Go VOTE for who you want to become ??
This post is not a call to action to fulfill your civic duty, rather it's a reminder that you do already cast votes every day, multiple times a day. But are you voting for the right person?
Changing WHAT we always do is Difficult
If you are like me, at some point of time in your life or even in the last week, you have pondered about your habits and tendencies. Maybe it was because you noticed someone else's habits that you found admirable. Maybe you wished you were an early riser and would stop needing to snooze your morning alarms more times than you would like to admit. Maybe you wished you had the discipline to hit the gym every morning before going into the office. Maybe you wished it was easier to cut out junk food and stick with lean high protein diet. Maybe you didn't even go as far as wishing you have what it takes to do it and you just shrug off these thoughts on most days (I certainly have done it many times).
The fact is these amazing habits to have, all require certain amount of effort and discipline. And on many days, we simple don't feel like we have the energy and commitment to stick to it.
Many people make new year resolutions, and many people fail to complete their resolution of shaping new habits. They might have finally tried skydiving or taken a solo trip oversea, but resolutions for new habits tend to fail. Take for example this new year resolution: "I want to read every day". This resolution might prompt a trip the nearest bookstore or browsing on Amazon for the current bestselling books. But whether if this new reading habit actually last for good part of the year or even started would be a wild guess.
Alternative to Building New Habits
In Atomic Habits, the author provided an alternative to overcome the barrier of forming new positive habits which I found quite interesting.
The most effective way to change your habits is to focus not on what you want to achieve, but on who you wish to become. Your identity emerges out of your habits. Every action is vote for the type of person you wish to become. - James Clear
What if instead of saying "I want to read every day" or "I want to work out three times a week", we say "I want to become an avid reader" or "I want to become someone who takes care of their physical health". What if all it takes to become a reader is to read one page, we can all become a reader. The magic I find in this switch of mindset is that it gets me started on a new desired habit. It takes away the weight of commitment and the fear for not having the discipline to stick a long-term never-ending plan. It may sound silly, but if it works, it works.
Once I read one page of a book, I allow myself to feel like an avid reader. I begin to feel that's how other people perceive me when they see me reading in a coffee shop. Now I feel the desire and the need to keep up with this new identity, so I keep reading. At the same time, after reading one page, I'm now interested in finding out what comes next in the book, or I may feel that I might as well finish at least one chapter. So, I read another page and another page. Reading is now a new habit taking roots.
Every occasion that I get to pick up my current reading and go through one page, I'm casting a vote to reinforce my new identity as a reader. This identity becomes stronger with every vote and in return helps shape the reading habit that I wanted to have in the first place.
Who vs Why
This particular reading takeaway reminds me of the Golden Circle theory from motivational speaker Simon Sinek who rose to fame with a viral TED Talk video. His idea of starting a conversation with the Why or the Purpose was something that has stuck with me. It helped me see the importance of knowing and communicating the Purpose.
In a similar fashion, James Clear's idea of starting with the Who or the Identity is a paradigm shift for me. Most importantly and more powerfully, it doesn't take much to cast a vote for that new identity. Anyone can muster up the will to read one page.
Fake It Till You Make It
This is something a close friend who you confide in might tell you, and they might just be right. They might be sharing the same wisdom as the author of this book without realizing. As part of "faking it", your actions cast votes to shape your desired identity. Over time, you might just "make it" with enough votes.
Read this book with me!