Many people try to change what and/or how they’re doing something so that it aligns with their personal goals. They read books, listen to podcasts, and hire a coach to help them create and implement strategies that will help improve their behaviors leading to the creation of improved habits.
We’ve written about habits and behaviors before.
What if we told you that the change you’re trying to make could be a waste of your time if you don’t have a foundation of deep, personal beliefs that help you define your purpose in life?
Whoa, deep!
How can you expect to make change happen if you don’t have a deep sense of beliefs and meaningful purpose to reinforce it?
Having a meaningful purpose and personal beliefs plays a greater role in lasting change because it reflects our identity – how we perceive ourselves, others and the world around us.
Today we want to cover three important points about having beliefs and purpose so you can create change that positively influences and reinforces your behaviors and habits.
Our beliefs and purpose influence our habits and behaviors.
Our current habits and behaviors are often expressions of what we believe about ourselves and the world.
For example, if someone believes they are not good enough (and I believe we all struggle with this in some way), they will likely avoid doing hard things, accepting challenges in which they could possibly fail, despite their burning desire to achieve a goal and feel successful.
If you understand that facing adversity is a part of trying to change, and your beliefs and purpose are meaningful to your identity, your willingness to fail is accepted because you understand that is an important part of the process and your personal growth.
Also, the challenges in a journey you encounter, like improving your overall health, can reshape your perspective, which can reinforce or lead to new beliefs that support your purpose.
Beliefs and purpose influence our vision and motivation.
Beliefs determine how we interpret our environment, situations, respond to challenges, and sustain motivation.
To the point above, if you believe that you are capable of change or growth, you’re more likely to work through obstacles and challenges.
If your purpose is built from your beliefs, your ability to create a vision of what you want to achieve is greater and so is your motivation.
On the flip side, if someone doesn’t believe in the change they’re striving for, or they feel that what they’re trying to do is not possible, the likelihood they’ll give up is higher, no matter their habits.
Beliefs are the foundation of long-term, sustainable change.
While habit development can be adjusted towards a goal, enduring that change often requires a shift in personal beliefs or core values.
If someone changes their eating habits but still believes that they’ll always struggle with their body weight, there’s a good chance they’re going to revert to old behaviors during times of stress or when faced with obstacles.
Change is more likely when beliefs shift to support the new habits.
Consider your beliefs the “why” within your purpose, and your purpose is the “how” for those beliefs to be expressed or reinforced. When these two are aligned, they create a powerful foundation for a meaningful life.
Once beliefs and purpose are aligned with your desired outcomes, it’s easier for you to build habits and behaviors to get you there.
PS – I recently listened to a Principles Of Program Design podcast with my friends Eric Dagati and Mike Perry interviewing Dr. Jade Teta that helped me turn this rough draft idea into today’s newsletter.