We’re headed to Miami in a few hours and I am looking forward to a week of sunshine and family. Something I’ve been thinking about is how when we (people in general) go on vacation, we tend to drop our healthy habits as a way to “treat” ourselves. But the thing that has made the biggest impact in my own health journey is to shift my identity around who I am and how I behave, even while traveling. As James Clear says in his book, Atomic Habits, “the key to building lasting habits is focusing on creating a new identity first.”
So instead of feeling like I’m depriving myself of all the vacation fun, I think of myself as someone who still values healthy choices even when I’m having a good time. For example, I’m now the kind of person who loves to move my body so even while traveling, I’ll find time to go for a long walk, or check out a workout class in a new city. By making that mental shift, I’m able to make choices that support my identity and still enjoy my vacation. This carries over into my daily life, making it easier to stay on track with healthy habits all year round.
Have you ever adopted a new identity in support of building better habits? I’d love to hear about it.
Top photo by Prophsee Journals on Unsplash.
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