Identity Drives Action: Choose your Identity Carefully
Hey friends, happy Sunday!
I hope you've had a great start to 2021. This week I took some time off to reflect on 2020 and recharge for 2021. Having some space to think has really helped clarify where I want to spend my time and attention moving forward.
I'm currently writing up a short end of year review which I'll publish over the next few days looking back at what has largely been a great year for me [weird to say this considering everything that went on in 2020].
Identity Drives Action: Choose your Identity Carefully
Freelancers and Entrepreneurs look similar on the outside but operate in incredibly different ways.
Freelancers get paid for their work maybe by the project or by the hour.
Entrepreneurs build a business bigger than themselves, they focus on growth and scaling systems to make money whilst they sleep.
They may look similar but entrepreneurs and freelancers take very different actions based on their identity.
We all subconsciously take action based on our identities -
- You eat clean and run because you identify as someone who is healthy.
- You start a business because you identify as an entrepreneur.
- You draw because you're someone who sees themselves as creative.
- You buy expensive clothes because you're someone who dresses well.
Our actions are largely based on the type of people we identify as, luckily we're in control of our identities.
Every year I set goals. Goals for how much money I want to earn, how many books I want to read, how many times I want to workout and a handful of other areas but 60% of the time those goals fall away throughout the year.
The only time they stick is when I consciously change my identity.
Here's a little framework for how I think about making lasting changes:
Choose who you want to be [identity] -> Take action -> Become that person
This year consists of three core changes in identity for me:
1. Freelancer to Entrepreneur: I'm getting too comfortable operating as a freelancer, I enjoy the lifestyle and the work I do but I want to make a bigger impact. To do that it's time to switch from freelancer to entrepreneur.
2. Active to Athlete: Athletes as incredibly intentional about their training, sleep and diet - everything they do is to increase performance. I want to take this mindset into knowledge work. Eat, train and sleep like an athlete to perform at the highest levels I can in my work.
3. Occasional Creator to Building a Personal Media Company: Becoming a creator is something I've wanted to do for years now but never taken sustained action towards. There's always a good excuse as to why now isn't the perfect time - by treating Youtube, writing etc as a business it will make it much more difficult to push back.
Identity drives action, choose who you want to be, act on it consistently and the rewards will come.
I'd love to hear what changes you're looking to make this year - just reply to this email :)
Here are this week's finds:
This weeks finds all revolve around around reflection and self development.
🏔 2020: I Am My Own Greatest Obstacle
(Article)
Entrepreneurship and personal growth are interlinked. This 2020 year review from Pat Walls is a really interesting look at how he credits Starter Story [his business] growth to $30k/month & 500k monthly visitors largely down to personal growth.
"I am my own greatest obstacle. I choose my own fate. I choose the values I want to live by. And I am the root of my failures and success. Only I can fix it."
Running a business is really just a journey of self-development disguised as a business.
💰 Building Million Pound Personal Media Companies
(Video)
Ali Abdaal has built an impressive business from his Youtube channel. In this video he breaks down how his business has generated over £1,000,000 in revenue in 2020.
A lot of creators figure out step 1 of running a creator first business [how to gain attention] but leave a lot on the table when turning that attention into a business. Being able to do both whilst working as a doctor is incredible.
If you're interested in starting a personal media company or maybe you've already started one I'd highly recommend checking out this video for a business first approach to creative work.
(Podcast)
My First Million was my favourite podcast of 2020 and this 2020 roundup episode was the best episode of the year.
If you're interested in building a business in 2021 you should totally check out this episode.
🌏 Soul
(Movie)
This is hands down the best movie I've watched in the last year. The timing of the movie feels perfect given everything that went on over the last 12 months.
Soul is the perfect balance of entertainment and existential questioning about life as a whole.
My main take aways from the movie were:
- Enjoy the small things in life - Nature, people, food etc
- There's more to life than just work (even if you really enjoy your work)
- There is no one thing you were born to do (an idea Cal Newport refers to as The passion trap)
End Notes
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Have a great Sunday,
- Stephen