How changing your identity can transform your health

In the pursuit of personal and professional development, many people focus solely on achieving specific goals or changing their habits. However, this approach often overlooks the most transformative aspect of habit formation: identity.

In one of my favourite books about behaviour change, Atomic Habits, author James Clear illustrates that true behavioural change is deeply rooted in identity change. When you shift the focus from what you want to achieve to who you want to become, you unlock the power of sustainable transformation.

Goals vs. Identity-Based Habits

Most people begin their journey to change by setting goals: “I want to lose weight,” “I want to reverse diabetes, or “I want normal blood pressure”.

Even if they go through the process of making these goals more specific and time based, they often result in temporary change. This is because goals are outcome focused.

Instead of saying, “I want to lose weight,” a person should think, “I am someone who values health and makes healthy choices.”

The difference is subtle but significant. When change is based on identity, it becomes part of who you are, not just something you do. You begin to act in alignment with the person you believe yourself to be. In this way, your actions become expressions of your identity, reinforcing it with each small choice.

The Power of Identity Shifts

Identity-based habits work because they transform the way you see yourself. Let’s consider one of the most detrimental lifestyle habits associated to cardiovascular disease, smoking.

Now consider two people trying to quit smoking. When offered a cigarette, one person says, “No, thanks. I’m trying to quit.” The other says, “No, thanks. I’m not a smoker.”

The first person still identifies as a smoker who is attempting to change, while the second person identifies as someone who doesn’t smoke at all. This shift in identity helps reinforce the behaviour. When your identity aligns with your actions, there’s less friction, making it easier to maintain the habit over time.

This principle can be applied to any type of change. If you want to become a more active person, you need to start identifying as someone who moves regularly. This shift moves your focus from external rewards to internal alignment.

The Layers of Behaviour Change

Here are three layers to behaviour change that we work with clients on:

1. Goals: The first and most superficial layer is focused on changing your results. However, it is still important as we need to know what we are aiming for.
2. Systems: The second layer is about changing your habits through systems that align with your goals, such as scheduling time in your diary for exercise, meal planning etc.
3. Identity: The deepest layer is about changing your beliefs, your worldview, self-image, and judgements about yourself and others.

Outcomes are what you get. Processes are about what you do. Identity is about what you believe.

Each has its place; however, most people spend the most amount of time thinking about the outcome and less time focusing on the systems and the identity they are creating.

Building Identity-Based Habits

To shift your identity, you need to ask yourself, “Who do I want to become?” This question helps you define the type of person you want to be. For example, if you want to run a marathon, the goal isn’t just to complete the race; it’s to become a runner. Once you’ve defined who you want to become, you can ask, “What would a person like that do?”

I like the idea of every action you take being a vote for the type of person you want to become. When you skip a workout, make a poor dietary choice, you’re casting a vote for a different identity.

While missing one workout won’t undo your progress, the more consistently you align your actions with your desired identity, the stronger that identity becomes.

The goal is not perfection, but it is about casting more votes that align with your goals than ones that do not.

Roger Federer, arguably the best male tennis player to have ever played, only won just above 50% of all the points he played in his singles career! It’s about getting it right more often than not!

Conclusion

One of the most effective ways to start shifting your identity is through small wins. Small actions, repeated consistently, reinforce the identity you’re building.

If you want to become someone who prioritises cardiovascular health for instance, begin by taking manageable steps that align with that identity.

For example, if you want to manage your blood pressure, start by incorporating a 10-minute walk into your daily routine. If you aim to reduce chronic inflammation, make it a habit to include anti-inflammatory foods on your shopping and as part of your meal planning.

These actions may seem small, but each one is a step toward embodying your new, health-focused identity. Over time, these habits accumulate into significant improvements in your overall well-being.

Each time you choose a nutrient-dense meal, you are someone who takes their health seriously. Each time you take a few moments for deep breathing or stress management, you are someone who values their heart health.

Your habits are the path to your identity and your identity reinforces the habits and systems that you create.

Learn more about how I support clients with their cardiovascular health, and sign up to watch my free training video on ‘beating the cardiovascular clock’.