I’ve become a huge fan of habits over the past 15 months, and the more I learn about habits, the more I can see how they can help me achieve my goals AND become who I want to become.
In my most recent annual re-read of Atomic Habits (James Clear), I learned something super valuable that I missed the other two times I’ve read this book:
Outcome-Based Goals vs. Identity-Based Goals
What’s the difference?
An outcome-based goal is something with a clear endgame. It has a finish line. It’s commonly called a SMART Goal:
- Run a marathon.
- Lose 20 pounds.
- Save $100.
- And so on.
And while these goals are awesome, that endgame aspect can be troublesome for some people. Because…what do you do after you achieve that goal? What comes next? For a lot of people I’ve worked with, when they don’t already have another goal in place that will use the same (or similar) habits that helped them achieve their goal, it’s easy to revert to old and unwanted habits. And they can either get stalled or start to lose all the momentum and progress they’ve made in that area of their lives.
An identity-based goal has to do with who you are striving to become—your identity. And these goals don’t have a finish line:
- I am a healthy person.
- I am a writer.
- I am a runner.
- I am an amazing wife.
- I am a reader.
- I am a musician.
- I am an awesome mother.
- And so on…
While identity-based goals do not have a specific endgame, they can serve as an umbrella for outcome-based goals and the habits that will lead to achieving those goals and to eventually becoming who you want to become…a healthy person, a writer, and so on. And since there is no endgame for an identity-based goal, it’s so much easier to keep those habits in place that will help you become and flourish in that part of your identity long-term. Once you achieve an outcome-based goal, you set another one that will keep you progressing towards that identity you’re aiming for—your overall identity-based goal.
While I’m keeping basically the same habits from 2022 in 2023 because they worked really well for me, I wanted to see how some of them would fit into this identity-based goal way of doing things. Here’s what I came up with:
Identity-based goal: I am a writer.
Habit: Write for my blog for 15 minutes a day Monday-Friday.
Identity-based goal: I am a healthy person.
Habits: 1) Work out for at least 30 minutes 4 days a week. My plan is to aim for an hour 5 days a week, but if I can hit this minimum habit, that’s a win, and that will get me closer to my goal! 2) Eat 100 grams of protein every day. 3) Eat 5 fruits/vegetables a day. 4) Drink 64 ounces of water a day.
Identity-based goal: I am a lifelong learner + a teacher
Habit: Read 10 pages from a Success (nonfiction) book every day.
Identity-based goal: I am spiritually strong.
Habit: Study The Book of Mormon every day.
With this new perspective on goals, I’m better equipped to make sure that my habits and any outcome goals I set will help me get closer to the person I want to become. Because that is my #1 goal!
What habits and goals are you working on in 2023? Was this blog helpful? Please share in a comment below!
Leave a Reply