2 How Your Habits Shape Your Identity
你的习惯如何塑造你的身份(反之亦然)
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你的习惯如何塑造你的身份(反之亦然)
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WHY IS IT so easy to repeat bad habits and so hard to form good ones? Few things can have a more powerful impact on your life than improving your daily habits. And yet it is likely that this time next year you’ll be doing the same thing rather than something better.
为什么重复坏习惯如此容易，而形成好习惯却如此困难？没有什么事情比改变你的日常习惯能对你的生活产生更大的影响，很可能明年的这个时候，你会做同样的事情，而不是做更好的事情。
It often feels difficult to keep good habits going for more than a few days, even with sincere effort and the occasional burst of motivation. Habits like exercise, meditation, journaling, and cooking are reasonable for a day or two and then become a hassle.
即使付出真诚的努力和偶尔迸发的动力，保持良好的习惯持续几天也是很困难的。像锻炼、冥想、写日记和做饭这样的习惯在一两天内是合理的，然后就会变得麻烦。
However, once your habits are established, they seem to stick around forever—especially the unwanted ones. Despite our best intentions, unhealthy habits like eating junk food, watching too much television, procrastinating, and smoking can feel impossible to break.
然而，一旦你养成了这些习惯，它们似乎就会永远留在你身边ーー尤其是那些你不想要的习惯。尽管我们的意图是好的，但是不健康的习惯，比如吃垃圾食品，看太多的电视，拖延，抽烟，这些都是不可能改掉的。
Changing our habits is challenging for two reasons: (1) we try to change the wrong thing and (2) we try to change our habits in the wrong way. In this chapter, I’ll address the first point. In the chapters that follow, I’ll answer the second.
改变我们的习惯具有挑战性有两个原因:(1)我们试图改变错误的东西;(2)我们试图以错误的方式改变我们的习惯。在这一章中，我将阐述第一点。在接下来的章节中，我将回答第二个问题。
Our first mistake is that we try to change the wrong thing. To understand what I mean, consider that there are three levels at which change can occur. You can imagine them like the layers of an onion.
我们的第一个错误是我们试图改变错误的事情。为了理解我的意思，考虑一下变化可以发生在三个层次上。你可以把它们想象成洋葱的层次。
行为变化的三个层面
FIGURE 3: There are three layers of behavior change: a change in your outcomes, a change in your processes, or a change in your identity.
图3:行为改变有三个层次:结果的改变，过程的改变，或者身份的改变。
The first layer is changing your outcomes. This level is concerned with changing your results: losing weight, publishing a book, winning a championship. Most of the goals you set are associated with this level of change.
第一层是改变你的结果。这个级别关系到改变你的结果:减肥，出版一本书，赢得一个冠军。你设定的大多数目标都与这一层次的变化有关。
The second layer is changing your process. This level is concerned with changing your habits and systems: implementing a new routine at the gym, decluttering your desk for better workflow, developing a meditation practice. Most of the habits you build are associated with this level.
第二层正在改变你的过程。这个层次是关于改变你的习惯和系统:在健身房实施一个新的常规，整理你的办公桌以获得更好的工作流程，发展一个冥想练习。你养成的大多数习惯都与这个层次有关。
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.
第三层也是最深层的是改变你的身份。这个层次关注于改变你的信念:你的世界观，你的自我形象，你对自己和他人的判断。你所持有的大多数信念、假设和偏见都与这个水平有关。
Outcomes are about what you get. Processes are about what you do. Identity is about what you believe. When it comes to building habits that last—when it comes to building a system of 1 percent improvements—the problem is not that one level is “better” or “worse” than another. All levels of change are useful in their own way. The problem is the direction of change.
结果取决于你得到了什么。过程是关于你做什么的。身份就是你相信什么。说到养成持久的习惯ーー说到建立一个1%的进步系统ーー问题不在于一个水平比另一个水平“更好”或“更差”。所有层次的改变都有它们自己的方式。问题在于变革的方向。
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.
