Can You Change Your Identity?

You want to do better, have more money, and improve your skills. But every week you do the same things and expect a different result. How about we stop focusing on our goals completely and instead try focusing on our behaviors?

Let's say you want to become a digital writer (your end goal). Ask yourself what kind of person becomes a digital writer. It's probably someone who writes daily, publishes on his website, runs a blog, sends newsletters to his audience, tweets frequently, possibly writes on Medium and Quora, perhaps has copywriting experience, and maybe is a ghostwriter for CEOs of smaller companies (the behavior you should embody)

Now your focus shifts from - 'I want to become a writer'

to

'What kind of person becomes a writer?'

When I wrote my first blog on my website on 8th January 2023, I never thought I would be able to write for you guys every week continuously for 10 months and counting. I had no idea that I was changing my identity slowly.

After writing for a month, I thought - 'Is this what writers do?' When I kept publishing for 3 months, I thought - 'Perhaps I am becoming a writer?' But now after 10 months, I have enough evidence to call myself a writer!

You don't become fit by going to the gym once. But if you go continuously for a year, you are a fit person.

You don't become a footballer after playing 1 match. But if you're training and competing every week for a year, then you are a footballer.

James Clear in his book Atomic Habits says - 'Your identity is what you do repeatedly. Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.'

What do you think you can start doing repeatedly for the next 6 months?

© 2023 Kunal Dutt.