#110 Unexamined feelings

The outcome is not the book.
The outcome is not the marathon.
The outcome is not the successful business.

The outcome is not even the daily habit you form, even though they’re the stepping stones you need.

The outcome is the embodiment of the changes we’ve internalized, the growth we’ve experienced, and the evolution we’ve undergone, allowing us to say, “This is what I now stand for. This is what I believe is possible.”

The outcome is the identity.

Maybe it’s less about “What do I want to achieve?” and more about “What do I want to believe?”

I made an account on Instagram to stay in touch with friends abroad. Now I habitually spend hours a day scrolling through Instagram feeds. Is this a purposeful pursuit?

I started journaling to clear my head. Now I habitually write and publish insights every day. Is this a purposeful pursuit?

Good intentions and purposeful actions inevitably turn into a habit, and that can be a good or a bad thing.

Constantly questioning our actions leads to paralysis.

But once in a while, gaining presence and reaffirming your intentions can be enough to put you back on track.

When you’re having a busy day and life gets in the way, writing one word can make all the difference.

One minute of running makes all the difference.

Thirty seconds of meditating.

Ten seconds of stretching.

One second of envisioning who you want to be.

That’s all it takes to change how you feel about yourself and who you are.

Because now, instead of giving up, you’re still on track.

It’s that easy.

Unintentional living and identity building look like this:

1. Actions are inspired by pain and pleasure.
2. Repeated pain and pleasure lead to repeated actions.
3. Repeated actions lead to habits.
4. Habits shape your identity.

“Life made me who I am, and I can’t do anything about it.”

Intentional living and identity building look like this:

1. Who do I want to be? What’s my desired identity?
2. Which habits that would turn me into that person do I not have in place right now?
3. Which repeated actions that would build that habit am I not currently taking?
4. Which reactions to pain and pleasure triggers in my life can I change? Which pain and pleasure triggers can I ban out of my life completely?

“While the past has shaped me, the way I choose to live my life today, tomorrow, and every day after, will determine who I am.”

You’re living anyway. Your actions are votes for an identity anyway. So you might as well do it intentionally.