许多人开始改变他们的习惯的过程是把注意力集中在他们想要达到的目标上。这使我们养成了以结果为基础的习惯。另一种选择是建立基于身份的习惯。通过这种方法，我们开始关注我们想成为什么样的人。
OUTCOME-BASED HABITS
基于结果的习惯
IDENTITY-BASED HABITS
基于身份的习惯
FIGURE 4: With outcome-based habits, the focus is on what you want to achieve. With identity-based habits, the focus is on who you wish to become.
图4:对于基于结果的习惯，重点是你想要实现什么。对于基于身份的习惯，关注点在于你想成为什么样的人。
Imagine two people resisting a cigarette. When offered a smoke, the first person says, “No thanks. I’m trying to quit.” It sounds like a reasonable response, but this person still believes they are a smoker who is trying to be something else. They are hoping their behavior will change while carrying around the same beliefs.
想象一下两个人在抗拒一支香烟。当有人递给他一支烟时，第一个人说:“不，谢谢。我正在努力戒烟。”这听起来是一个合理的反应，但是这个人仍然相信他们是一个吸烟者，他们正试图成为其他人。他们希望自己的行为能够改变，同时也能保持相同的信念。
The second person declines by saying, “No thanks. I’m not a smoker.” It’s a small difference, but this statement signals a shift in identity. Smoking was part of their former life, not their current one. They no longer identify as someone who smokes.
第二个人拒绝说:“不用了，谢谢。我不抽烟。”这是一个很小的区别，但是这个声明标志着身份的转变。吸烟是他们以前生活的一部分，而不是他们现在的生活。他们不再认为自己是抽烟的人。
Most people don’t even consider identity change when they set out to improve. They just think, “I want to be skinny (outcome) and if I stick to this diet, then I’ll be skinny (process).” They set goals and determine the actions they should take to achieve those goals without considering the beliefs that drive their actions. They never shift the way they look at themselves, and they don’t realize that their old identity can sabotage their new plans for change.
大多数人甚至不考虑改变身份，当他们开始改善。他们只是想，“我想瘦(结果)，如果我坚持这种饮食，那么我会瘦(过程)。”他们设定目标并决定为实现这些目标应该采取的行动，而不考虑驱动他们行动的信念。他们永远不会改变他们看待自己的方式，他们没有意识到他们的旧身份，可以破坏他们的新改变计划。
Behind every system of actions are a system of beliefs. The system of a democracy is founded on beliefs like freedom, majority rule, and social equality. The system of a dictatorship has a very different set of beliefs like absolute authority and strict obedience. You can imagine many ways to try to get more people to vote in a democracy, but such behavior change would never get off the ground in a dictatorship. That’s not the identity of the system. Voting is a behavior that is impossible under a certain set of beliefs.
每一个行动系统的背后都有一个信念系统。民主制度是建立在自由、多数人统治和社会平等等信念之上的。独裁制度有一套非常不同的信仰，如绝对权威和严格服从。你可以想象在一个民主国家，有很多方法可以让更多的人参与投票，但是在一个独裁国家，这样的行为改变永远无法实现。这不是系统的特性。投票是一种行为，是不可能根据一定的信念集合。
A similar pattern exists whether we are discussing individuals, organizations, or societies. There are a set of beliefs and assumptions that shape the system, an identity behind the habits.
无论我们是在讨论个人、组织还是社会，都存在着类似的模式。一系列的信念和假设塑造了这个系统，这些习惯背后的身份认同。
Behavior that is incongruent with the self will not last. You may want more money, but if your identity is someone who consumes rather than creates, then you’ll continue to be pulled toward spending rather than earning. You may want better health, but if you continue to prioritize comfort over accomplishment, you’ll be drawn to relaxing rather than training. It’s hard to change your habits if you never change the underlying beliefs that led to your past behavior. You have a new goal and a new plan, but you haven’t changed who you are.
