Your current behaviours are simply a reflection of your current identity.

“The key to building lasting habits is focusing on creating a new identity first.”
@jamesclear author of Atomic Habits

What you do now is a mirror image of the type of person you believe that you are (either consciously or subconsciously). To change your behaviour for good, you need to start believing new things about yourself. You need to build identity-based habits.

Consider that there are three levels at which change can occur. You can imagine them like the layers of an onion.

The first layer is changing your outcomes. This level is concerned with changing your results: e.g. losing weight. Most of the goals you set are associated with this level of change.

The second layer is changing your process. This level is concerned with changing your habits and systems: implementing a new routine at the gym. Most of the habits you build are associated with this level.

The third and deepest layer is changing your identity. This level is concerned with changing your beliefs: your worldview, your self-image, your judgments about yourself and others. Most of the beliefs, assumptions, and biases you hold are associated with this level.

Outcomes are about what you get. Processes are about what you do. Identity is about what you believe.

All levels of change are useful in their own way. The problem is the direction of change. Many people begin the process of changing their habits by focusing on what they want to achieve. This leads us to outcome-based habits. The alternative is to build identity-based habits. With this approach, we start by focusing on who we wish to become.

It looks like this:
1. Decide the type of person you want to be.
2. Prove it to yourself with small wins.

“If you’re looking to make a change, then I say stop worrying about results and start worrying about your identity. Become the type of person who can achieve the things you want to achieve. Build identity-based habits now. The results can come later.”