When you focus on who you want to become rather than what you want to achieve, your habits take on a whole new meaning—they become votes for the person you aspire to be.

Three Levels of Change

Change can happen on three levels:

1. Outcome Change: What you get or achieve.
2. Process Change: What you do, the actions you take.
3. Identity Change: What you believe about yourself and how you see the world.

Most of us start with outcome or process, focusing on end goals and the steps to get there. However, if you never address the beliefs that drive your behavior, you may find yourself slipping back into old habits. Sustainable change emerges when you work from the inside out, allowing your identity to guide your outcomes.

Why Identity Matters

Your identity is shaped by your habits, and every action you take is like a vote for the person you wish to become. Each time you show up and repeat a behavior, you reinforce the belief behind it. Over time, these beliefs solidify and become the cornerstone of your self-image.

• Beliefs Drive Behavior: If your underlying beliefs don’t change, you can set all the goals you want, but you’ll struggle to maintain new habits.
• Internal Pressure: The more pride you take in a particular facet of your identity, the more motivated you’ll be to keep the habits tied to that identity.
• Unlearning and Evolving: Real progress demands you to edit your beliefs, expand your identity, and adapt your self-image.

When there’s a conflict between your identity and your actions, it creates internal tension. To avoid contradicting your self-image, you might sabotage your efforts or revert to old habits. This identity conflict is often the biggest barrier to lasting change.

The Two-Step Process of Identity Change

True behavior change is identity change.

Here’s a simple, two-step way to reshape your identity:

1. Decide the Type of Person You Want to Be
   Get clear on the core values and traits you admire. Ask yourself what kind of person achieves the goals you have in mind.
2. Prove It to Yourself with Small Wins
   Consistently engage in actions that reflect this new identity. Each small win is another piece of evidence that you are becoming who you say you are.

Small Wins, Big Impact

Every time you repeat a behavior, you reinforce the belief associated with it. Think of it as casting a vote in an election. One vote won’t decide the outcome, but the more votes you cast, the stronger your new identity becomes. You don’t need unanimous support; a simple majority is enough to pivot your self-image toward something more positive and empowering.

• Habit Repetition: Repeated actions become ingrained beliefs (your “repeated beingness”).
• Trusting Yourself: Each time you follow through on a habit, you build trust in your capabilities.
• Small Steps Add Up: Significant transformation doesn’t require drastic changes all at once. It’s about collecting evidence of who you’re becoming, one step at a time.

Evolving Your Self-Image

The real reason habits don’t stick is often tied to an outdated or conflicting self-image. To make meaningful progress, you may need to unlearn certain beliefs and expand your sense of self. Over time, these internal shifts lead to new outward behaviors.

“The most practical way to change who you are is to change what you do.”

A series of seemingly small, consistent changes can ultimately reshape your entire identity. When you place your focus on becoming the type of person who embodies the habits you seek, lasting transformation becomes not just possible, but inevitable.

Final Thoughts

Lasting behavior change arises from identity change. Rather than aiming solely for outcomes, look at who you want to be. Then, let every small action be a vote that affirms your chosen identity. Over time, your self-image evolves to match these consistent behaviors, propelling you toward your best possible self.