与自我不一致的行为不会持久。你可能想要更多的钱，但是如果你的身份是消费而不是创造，那么你将继续被拉向消费而不是赚钱。你可能想要更好的健康，但是如果你继续把舒适看得比成就更重要，你会被放松而不是训练所吸引。如果你从不改变导致你过去行为的潜在信念，那么你很难改变你的习惯。你有了一个新的目标和一个新的计划，但是你没有改变你是谁。
The story of Brian Clark, an entrepreneur from Boulder, Colorado, provides a good example. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve chewed my fingernails,” Clark told me. “It started as a nervous habit when I was young, and then morphed into an undesirable grooming ritual. One day, I resolved to stop chewing my nails until they grew out a bit. Through mindful willpower alone, I managed to do it.”
来自科罗拉多州博尔德市的企业家布赖恩•克拉克(BrianClark)的故事就是一个很好的例子。克拉克告诉我:“从我记事起，我就一直咬指甲。”。“这种习惯开始于我小时候的一种神经质习惯，后来演变成了一种不受欢迎的梳洗仪式。有一天，我决定不再啃指甲，直到指甲长大一点。仅仅依靠意志力，我就成功了。”
Then, Clark did something surprising.
然后，克拉克做了一件令人惊讶的事。
“I asked my wife to schedule my first-ever manicure,” he said. “My thought was that if I started paying to maintain my nails, I wouldn’t chew them. And it worked, but not for the monetary reason. What happened was the manicure made my fingers look really nice for the first time. The manicurist even said that—other than the chewing—I had really healthy, attractive nails. Suddenly, I was proud of my fingernails. And even though that’s something I had never aspired to, it made all the difference. I’ve never chewed my nails since; not even a
他说:“我让妻子安排我第一次修指甲。”。“我的想法是，如果我开始花钱修指甲，我就不会咀嚼它们了。这种方法奏效了，但不是因为金钱的原因。事情是这样的，修指甲让我的手指头第一次看起来真的很漂亮。这位美甲师甚至说，除了咀嚼之外，我的指甲非常健康、漂亮。突然间，我为自己的指甲感到骄傲。尽管这是我从来没有渴望过的事情，但它让一切都变得不同了。从那以后，我再也没有咬过指甲，甚至连指甲都没有咬过
single close call. And it’s because I now take pride in properly caring for them.”
千钧一发。这是因为我现在以能够适当地照顾他们为荣。”
The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity. It’s one thing to say I’m the type of person who wants this. It’s something very different to say I’m the type of person who is this.
内在动机的最终形式是当习惯成为你身份的一部分。说我是那种想要这种生活的人是一回事。说我是这样的人是非常不同的。
The more pride you have in a particular aspect of your identity, the more motivated you will be to maintain the habits associated with it. If you’re proud of how your hair looks, you’ll develop all sorts of habits to care for and maintain it. If you’re proud of the size of your biceps, you’ll make sure you never skip an upper-body workout. If you’re proud of the scarves you knit, you’ll be more likely to spend hours knitting each week. Once your pride gets involved, you’ll fight tooth and nail to maintain your habits.
你对自己身份的某个特定方面越自豪，你就越有动力去维持与之相关的习惯。如果你对自己的头发感到自豪，你就会养成各种各样的习惯来照顾和保养它。如果你对自己二头肌的尺寸感到自豪，你就要确保自己不会错过上半身的锻炼。如果你对自己编织的围巾感到自豪，那么你每周就更有可能花几个小时编织围巾。一旦你的骄傲卷入其中，你就会竭尽全力保持你的习惯。
True behavior change is identity change. You might start a habit because of motivation, but the only reason you’ll stick with one is that it becomes part of your identity. Anyone can convince themselves to visit the gym or eat healthy once or twice, but if you don’t shift the belief behind the behavior, then it is hard to stick with long-term changes. Improvements are only temporary until they become part of who you are.
