v4 New Year, New You: Build Your Identity, Not Just Goals

“New Year, New You?” Let’s Be Real for a Second. Every January, we tell ourselves the same thing: This year will be different. We’ll hit the gym, eat healthier, be more productive, and finally tackle that big goal. And yet, by February, those resolutions are often gathering dust—forgotten in the chaos of daily life. Sound familiar?

Here’s the good news: it’s not your fault. Traditional goal-setting is broken. The problem isn’t you—it’s the system you’ve been using. This year, instead of chasing unrealistic goals, what if you focused on something far more powerful?

What if you stopped saying, “I want to lose weight” or “I want to be more productive,” and instead said,
👉 “I’m the type of person who prioritizes health.”
👉 “I’m the type of person who shows up consistently.”

This simple shift—focusing on your identity rather than just your goals—completely changed my life. And I believe it can change yours too.

That one shift? It changed everything. That one shift was the key takeaway I took from Atomic Habit by James Clear.

The Shift That Changed My 2024

At the start of 2024, I wasn’t feeling like myself. Two pregnancies, work-from-home life (with endless snacks in arm’s reach), and 20 extra pounds had left me feeling stuck. Confidence? Barely there. Energy? Forget about it.

But this year, I stopped focusing on the result I wanted. Instead, I focused on the person I wanted to be:

Not “I want to lose weight.”
Not “I want to feel confident again.”
But 👉 “I’m the type of person who works out every single day.”

It was a small but powerful shift. It gave me a new lens to see myself through, and it made every decision easier.

Does someone who works out every day hit snooze? No. They get up.
Does someone who works out every day skip the gym because they only have 10 minutes? No. They make those 10 minutes count.

It wasn’t about achieving a goal—it was about showing up and proving my new identity to myself, one small action at a time.

How I Made It Stick

Of course, having an identity is one thing. Sticking to it is another. That’s where small, consistent habits came into play.

Here’s how I supported my identity shift:
1️⃣ I Made It Obvious: Workout clothes by the bed. Seeing them every morning was my cue to show up for myself.

2️⃣ I Made It Attractive: I got workout out of the way in the morning before kids got up. It felt incredibly fulfilling with renewed energy and one thing off the check list already by 7:30 am.

3️⃣ I Made It Easy: No pressure for big workouts. A simple 10-minute treadmill walk counted. Starting small helped me stay consistent.

4️⃣ I Made It Rewarding: Naturally with lost weight, I had to go shopping for new clothes. It makes it rewarding and fun.

Fast Forward to Today
It’s December 28, 2024, and I’m proud to say:
✅ I’ve worked out every single day this year.
✅ I’ve lost 15 pounds.
✅ But most importantly, I feel like myself again.

It’s not just about the weight. It’s about becoming someone I respect—someone who shows up, follows through, and prioritizes their well-being.

How This Rippled Into My Life

Adopting this identity didn’t just change my fitness—it reshaped my entire year.I embraced a second identity: 👉 I’m the type of person who builds things. This year, I hustled:

✅ I built a website to test a business idea.
✅ I launched this newsletter to share my start-up journey, work mom journey and lessons learned.
✅ I started exploring AI tools to be more productive both personally and professionally.

Every step reinforced who I was becoming—a doer, a creator, a hustler. Over time, these small actions compounded. And by the end of the year, I’d not only reclaimed my confidence—I’d built the foundation for something bigger.

The Big Lesson of 2024

If you’re stuck in a cycle of setting goals and not seeing results, let me tell you what I’ve learned: It’s not about achieving goals—it’s about becoming the person who naturally achieves those goals. Small habits aren’t just actions—they’re votes for the person you want to become.

When you focus on identity, goals take care of themselves.

Want to be healthy? Become the kind of person who prioritizes movement every day.

Want to be productive? Become the kind of person who shows up and gets things done.

Want to build something? Become the kind of person who starts, even when it’s scary.

What About You?

As we head into 2025, I challenge you to think about the person you want to become: Who are they? What do they do every day? What small habit could you start today to step into that identity?

• Don’t just set a resolution. Decide who you want to become.
• Start with one small habit to prove that identity to yourself.
• Show up every day—even if it’s just for 10 minutes.

By this time next year, you won’t just be chasing goals. You’ll be living as the person you’ve always wanted to be. Remember, it’s not about perfection. It’s about casting votes for the person you want to be, one small action at a time.

Let’s make 2025 the year of small habits, big transformations and a New You.

Bonus: FREE Guide

As a "Thank You" to my readers, I’ve created a free guide "6 Key Concepts from Atomic Habits to Transform Your Life". Here’s to becoming someone extraordinary. New Year, New You! Cheers! 🥂