1 Framework I’m Using To Guide My New Year

When I was trying to build new habits in 2022, I was too focused on outcomes. I should have been focused on a new identity.

Identity vs. outcomes

Early on in 2022 I wrote a big list of outcomes I wanted at the end of the year.

These goals spanned things like health, finances, career, and relationships. And I worked really hard to achieve these outcomes. But I frequently felt like I was battling something to take the next step forward.

That something was the misalignment between my identity and the outcomes I was trying to achieve.

My Framework for 2023

To achieve my goals in 2023, instead of just hard work, I’m going to apply a concept from James Clear’s Atomic Habits.

I will reframe the outcomes I want to achieve as the habits of the person I want to be.

Outcome: I want to read 50 books

Identity: I’m a person who reads everyday

Outcome: I want to be healthier

Identity: I’m a person who eats whole foods and exercises daily

Outcome: I want to write another book

Identity: I’m a person who writes something everyday

By adopting this framework, I will be able to shift my mindset from “things I need to do” to “things I do.”