真正的行为改变是身份改变。你可能因为动机而养成了一个习惯，但是你坚持这个习惯的唯一原因是它成为了你身份的一部分。任何人都可以说服自己去健身房锻炼或者健康饮食一两次，但是如果你不改变这种行为背后的信念，那么你就很难坚持长期的改变。改进只是暂时的，直到它们成为你的一部分。
The goal is not to read a book, the goal is to become a reader.
我们的目标不是读一本书，而是成为一个读者。
The goal is not to run a marathon, the goal is to become a runner.
我们的目标不是跑马拉松，而是成为一名跑步者。
The goal is not to learn an instrument, the goal is to become a musician.
我们的目标不是学习乐器，而是成为一名音乐家。
Your behaviors are usually a reflection of your identity. What you do is an indication of the type of person you believe that you are—either consciously or nonconsciously.* Research has shown that once a person believes in a particular aspect of their identity, they are more likely to act in alignment with that belief. For example, people who identified as “being a voter” were more likely to vote than those who simply claimed “voting” was an action they wanted to perform. Similarly, the person who incorporates exercise into their identity doesn’t have to convince themselves to train. Doing the right thing is easy. After all, when your behavior and your identity are fully aligned,
你的行为通常反映了你的身份。你所做的是你认为自己是哪种类型的人ーー有意识或无意识的。研究表明，一旦一个人相信自己身份的某个特定方面，他们就更有可能按照这种信念行事。例如，那些认为自己是“投票者”的人比那些声称“投票”是他们想做的事情的人更有可能去投票。同样的，那些把锻炼融入自己身份的人也不需要说服自己去训练。做正确的事情很容易。毕竟，当你的行为和你的身份完全一致时,
you are no longer pursuing behavior change. You are simply acting like the type of person you already believe yourself to be.
你不再追求改变行为。你只是表现得像那种你已经相信自己是的人。
Like all aspects of habit formation, this, too, is a double-edged sword. When working for you, identity change can be a powerful force for self-improvement. When working against you, though, identity change can be a curse. Once you have adopted an identity, it can be easy to let your allegiance to it impact your ability to change. Many people walk through life in a cognitive slumber, blindly following the norms attached to their identity.
就像习惯形成的所有方面一样，这也是一把双刃剑。当为你工作时，身份的改变可以成为自我提升的强大力量。然而，当你的工作对你不利时，改变身份可能会成为一种诅咒。一旦你接受了一个身份，你很容易让你对它的忠诚影响你改变的能力。许多人在认知睡眠中度过一生，盲目地追随与他们身份相关的规范。
“I’m terrible with directions.”
“我方向感很差。”
“I’m not a morning person.”
“我不是一个早起的人。”
“I’m bad at remembering people’s names.”
“我记不住别人的名字。”
“I’m always late.”
“我总是迟到。”
“I’m not good with technology.”
“我不擅长技术。”
“I’m horrible at math.”
“我数学很差。”
. . . and a thousand other variations.
还有很多其他的变种。
When you have repeated a story to yourself for years, it is easy to slide into these mental grooves and accept them as a fact. In time, you begin to resist certain actions because “that’s not who I am.” There is internal pressure to maintain your self-image and behave in a way that is consistent with your beliefs. You find whatever way you can to avoid contradicting yourself.
当你对自己重复一个故事多年，很容易陷入这种思维模式，并接受它们为事实。随着时间的推移，你开始抵制某些行动，因为“那不是我。”有内在的压力来保持你的自我形象和行为方式与你的信念一致。你想尽一切办法避免自相矛盾。
The more deeply a thought or action is tied to your identity, the more difficult it is to change it. It can feel comfortable to believe what your culture believes (group identity) or to do what upholds your self-image (personal identity), even if it’s wrong. The biggest barrier to positive change at any level—individual, team, society—is identity conflict. Good habits can make rational sense, but if they conflict with your identity, you will fail to put them into action.
