Most people don’t even consider identity change when they set out to improve.They just think, “I want to be skinny (outcome) and if I stick to this diet, then I’ll be skinny (process).”They set goals and determine the actions they should take to achieve those goals without considering the beliefs that drive their actions.They never shift the way they look at themselves, and they don’t realize that their old identity can sabotage their new plans for change.
Behind every system of actions are a system of beliefs.The system of a democracy is founded on beliefs like freedom, majority rule, and social equality.The system of a dictatorship has a very different set of beliefs like absolute authority and strict obedience.You can imagine many ways to try to get more people to vote in a democracy, but such behavior change would never get off the ground in a dictatorship.That’s not the identity of the system.Voting is a behavior that is impossible under a certain set of beliefs.
A similar pattern exists whether we are discussing individuals, organizations, or societies.There are a set of beliefs and assumptions that shape the system, an identity behind the habits.