By Leo Babauta
One of the most powerful switches I ever made when changing my whole life was changing up my identity.
And while I never did it overnight, I effectively did it in multiple locations:
I altered from a smoker to a non-smoker– and as soon as I did, I stopped thinking about smoking cigarettes as something to do when I was stressed.I went from meat-eater to vegetarian (and later on to vegan). It literally took meat off the menu for me, so that I didn’t even think about consuming it.I idea of myself as a marathoner. Later, as just somebody who exercises regularly to stay healthy and fit. It indicated that there was no concern I was going to work out, even if I fell out of it for a bit because of disruptions.I became a meditator (and later Zen student). That implies even if I stop meditating for a bit, I’ll always return to it.I ended up being a writer. Sure, before this change, I did write, but not daily (join my Produce Daily Difficulty in Total Change if you wish to alter this one!). I ended up being a minimalist. Actually, before I decided to call myself that, there wasn’t truly anybody else who called themselves “minimalists”. The purposeful modification in identity enabled me to totally free myself of clutter and enjoy a life of less.
There are lots of other examples: as a daddy, unschooling moms and dad, early bird, reader, teacher, speaker, business owner, somebody who takes careful care of his financial resources … each time I’ve made a significant (or minor) life modification that stuck, I changed my identity.
It’s more effective than many people understand, and it’s manageable.
The Subtle Benefits of Altering Your Identity
While it takes a little work, if you can shift how you see yourself … you’ll likely discover a few of these advantages that aren’t apparent to many people:
You’ll stop doing (some of) the behaviors that you utilized to do. Stop cigarette smoking, stop consuming meat, stop playing video games, whatever someone with your identity wouldn’t do.You’ll make the habits you desire end up being a given. If
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