一个思想或行动与你的身份联系得越紧密，就越难改变它。相信你的文化信仰(群体认同)或者去做维护你自我形象(个人认同)的事情，即使这是错误的，你也会感到很舒服。个人、团队、社会等任何层面的积极变革的最大障碍是身份冲突。好的习惯是有道理的，但是如果它们与你的身份相冲突，你就不能把它们付诸行动。
On any given day, you may struggle with your habits because you’re too busy or too tired or too overwhelmed or hundreds of other reasons. Over the long run, however, the real reason you fail to stick with habits is that your self-image gets in the way. This is why you can’t get too attached to one version of your identity. Progress requires unlearning.
在任何一天，你都可能因为太忙、太累、太不知所措或其他成百上千的原因而与你的习惯作斗争。然而，从长远来看，你不能坚持习惯的真正原因是你的自我形象妨碍了你。这就是为什么你不能太依赖于你的身份的一个版本。进步需要忘记。
Becoming the best version of yourself requires you to continuously edit your beliefs, and to upgrade and expand your identity.
成为最好的自己需要你不断地编辑你的信念，升级和扩展你的身份。
This brings us to an important question: If your beliefs and worldview play such an important role in your behavior, where do they come from in the first place? How, exactly, is your identity formed? And how can you emphasize new aspects of your identity that serve you and gradually erase the pieces that hinder you?
这带给我们一个重要的问题:如果你的信仰和世界观在你的行为中扮演如此重要的角色，那么它们首先是从哪里来的呢？你的身份到底是怎么形成的？你怎样才能强调自己身份的新方面，并逐渐消除那些阻碍你的部分呢？
改变你身份的两个步骤
Your identity emerges out of your habits. You are not born with preset beliefs. Every belief, including those about yourself, is learned and conditioned through experience.*
你的身份来源于你的习惯。你并非生来就有预设的信念。每一个信念，包括那些关于你自己的信念，都是通过经验学习和制约的。
More precisely, your habits are how you embody your identity. When you make your bed each day, you embody the identity of an organized person. When you write each day, you embody the identity of a creative person. When you train each day, you embody the identity of an athletic person.
更确切地说，你的习惯就是你如何体现你的身份。当你每天整理床铺时，你就体现了一个有条理的人的身份。当你每天写作的时候，你体现了一个有创造力的人的身份。当你每天训练的时候，你体现了一个运动员的身份。
The more you repeat a behavior, the more you reinforce the identity associated with that behavior. In fact, the word identity was originally derived from the Latin words essentitas, which means being, and identidem, which means repeatedly. Your identity is literally your “repeated beingness.”
你越重复一个行为，你就越强化与该行为相关的身份认同。事实上，identity这个词最初来源于拉丁词语entitas，意思是存在，而identidem意思是反复出现。你的身份实际上就是你的“重复存在”
Whatever your identity is right now, you only believe it because you have proof of it. If you go to church every Sunday for twenty years, you have evidence that you are religious. If you study biology for one hour every night, you have evidence that you are studious. If you go to the gym even when it’s snowing, you have evidence that you are committed to fitness. The more evidence you have for a belief, the more strongly you will believe it.
不管你现在的身份是什么，你相信它只是因为你有它的证据。如果你连续20年每个星期天都去教堂，你就有证据表明你信教。如果你每天晚上学习一个小时的生物，你就有证据证明你是勤奋好学的。如果你去健身房，即使是在下雪的时候，你有证据表明你致力于健身。你有越多的证据支持你的信念，你就会越坚定地相信它。
For most of my early life, I didn’t consider myself a writer. If you were to ask any of my high school teachers or college professors, they would tell you I was an average writer at best: certainly not a standout. When I began my writing career, I published a new article every Monday and Thursday for the first few years. As the evidence grew, so did my identity as a writer. I didn’t start out as a writer. I became one through my habits.
