief system. If you want to dive deeper into changing beliefs, read our article Change your thoughts to level up. 

James Clear in Atomic Habits highlights these layers: "Outcomes are about what you get. Processes are about what you do. Identity is about what you believe." By starting with who you want to become vs what you want to achieve, you build a system that will last in the long run, and you won't default to your old behaviours. 

If you're like me and stopped working on your goals, the outcome and process of accomplishing those conflicted with who you are. That means we still need to become the person who does those things. I know you know who you want to become, and that's part of the solution. 

1. Ask yourself what type of person you want to become.

2. Gather evidence by taking small steps that prove you are that person.

It starts with deciding who you are: a consistent individual, a runner, or a healthy person. And the impostor syndrome will try to sabotage you at the beginning because you don't have enough evidence to support your new identity, but the repetition and small wins you gain will change that. Additionally, it can be overwhelming because change doesn't happen overnight, so you need to start small. Start by making your bed every morning or simply stretching for 5 minutes. Ask yourself what does a runner do? Write it on your bathroom mirror, make it visible and check in with yourself often. And let that guide you throughout the decisions you make every day. When you introduce yourself to people, don't say: I go for morning runs, say I am a runner - it's a shift in mindset. The small wins are represented by you behaving like the person you want to become, and your brain will soon shift to believe that you are consistent or a runner.   

As you go through this process, avoid getting stuck on that identity. As James puts it: "becoming the best version of yourself requires you to edit your beliefs continuously and to upgrade and expand your identity." Sometimes this identity was a stepping stone to levelling up to the next, next version of yourself.   

Taking action will bring you to the outcome you desire, but most importantly, shape your identity and gather the evidence you are who you claim to be. 

XoXo,

Sabina @Self Defind