Introduction: The Power of a Single Action

James Clear, author of “Atomic Habits”, says: “Every action you take is a vote for the person you wish to become.” This means that your identity isn’t formed by big declarations, but by small, repeated choices. Every small choice you make and action you take shapes you are, and your habits define your identity.

Are your daily actions aligning with the person you want to become? Or are the repeated actions that you take every day leading you down a different path? If you want to achieve your goals and to become the person you want to be, you need to cast the right votes by repeating the right actions day after day.

Identity is Built, Not Declared

Identity isn’t something you simply decide – it’s something you demonstrate over time. As it has been said, your actions speak louder than your words. Who you really are is defined by what you do. If you say you are a healthy person who is dedicated to losing weight, but you continue to live on fast food and junk food, then your actions are telling people that you aren’t who you say you are.

Every habit, choice, and action either reinforces or reshapes your sense of self. For example:

• Going to the gym = vote for being a healthy person.
• Writing each day = vote for being a writer.
• Showing up early = vote for being dependable.

I write and publish a new blog article every week. These repeated actions reinforce my identity as a blogger, and every time I write an article, I am demonstrating that I am a blogger.

One important change in my life is a transitioning away from being someone who lives to eat to being someone who eats to live. I am reshaping my identity by repeatedly tracking what I eat every day. Each time I do this it is a vote for my identity as a person who is healthy and controls what he eats.

The Compound Effect of Small Decisions

Consistent, small actions accumulate into transformation over time. Darren Hardy, author of the book “The Compound Effect”, calls this process the Compound Effect. As you repeat positive (or negative) actions consistently over time, these repeated actions yield the results you get in life. This means that your votes (i.e. your repeated actions) will determine what you get in life.

Habit building leads to “compound interest”. Investing in continuous improvement, even just a commitment to get 1% better every day, leads to massive improvement in the long term. For example, reducing what you eat by a small percentage every day can lead to sustained weight loss over time.

The most important thing to remember is that It’s not about perfection – it’s about consistency. You don’t have to be perfect; you just have to keep repeating positive habits day in and day out.

Aligning Actions with Your Desired Identity

To align your actions with your identity, there are three key steps:

1. Define Who You Want to Become
2. Identify What That Person Would Do Daily
3. Act “As If”

Define Who You Want to Become

You cannot easily take consistent actions towards adopting a new identity unless you are clear on who you want to become. To get started at shaping and developing the identity you want to embrace, choose 2-3 identity-based goals: e.g., “I want to be a self-directed leader” or “I want to be healthy and active person.”

Identify What That Person Would Do Daily

Knowing who you want to be is not enough, you also need to identify what that person would do daily. To do this, break your desired identity down into small, repeatable behaviors.

For example, if you desire to be a self-directed leader, then your day would include planning your day, keeping the commitments you make to yourself, and being proactive.

Act “As If”

One of the more important things you can do to become the person you want to be is to act “as if” you were that person, even when you don’t feel like that version of yourself yet. Take small steps that cast votes in that direction.

For example, if you are striving to be a healthy and active person, act as if you are already that person by saying no to dessert, even when it is tempting to indulge.

Examples of Identity-Based Action in Everyday Life

So what does identity-based action in every day life look like? For me, I strive to be a healthy person who eats well and is active. Votes for this identity include going for daily walks and tracking everything I eat every day. More importantly, it includes staying within my daily calorie budget every day so I can lose weight.

Another example of identity-based action is how I became more of a self-directed leader. I did this through consistent planning every day via choosing every night before bed the actions I will take the following day. This also includes planning my week every Sunday and consistently reviewing my plans every night before bed.

Another way that I reinforce an identity that I want to embrace is that I write a blog article every Saturday. This reinforces my identity as a writer. Every time I consistently write a new blog article every week I am demonstrating that I am a writer.

Conclusion: You Are Always Becoming

Every action is a vote. What you do today shapes who you become tomorrow. This means that your habits dictate who you are, and your actions speak louder than your words.

To become the person you want to be, be intentional with even the smallest actions. You don’t need to overhaul your life – just start casting better votes, one small action at a time.