在我早年的大部分时间里，我并不认为自己是一个作家。如果你问我的高中老师或大学教授，他们会告诉你，我充其量只是一个普通的作家:当然不是一个杰出的作家。当我开始我的写作生涯，我发表了一篇新的文章，每星期一和星期四的头几年。随着证据的增加，我作为作家的身份也随之增加。我一开始并不是作家。我通过我的习惯成为了一个人。
Of course, your habits are not the only actions that influence your identity, but by virtue of their frequency they are usually the most important ones. Each experience in life modifies your self-image, but it’s unlikely you would consider yourself a soccer player because you kicked a ball once or an artist because you scribbled a picture. As you repeat these actions, however, the evidence accumulates and your self-image begins to change. The effect of one-off experiences tends to fade away while the effect of habits gets reinforced with time, which means your habits contribute most of the evidence that shapes your identity. In this way, the process of building habits is actually the process of becoming yourself.
当然，你的习惯并不是影响你身份的唯一行为，但由于它们的频率，它们通常是最重要的行为。生活中的每一次经历都会改变你的自我形象，但是你不可能因为踢过一次足球就认为自己是一个足球运动员，或者因为你潦草地写了一张图片就认为自己是一个艺术家。然而，当你重复这些动作时，证据就会积累起来，你的自我形象就会开始改变。一次性经历的影响会逐渐消失，而习惯的影响会随着时间的推移而加强，这意味着你的习惯为塑造你的个性贡献了大部分的证据。这样，养成习惯的过程实际上就是成为你自己的过程。
This is a gradual evolution. We do not change by snapping our fingers and deciding to be someone entirely new. We change bit by bit, day by day, habit by habit. We are continually undergoing microevolutions of the self.
这是一个逐渐演变的过程。我们不会因为打了个响指就决定成为一个全新的人而改变。我们一点一点，一天一天，一个习惯一个习惯地改变。我们不断地经历着自我的微观进化。
Each habit is like a suggestion: “Hey, maybe this is who I am.” If you finish a book, then perhaps you are the type of person who likes reading. If you go to the gym, then perhaps you are the type of person who likes exercise. If you practice playing the guitar, perhaps you are the type of person who likes music.
每个习惯都像一个建议:“嘿，也许这就是我。”如果你读完了一本书，那么你可能就是那种喜欢阅读的人。如果你去健身房，那么你可能是那种喜欢锻炼的人。如果你练习弹吉他，也许你就是那种喜欢音乐的人。
Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity. This is one reason why meaningful change does not require radical change. Small habits can make a meaningful difference by providing evidence of a new identity. And if a change is meaningful, it actually is big. That’s the paradox of making small improvements.
你所采取的每一个行动都是在为你想成为的那种人投票。没有一个例子能够改变你的信仰，但是随着选票的增加，你新身份的证据也会随之增加。这就是为什么有意义的改变不需要彻底的改变的原因之一。通过提供新身份的证据，小习惯可以产生有意义的变化。如果一个改变是有意义的，它实际上是巨大的。这就是做出微小改进的悖论。
Putting this all together, you can see that habits are the path to changing your identity. The most practical way to change who you are is to change what you do.
综上所述，你可以看到习惯是改变你身份的途径。改变你自己最实际的方法就是改变你所做的事情。
Each time you write a page, you are a writer.
每写一页，你就是一个作家。
Each time you practice the violin, you are a musician.
每次你练习小提琴，你就是一个音乐家。
Each time you start a workout, you are an athlete.
每次你开始锻炼，你就是一个运动员。
Each time you encourage your employees, you are a leader.
每次你鼓励你的员工，你就是一个领导者。
每一个习惯不仅会得到结果，而且还教会你一些更重要的东西:相信自己。你开始相信你可以真正完成这些事情。当投票数增加，证据开始改变，你告诉自己的故事也开始改变。
Of course, it works the opposite way, too. Every time you choose to perform a bad habit, it’s a vote for that identity. The good news is that you don’t need to be perfect. In any election, there are going to be votes for both sides. You don’t need a unanimous vote to win an election; you just need a majority. It doesn’t matter if you cast a few votes for a bad behavior or an unproductive habit. Your goal is simply to win the majority of the time.
