Habit Change

In my journey to build a better me, I’ve been reading the book Atomic Habits. Some of it is common sense, but other parts have been pretty revelatory. One of his suggestions is to think less about your goals and more about the process. For example, not just to think “I want to stop relying on so many forms of instant gratification” but rather “I’m going to do X, Y, and Z at these times on these days”. Basically, specify what small changes you want to make on a daily basis and then the goal will hopefully be the end result. The analogy he gives is that, in any game, both teams have the same end goal: to win. However, the team that has more focus on how to win (the processes that will lead the team to play better) will reach that end goal.

The author also posits that the most profound way to change habits is to incorporate those changes into your identity. I realize that I have a huge problem in this area. A good example is my relationship with eating animal products. At this point, eating animals no longer aligns with my values in terms of animal welfare, the environment, or health. However, I have resisted calling myself a vegan or identifying with the vegan community. Instead, I have said that I’m trying to eat plant-based. I’m still not sure why exactly. Maybe because I’ve never seen myself as someone who could make that huge sacrifice to become fully vegan (I really enjoy eating meat and dairy…I wish I was one of those people that just didn’t have a taste for it). Saying “I’m vegan” is incorporating a value into my identity and would make it easier to behave accordingly. Saying that “I’m trying to eat mostly plant-based” does not hold that kind of power because it’s a statement about what I'm trying to do, not who I am. It also feels like a different level of commitment, which intimidates me.

This book is really making me think about what I want to include into my identity and what I want to stop including. The fact of the matter is that I’m more likely to fold the negative things into my identity (“I’m a bad driver”) than the positive things (I cringe if someone calls me a runner. I’m not a runner, I’m just someone who runs. Aka, a runner.). So much to think about. Anyway, happy Saturday everyone. Have a great weekend!