Creating your identity
As we finish the first month of the new year, you have probably had chance to reflect on the previous one. Did you achieve what you set out to do? Are you still on that journey? What can you learn from last year to fuel you for this year? We can be prisoners to the new year fads, eating just enough to stay alive and training like an Olympic athlete, for that to quickly phase out and trip over our default habits. Why not aim to be more consistent throughout the year? That's what every Golfer asks me for!
What could we do to help achieve this?
I think creating an image or an identity of the person you want to be is a great starting place. For example, if you wanted to lose some weight your identity could be a healthy person and from there you can implement the systems to help align with this identity. Sneaking into the fridge for a choccy bar, does this behaviour align with the person I want to be? Creating this can help us be more accountable and keeps us on track on the bad days. So firstly:
1. Write down the actions required to help achieve your new identity.
2. Keep things small and consistent to start with. Make it stick!!
3. Ask yourself..Do these actions align with the person I want to be?
4. Share your change in habits with those around you and seek accountability.
When you have a bad day, it’s okay, just don't compound it by missing another. Make that your rule. So from a Golfers perspective;
What type of Golfer do you want to be?
What are the behaviours required of this Golfer on a daily and weekly basis?
What are the daily systems you are putting in place to make it happen?
Start small which could look like 3 times a week after lunch you rehearse your swing drills, make it easy and leave a golf club in the kitchen and use the patio doors for feedback. As you start to find a level of consistency in your system you can raise the level of intensity.
The consistency of those behaviours is going to help you hugely become the golfer you want to be. Once you get started the process becomes the most fun part. It's not the top of the mountain (the goal) that's most rewarding, it's the journey to get there and the sacrifices you make.
If you struggle with bad habits or struggle to implement change I would recommend reading or listening to Atomic Habits by James Clear. A great read that will help you through the process, and as always, I'm here to chat and help you align your ability to your goals, we are often more capable of achieving more than we think.
