"People do not decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures."

– Frederick Alexander, Aussie actor and author

Lasting behaviour change requires a shift in identity.

It requires believing you are the type of person who does the thing you’re trying to do.

• It’s not about losing 10kgs, it’s about becoming the type of person who cares about their body.
• It’s not about walking 10,000 steps a day, it’s about believing you're an active person.
• It’s not about finishing a marathon, it’s about becoming a runner.

See, believing things like “I care about my health”, “I’m an active person”, or “I love taking care of my body”, is more powerful than any goal you set.

The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity. It’s one thing to say “I’m the type of person who wants this.” It’s something very different to say “I’m the type of person who is this.”

James Clear, bestselling author of Atomic Habits

See, it’s easy to do something once or twice.

But if we shift our identity we do it for life.