WATCH: How to Turbocharge New Habits and New Behaviours!

Today, I’d like to talk about ‘Behaviour Change’. And, in particular, developing new habits to achieve excellence and to achieve great results.

“Identity Based Habits”

I want to talk about ‘Identity Based Approach’ to habit forming. Because, there’s a lot of different coaches who will say “Okay, you want to achieve a goal and what you need to do is be really clear about your goal. You need to articulate it clearly. You need to begin with the end in mind or you need to be absolutely clear of what success looks like”. And, that’s all really good stuff, but it’s not enough.

“Process”

Because there are other coaches who will then say right, “You need to focus on the Process. What is it that you need to be doing day by day to get an incrementally better improvement in your performance every day. A one percent improvement for example, which then compounds over a longer period of time giving you phenomenal results”. And that’s really important as well.

“Identity Based Approach”

But the author, James Clear, who’s written one of my favourite books called ‘Atomic Habits’, takes an even deeper approach. And, that means to take an ‘Identity Based Approach’. Because that’s where the core of your motivation to make the change will come from. Because change can often be difficult and there’s times when you’ll wake up or you’ll be in a situation go like, “Oh god, do I really need to do that new thing in order to achieve my goal?”. And, when you have an identity based approach, you just see it as that’s who I am. That’s the sort of person I am. That’s who I’m being. And, as that person who does this thing I naturally do this behaviour.

“Outcomes”

For example, if I want to run a marathon, I could have the goal of running a marathon. I could have the process of improving my running style and developing nutritional understanding for my body. But if I see myself as a runner, then that’s just something I do every day and I’ll get up and run whatever the weather. Because I’ll just do it. Because that’s what I do. If I want to write a book, better than saying “I want to write a book”,  say, “I am a writer”, and then I write every day. Or if I want to learn how to play a musical instrument. I see myself as a musician not just someone who picks up an instrument now and then.

So, I’d like you to think about who you need to be. So, that you can be the best leader, the best team manager, the best team player. In order to have an identity that fits with the outcome that you want to Achieve. Because when it comes to Behaviour Change and Habits, Stay Curious!

With best regards,

David Klaasen

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©David Klaasen – 2014