IDENTITY

Yesterday I wrote that any good habit could be justified in this way: "I do this habit because I want to be the kind of person who . . .".

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, puts it this way: "Every action you take (in forming a new habit) is a vote for the type of person you wish to become." 

When I clear the kitchen counter, it is a vote cast for "a person who is tidy and organized". When I choose broccoli over a candy bar, it is a vote cast for "a physically healthy individual". 

James Clear again: "the more you repeat a behavior, the more you reinforce the identity associated with that behavior."

According to Clear, "the word identity was originally derived from the Latin words essentitas, which means being, and identidem, which means repeatedly. Your identity is literally your 'repeated beingness.'"

I am finding that this is perhaps the most powerful aspect of habits.

Maybe the true power of good habits is not what we accomplish through them - keeping the bedroom tidy, toning muscles at the gym, returning emails promptly - but rather the way each habit shapes our self image.