Reinventing yourself should be a celebrated desire. The want to evolve and be a better version of ourselves, is in our human nature.

The concept of improving who we are is simple. Realize the outcomes and goals we want, then focus on methods of achieving them. However, the realization of what we want, why we want it and how to achieve it, are never black and white choices.

This is why even though we have ideals of improving ourselves, we lack the direction and the understanding of what it really takes to transform ourselves into something better.

This is why we will be covering three concepts that, when committed too, will rapidly redefine the type of person you are. Aligning your ideal future self, with your present identity.

Behavioural Congruence

Thinking of who you want to be and acting with this intention, are two separate matters. As humans we are impatient, we want instant gratification with minimal work load. The dynamic technological world we live in has evolved us into low dopamine fanatics. Our discipline is at an all time low because it has never been so socially acceptable to be degenerate.

By acting with the intention of who we want to be, we can quickly mirror the ideology of self that we want to represent to the world. Let’s be honest, everybody is fascinated by self image.

Let me use myself as an example. I am fascinated by philosophy, culture and art. However, due to a lack of discipline, I sometimes find myself lost in social media scrolling mind numbing garbage instead of actually pursuing my interests.

Is this because I am not actually interested in these things or is the temptation for cheap dopamine too intense?

To be behavioural congruent is to fill your habituals with activities that represent what you really want. Again back to the love of identity. Do I actually enjoy the activity of reading philosophy or do I want the feeling of being a well versed, sophisticated man of literacy?

Think of most boxers. They do not enjoy the training, the intense discipline of a good diet or the motion of getting punched in the face. Instead they are in love with the self identity of being a high level athlete in one of the most socially proclaimed sports. Holding accolades that represent this great achievement, alongside other statues and rewards it provides.

We are excited by the destination our self identified habits bring. We feel at ease being on the path and direction toward specific goals. However, sometimes the compound behaviors it takes to be the person we want to be, isn’t always the thing we want to do most.

To be who we want, sometimes we have to make sacrifices. As a child what were your dreams? An astronaut, a singer or a professional athlete? All of these professionals take excessive amounts of skill and sacrifice.

As much as we can easily fall into bad habits, we understand that these behaviors will never create the greatest versions of ourselves. No person wants to be an overweight, unintelligent and unsuccessful man or woman. No matter your position in life, your ambition will always be related to success/skill, health and knowledge. So your habits should reflect this strife towards these factors.

We are habitual creatures that are formed by the small actions and decisions we make everyday. Make your core behaviors reflect your ambitions. Don’t be held prisoner by compulsive and undisciplined actions, shackled by the ‘I will start tomorrow’ mentality.

Realize your goals and ambitions, allowing your behavior to demonstrate your obsession.

Be Guided By Those You Admire

As we have already highlighted, the majority of us are highly motivated by external factors. Our identity driven needs tend to either push us towards wanting ‘to fit in’ or towards an affliction

for individuality. Because of this, our identity typically forms itself through examples of others. We see versions of people that we respect and value, thus wanting to recreate that within ourselves.

This behaviour can often be very negative. Poor role models can steer us down paths of mistake and despair. However, when we take the time to observe people we want to emulate, we can mirror the positives in others and incorporate it into our own behaviors.

Take any professional, hobbyist or general practitioner who has accomplished outcomes or acquired a status that you want to attain. Learn how they live, eat, and sleep. Study and emulate their habits and behaviors that have achieved them what you strive to attain. Their success will be a recipe cultivated by certain ingredients, all you need to do is use them.

There is no harm of using the experience of others to forge a similar path for yourself. This is why mentors are so crucial for high performers to realize their potential. You can shortcut years of struggle with the knowledge of someone who has already experienced elements of your impending journey.

Take this principle and be guided by those who you admire. Add their philosophies to your own. As much as we are all unique, many of the achievements, lifestyles and statues we seek are the same. Become a humble student and align yourself with those who have reached your goals already.

Detach From The Past

Our uniqueness is solely conditioned by our past. Individuality is liberating, but the inability to be freed both physically and mentally from our past interactions is condemning. Despite not being able to ‘start fresh’ truly however, we can control how we progress into the future. And we cannot do this without detaching from our past identity.

We cannot dream of self improvement or reinvention, if we are still holding on to the same pre-conditioned mindset and behaviour. Have you ever met friends from 5–10 years ago and realize their precondition perceptions of you are still from when you were younger. This is typically frustrating because we care about our identity and will want to be remembered for who we are now, not for who we were.

This is why many successful people end up separating from old friends and even family. Their seismic shift in values and beliefs, results in them no longer wanting or belonging in the company of those existing in their previous identities environment.

I am not saying you should leave all your friends and family to recreate yourself. If you evolve quickly throughout your years, you will naturally deviate from your current environment. As oil slowly separates from water, you will rise to the top whereas your past companions will remain stagnant.

But if you are already aware that negative energy from your surroundings is preventing you from evolving, you must change it and if it cannot change, remove yourself from it. Like plants, we need suitable conditions to grow and thrive. And if we want to evolve we must change our behaviors, mindset and environment, in an holistic fashion.

Remember your initial desire to read this post, to be drawn to a publication about reinventing yourself has stemmed from your past experiences. Whether that is the meaning of ‘fate’ or not, we are all driven by our past but we must always direct our movement into the present.

Conclusion

We do not evolve in the past or the future, we make changes with the actions in the ‘now’. Regarding all of these concepts, the main focus is taking fast action, in small compound habitat gains. Is the fastest way to transform into the person you want to be. No matter your past, your goals, be accountable for your future self.

As the great Muhammad Ali said ‘Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’

Liam Adcock • February 28, 2025