Is Your Identity Holding You Back?

Who do you think you are?

No really—who do you think you are?

Because whether you realize it or not, the answer to that question shapes almost everything you do.

It’s called your identity, and it’s not necessarily positive or negative—it just is.
Your identity is made up of the things you believe to be true about yourself. And those beliefs drive the choices you make, the habits you form, and the way you show up in life.

So if you believe…

"I'm not consistent."
"I'm not an athlete."
"I'm just someone who always falls off."
"I'm not the kind of person who works out."
"I'm bad with food."
"I'm lazy."

…then guess what?

You’re going to live up to that identity.
Not because you have to—but because that’s what feels true to you.

And as humans, we’re wired to act in alignment with who we believe we are. That’s why identity matters so much when you’re trying to change your habits or pursue a big goal.

Let’s say you’re working toward a fitness goal. If deep down you still see yourself as someone who skips workouts, eats whatever’s convenient, or never finishes what they start… Then that identity is going to fight you every step of the way.

You might be able to force it for a few weeks when you are still motivated. But eventually, if your internal beliefs don’t shift, your actions will slide right back to where they were.

Because you can’t outwork an identity that doesn’t support your goals.

CHANGING OUR IDENTITY STARTS WITH ACTION

• If you want to think of yourself as someone who follows through, you have to start following through.

• If you want to believe you're disciplined, you have to start doing things that disciplined people do.

• If you want to identify as someone who takes care of their health, you have to start showing up for your body.

Mantras and motivational quotes will only take you so far—for change that sticks, you'll need to build the belief through action.

HOW TO BUILD YOUR NEW IDENTITY

1. Ask yourself the following:

• I want to get better at:___________.

• Why have I failed to develop this skill in the past?(This is where we pinpoint the “story” that has been holding you back) The old story I'm letting go of is ___________.

• Think of a person who already has this skill. What is this person like? How does this person act when things get hard? What habits come naturally to them? How do they talk to themselves?

2. Craft your new Identity:

• Use “I am...” and take data from one of the 4 questions above to complete the sentence.

• "I am someone who___________."

3. Now lock it in:

• Choose 1 daily action to help you PROVE your new identity to yourself.

• Daily Action: ___________