Introduction: The Power of Identity

Why do some habits stick while others fade? According to James Clear (author of “Atomic Habits”) and Rob Dial (author of “Level Up”), a key component that determines your habits is your identity. This is a powerful idea, and it is an idea we are going to explore in this article.

Your identity – the beliefs you hold about yourself – directly shapes your behaviors and habits. These are the core beliefs you hold about who you are – and they act like a filter through which you make choices and take action. If you believe you’re a healthy person, you’re more likely to choose nutritious foods and exercise regularly. If you see yourself as someone who struggles with discipline, you’ll subconsciously act in ways that reinforce that belief. In other words, your habits are often a reflection of your identity. When your actions align with how you see yourself, they feel natural and sustainable. That’s why lasting behavior change starts with shifting the way you define yourself.

In this article, we will look at how identity influences action, how to shift identity, and how to align who you are with what you want to do.

The Link Between Identity and Action

Identity is the internal narrative we carry (e.g., “I’m a self-directed leader” vs. “I’m always disorganized”). These messages we tell ourselves have a strong impact on the choices we make. If you see yourself as a self-directed leader, you will make choices based on that view of yourself, and you will be more effective than if you see yourself as someone who doesn’t take the lead in your life.

Identity drives consistent behavior. If you identify yourself as a healthy person who eats to live, you are more likely to say no to junk food and fast food and to stick with nutritious homemade meals. If you see yourself as someone who’s disorganized, you’ll act accordingly – even if unintentionally.

Lasting change comes from changing your identity, not just your behavior. John C. Maxwell teaches that you can change your life by changing your thinking. When you change your thinking, you change your identity.

For example, back in September 2023, I had a significant change in my thinking. I went from being someone who drinks pop to someone who does never drinks pop. This was a major change in my identity, and I am now 18 months pop free. I now identity as a person who does not drink pop, and I don’t even have to think about it because it is now part of who I am.

Why Behavior Change Often Fails

Most people try to change their behavior (the outer layer) without addressing their beliefs (the inner layer). For example, for years I have struggled with trying to lose weight. I have tried different types of diets, and I have lost weight, only to fall back into my old eating habits and gaining back the weight I lost. I changed my behaviors for a while, but I did not change the core of who I am. My identify did not change, and for that reason I have not consistently kept the weight off.

There is a difference between outcome-based change (e.g., “I want to lose 10 lbs”) and identity-based change (e.g., “I am someone who takes care of my body”). When I stopped drinking pop, I successfully changed my identity to that of someone who does not drink pop. I was not saying I am trying to quit drinking pop. I simply changed my thinking, and I am now someone who does not drink pop.

Trying to build better habits without changing your identity is like trying to build a house from the top down. You don’t have the foundation to support the change, and your efforts will collapse on top of themselves.

How to Align Identity with Desired Actions

To align your identity with the desired actions you want to take, you need to act “As If”. Act like the person you want to become in small ways. For example, if you want to identify yourself as a writer, spend some time writing every day, even if it is just five minutes. Soon this will be a habit, and it will become part of who you are.

James Clear says: “Every action you take is a vote for the person you wish to become.” This means your actions shape who you are, and you can reinforce your identity through repetition. Each repeated action is a vote for your new identity. Over time, these votes build internal belief and confidence.

One thing to do to reinforce the identity you want to adopt is to use affirmations and self-talk mindfully. Catch and correct limiting identity statements like “I’m just not organized.” Replace them with empowering alternatives: “I’m learning to stay organized.”

Your habitual thinking shapes who you are. This is why John Maxwell teaches that you can change your life by changing your thinking. When you change what you tell yourself, you can have a significant impact on influencing who you are.

For example, I have limiting beliefs about my potential to be a paid professional speaker. If I continue to accept these beliefs about myself my identity will never change, and I won’t achieve my goal of becoming a professional speaker. However, when I change my habitual thoughts to focus on the skills I am developing as a speaker, I can see myself as a professional speaker and this will have a direct impact on the results I get in life.

Identity-Shaping Questions to Ask Yourself

Journaling and reflective thinking can shape who you are and can help to change your identity. For example, take some time and honestly answer the following questions:

• Who am I becoming?
• What do I want to be known for?
• What would the version of me who already has what I want do today?

Answering these questions will stimulate your thinking and your answers to these questions will paint a picture of who you want to be. This will help to shape your identity, and it can give you ideas about what you want to change in your life.

Case Study

A powerful identity change for me was when I gave up my addiction to the World of Warcraft video game back in 2013. Before 2013 I identified as someone who loved video games and was hopelessly addicted to playing World of Warcraft. This is a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game, and I was hooked on this game beyond reason. I’d spend countless hours in front of the computer slaying monsters and exploring dungeons, often alongside other players I had never met in real life.

This identity had a significant negative impact of my life. It caused me to be sedentary and to gain a lot of weight. My addiction to this game even caused me to get fired from a job because I missed a lot of work due to late nights playing World of Warcraft and not showing up for work the next day.

But that changed in 2013. You see, in 2013 I discovered how much fun and meaningful it is to be a volunteer leader for my Toastmasters club and district. At that time I volunteered as secretary for my Sundowners Toastmasters club and as Area A26 Governor for my Toastmasters district. Serving in these leadership roles had me doing meaningful things with my time outside of work instead sitting in front of my computer playing video games.

My identity shifted from being a video gamer to be being a leader. I changed what I did with my time outside of work and I stopped playing World of Warcraft. I changed to being someone who took on leadership roles and leadership projects in my time outside of work. I was also now a person who gives speeches for fun at my Toastmasters club.

My new identity led to new habits and different choices in my life. I made new friends in the real world (as opposed to online friends in the video game world). My life got better as a result, and I was more effective and more satisfied with my life outside of work.

Conclusion: Lead from Who You Are

Your habits follow your identity. Change who you believe you are, and your actions will follow.

Start shaping your identity one small action at a time. Remember that James Clear says that “every action you take is a vote for the person you wish to become.” Take the actions that vote in favor of the person you want to be and stopping making the choices and taking the actions that reinforce the negative behaviours that are tied up with the old identity you want to change.

Every action is a vote for the person you’re becoming. Who are you voting for today?