当然，它也以相反的方式运作。每次你选择去实践一个坏习惯，都是对那个身份的一次投票。好消息是你不需要变得完美。在任何选举中，都会有双方的选票。你不需要全票通过就能赢得选举，你只需要多数票就行了。如果你为一个不好的行为或者一个徒劳无益的习惯投了一些票，这并不重要。你的目标仅仅是赢得大多数时间。
New identities require new evidence. If you keep casting the same votes you’ve always cast, you’re going to get the same results you’ve always had. If nothing changes, nothing is going to change.
新的身份需要新的证据。如果你一直投同样的票，你会得到同样的结果。如果什么都不改变，那么什么都不会改变。
决定你想成为什么样的人。
用小小的胜利来证明自己。
First, decide who you want to be. This holds at any level—as an individual, as a team, as a community, as a nation. What do you want to stand for? What are your principles and values? Who do you wish to become?
首先，决定你想成为什么样的人。这一点在任何层面都适用ーー作为个人、作为团队、作为社区、作为国家。你想代表什么？你的原则和价值观是什么？你想成为谁？
These are big questions, and many people aren’t sure where to begin —but they do know what kind of results they want: to get six-pack abs or to feel less anxious or to double their salary. That’s fine. Start there and work backward from the results you want to the type of person who could get those results. Ask yourself, “Who is the type of person that could get the outcome I want?” Who is the type of person that could lose forty pounds? Who is the type of person that could learn a new language? Who is the type of person that could run a successful start-up?
这些都是大问题，许多人不知道从哪里开始ーー但他们确实知道自己想要什么样的结果:获得六块腹肌、减轻焦虑感或加倍工资。没关系。从那里开始，从你想要的结果反向工作，找到那种可以得到那些结果的人。问问你自己，“谁是那种可以得到我想要的结果的人?”谁是那种可以减掉四十磅的人？谁是那种能够学习一门新语言的人？谁是那种能够管理一家成功的初创企业的人？
For example, “Who is the type of person who could write a book?” It’s probably someone who is consistent and reliable. Now your focus shifts from writing a book (outcome-based) to being the type of person who is consistent and reliable (identity-based).
例如，“谁是那种会写书的人?”这可能是一个始终如一和可靠的人。现在你的注意力从写一本书(以结果为基础)转移到成为那种始终如一和可靠的人(以身份为基础)。
This process can lead to beliefs like:
这个过程可以导致这样的信念:
“I’m the kind of teacher who stands up for her students.”
“我是那种为学生挺身而出的老师。”
“I’m the kind of doctor who gives each patient the time and empathy they need.”
“我是那种给予每个病人所需时间和同情心的医生。”
“I’m the kind of manager who advocates for her employees.”
“我是那种为员工辩护的管理者。”
Once you have a handle on the type of person you want to be, you can begin taking small steps to reinforce your desired identity. I have a friend who lost over 100 pounds by asking herself, “What would a healthy person do?” All day long, she would use this question as a guide. Would a healthy person walk or take a cab? Would a healthy person order a burrito or a salad? She figured if she acted like a healthy person long enough, eventually she would become that person. She was right.
一旦你掌握了你想成为的那种人，你就可以开始采取小步骤来强化你想要的身份。我有一个朋友，通过问自己“一个健康的人会怎么做?”，她减掉了100多磅一整天，她都把这个问题当作向导。一个健康的人会走路还是坐出租车？一个健康的人会点玉米煎饼还是沙拉？她认为，如果自己表现得像一个健康的人，时间足够长，最终她就会成为那个人。她是对的。
The concept of identity-based habits is our first introduction to another key theme in this book: feedback loops. Your habits shape your identity, and your identity shapes your habits. It’s a two-way street. The formation of all habits is a feedback loop (a concept we will explore in depth in the next chapter), but it’s important to let your values, principles, and identity drive the loop rather than your results. The focus should always be on becoming that type of person, not getting a particular outcome.
