Making a change is hard, humans are hard-wired to resist change in fact. Historically, folks have used objective outcomes (goals) as a way to facilitate this change. But are goals really THE BEST way to improve / change?
Maybe…
In Atomic Habits, author James Clear talks about 3 levels of behavior change that must be present in order for lasting change to occur. They are:
- Goals – these are objective outcomes like lose 25lbs or gain 100lbs on my bench press. Everyone is familiar with these and the SMART framework.
- Operations – these should be thought of as habits or daily actions that (ideally) lead you closer to your objective outcome (goal).
- Identity – this level is THE MOST RESISTANT to change. It can take a lifetime to change your identity and many are simply unable to ever change it.
Let’s look at these a bit closer…
Goals
Having an objective outcome can be very useful in the short term, providing tons of motivation. This is short term energy but it absolutely has it’s place. I’d encourage everyone to have goals but not become fixated on them.
Operations (Habits)
this is where the rubber meets the road. If your goal is to lose 10lbs in the next 12 weeks, what HABITS will be most useful in getting you there? Some examples might be:
- – walk 30min x day
- – lift weights 2x week
- – eat 150g of protein x day
- – eliminate all liquid calories
Additionally, operations (habits) can be thought of as leading KPIs (key performance indicators), whilst goals (outcomes) should be thought of as lagging KPIs. What does that mean? You’ll be hitting your protein intake, lifting, and walking behaviors LONG BEFORE seeing your 10lb weight loss goal. Hence the leading / lagging nature of these indicators.
The real importance of operations is that we can ACTUALLY CONTROL our operations / behaviors where as the outcomes may or may not happen. Becoming fixated on only the goal can lead some people down a very unhappy path.
Identity
Imagine 2 people being offered a whiskey. The first says “no thanks, I’m trying to quit” and the 2nd says “no thanks, I’m not a drinker”. Similar intention but can you see how the 1st person still identifies with being a person who drinks while the 2nd person identifies as someone who simply does not drink. This level of change talks a lot of operational repetitions to fully emerge.
What should you do with this information? …
Start with a goal. Make it meaningful, attainable, and something to shoot for in the relative short term (say 3 months).
Next, write down a list of habits that you CAN ACTUALLY COMPLETE on a daily/weekly basis. A short, sustainable list (walk, eat protein, lift) will always beat out a short term, unsustainable list.
Over time, review your progress. Your successes will reinforce the belief that you ARE THE PERSON who weighs 10lbs less. This is how behavior change becomes identity change.
Looking to take the next step? Here are 3 ways to connect:
Book a Strategy Meeting with a Coach
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Hope this helps
James