Bad habits will kill you in 2024
The reason why you can't keep good habits and what to do about it
“Opening Punchline That will make sense at the end of the read!”
If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change.”
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems." 😂
If you're anything like me and you work an 8-5 job, you have to take control of your day so it doesn’t overrun you. You need to take control of every part of your day in order to have a chance to survive in both your main job and passion business, even if you’re taking a course to climb up the professional ladder or gain new skills and degrees.
Okay, maybe I got a bit emotional in that last paragraph, but today we will talk about a powerful concept in your journey to building and keeping good habits.
If you understand this concept well, it would be like understanding the codes for habit building and you can use this to build anything you want.
Let me start with a story. In 2021, after I decided I wanted to start my productivity journey, I chose journaling and reading as skills I wanted to build, but I had never finished a book in my life and I didn’t have the attention or mental strength to write.
And just as you are about to learn in this episode, the most “permanent change comes from changing your identity!”
I wanted to build up my journaling and writing skills, so I knew I had to become the kind of person who journals. I got a physical journal that was portable and easy to carry about. I also had this weird thing where I would totally forget what was said to me as soon as it was said to me, especially if I got carried away by thoughts.
I would carry a book around, writing down instructions I was given at work or writing down a great idea I had. I wrote in the morning during the journey to the office each day.
At the start, I didn't have the courage to publish any of my writing, but a few years down the line, I have not only found my voice but also my destiny.
And till now, I journal and write every single day. I assumed the role of someone who journals and reads, and I did it long enough that it has become my identity. This is referred to as the "Plateau of Latent Potential."
But I must say that I genuinely enjoyed reading and writing over time, the more I did it.
Okay, let’s go on so we can get this over with!
Changing our habits is challenging for two reasons
1️⃣ We try to change the wrong thing.
2️⃣ We try to change our habits in the wrong way.
Three Layers of Behavior Change
There are three layers of behavior change: a change in your outcomes, a change in your processes, or a change in your identity.
⛳The first layer is changing your outcomes. This level is concerned with changing your results: losing weight, publishing a book, winning a championship. Most of the goals you set are associated with this level of change.
⛳The second layer is changing your process. This level is concerned with changing your habits and systems: implementing a new routine at the gym, decluttering your desk for better workflow, developing a meditation practice. Most of the habits you build are associated with this level.
🚀The third and deepest layer is changing your identity. This level is concerned with changing your beliefs: your worldview, your self-image, your judgments about yourself and others. Most of the beliefs, assumptions, and biases you hold are associated with this level.
Outcomes are about what you get. Processes are about what you do. Identity is about what you believe.
When it comes to building habits that last—when it comes to building a system of 1 percent improvements—the best way is to build identity-based habits.
With this approach, we start by focusing on who we wish to become.
The goal is not to read a book, the goal is to become a reader. The goal is not to run a marathon, the goal is to become a runner.
Building habits around identity ensures lasting change and continuous improvement.
I’ll finish this section up with a story from the book I found interesting:
Entrepreneur Brian Clark, based in Boulder, Colorado, conquered his lifelong nail-biting habit picked up as a child in response to nervous situations.
To break the habit, he committed to not chewing his nails until they grew out and then took an unconventional approach by scheduling his first manicure.
The unexpected outcome was that the manicure made his nails look impressive, and the praise he received transformed his perspective. Proud of his well-cared-for nails, he hasn't chewed them since, proving the power of pride in breaking habits.
I’ve used this concept to build good habits for myself, but I must confess I’m yet to stop chewing my nails. Who knows, I might just get a manicure if I ever feel like quitting!
Next week we’re gonna talk on how to make habit level changes and touch briefly on the four rules of habit change.
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That was it for today. Have a great week and I'll see you next Sunday!
— Dave♦|TheGrowthProject
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