基于身份的习惯的概念是我们在这本书中第一次介绍的另一个关键主题:反馈循环。你的习惯塑造了你的身份，你的身份塑造了你的习惯。这是一条双行道。所有习惯的形成都是一个反馈回路(这个概念我们将在下一章深入探讨)，但是让你的价值观、原则和身份驱动这个回路，而不是你的结果，这很重要。重点应该是成为那种类型的人，而不是得到一个特定的结果。
习惯的真正原因
Identity change is the North Star of habit change. The remainder of this book will provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to build better habits in yourself, your family, your team, your company, and anywhere else you wish. But the true question is: “Are you becoming the type of person you want to become?” The first step is not what or how, but who. You need to know who you want to be. Otherwise, your quest for change is like a boat without a rudder. And that’s why we are starting here.
改变身份是改变习惯的北极星。本书的其余部分将逐步指导你如何在自己、家人、团队、公司以及任何你希望的地方养成更好的习惯。但真正的问题是:“你正在成为你想成为的那种人吗?”第一步不是什么或如何，而是谁。你需要知道你想成为什么样的人。否则，你对改变的追求就像一艘没有舵的船。这就是我们从这里开始的原因。
You have the power to change your beliefs about yourself. Your identity is not set in stone. You have a choice in every moment. You can choose the identity you want to reinforce today with the habits you choose today. And this brings us to the deeper purpose of this book and the real reason habits matter.
你有能力改变你对自己的看法。你的身份不是一成不变的。你每时每刻都有一个选择。你可以选择你今天想要强化的身份，用你今天选择的习惯。这就把我们带到了这本书更深层次的目的和习惯的真正原因。
Building better habits isn’t about littering your day with life hacks. It’s not about flossing one tooth each night or taking a cold shower each morning or wearing the same outfit each day. It’s not about achieving external measures of success like earning more money, losing weight, or reducing stress. Habits can help you achieve all of these things, but fundamentally they are not about having something. They are about becoming someone.
养成更好的习惯并不是让你的生活随意乱丢垃圾。这不是每晚用牙线清洁一颗牙齿，或者每天早上洗个冷水澡，或者每天穿同样的衣服。这不是为了获得外在的成功，比如赚更多的钱，减肥或者减轻压力。习惯可以帮助你实现所有这些事情，但从根本上来说，它们并不是关于拥有什么。他们正在成为一个人物。
Ultimately, your habits matter because they help you become the type of person you wish to be. They are the channel through which you develop your deepest beliefs about yourself. Quite literally, you become your habits.
归根结底，你的习惯很重要，因为它们帮助你成为你想成为的那种人。它们是你发展自己最深层信念的渠道。毫不夸张地说，你变成了你的习惯。
There are three levels of change: outcome change, process change, and identity change.
变化有三个层次:结果变化、过程变化和身份变化。
The most effective way to change your habits is to focus not on what you want to achieve, but on who you wish to become.
改变习惯最有效的方法不是关注你想要实现什么，而是关注你想成为什么样的人。
Your identity emerges out of your habits. Every action is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.
你的身份来源于你的习惯。每一个行动都是对你希望成为的那种人的投票。
Becoming the best version of yourself requires you to continuously edit your beliefs, and to upgrade and expand your identity.
成为最好的自己需要你不断地编辑你的信念，升级和扩展你的身份。
The real reason habits matter is not because they can get you better results (although they can do that), but because they can change your beliefs about yourself.
习惯之所以重要的真正原因不是因为它们可以给你带来更好的结果(尽管它们可以做到这一点)，而是因为它们可以改变你对自己的信念。
