Your Actions Create Your Identity
Your actions create your identity.
Many people in this life will not talk to you but rather just observe your actions.
What I find extremely important then is guaranteeing your actions are consistent with your identity.
I’m working through a great book called “Atomic Habits” by James Clear and he is really reinforcing a lot of these ideas.
If you’re looking to become more fit, it’s not enough to simply say that. It’s essential that you begin surrounding yourself with people who are already living a healthy lifestyle and are already practicing healthy habits.
I’m a Christian so it was valuable for me to see what other Christians do throughout their daily lives and practice some of those same things. I now begin my day with a gratitude list, prayer journal, and morning Bible reading. If I had not paid attention to what other people were doing, I’m not sure if I would have begun those habits.
I’m passionate about building things, especially businesses, so when I heard that the average CEO finishes 50 books a year, I needed to do much the same. And wow has that ever been impactful for me.
As Rick Warren says, Servants base their identity in Christ. They willingly accept jobs that insecure people would consider “beneath” them. I look to the life of the best example of a servant, Jesus, so that I can understand just what I should be doing throughout my life as a lifelong servant of God and others.
I don’t believe in fake it until you make it.
It’s all about fake it until you become.
If you spend enough time around people who resemble many of the things that you want to become, odds are that you will begin to encompass many of those same things within your identity.
Here are a few things I like to keep in mind when thinking about my identity and who I want to continue to become:
“The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become — because he made us. He invented all the different people that you and I were intended to be… it is when I turn to Christ, when I give up myself to His personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own.” — C.S. Lewis
“Income rarely exceeds personal development. Sometimes income takes a lucky jump, but unless you learn to handle the responsibilities that come with it, it will usually shrink back to the amount you can handle. If someone hands you a million dollars, you’d better hurry up and become a millionaire.” — Jim Rohn
“Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become character. Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.” — Frank Outlaw
