Upbuilding the Self
Atomic Habits and Using Identities to Help Us With Our Habits
About the Episode
Atomic Habits has become one of the bibles of habit formation. One of the key ideas from that book is how to use an identity (e.g., I’m a runner) to positively influence our habits (i.e., to run consistently). However, at Upbuild, we talk a lot about how identities get in the way of being our best selves. In this episode, Michael, Hari Prasada, and Vipin explore how to reconcile these two ideas. While weaving in personal tales and anecdotes from their own lives, they discuss the potency of using identity to become the type of person we want to become, but address what we need to look out for so that we don’t overly identify with something that we are not.
In This Episode
- Hari Prasada Das
- Michael Sloyer
- Vipin Goyal
Highlights
- 1:10
James Clear’s Atomic Habits
- 2:30
Identity-based habits
- 11:30
The need for a drive for something greater
- 15:00
The example of becoming a runner
- 16:20
Michael’s new intentional identities
- 20:30
The trap of a spiritual identity
- 22:20
Potential egoistic motivations behind our identities
- 26:00
The example of Hari becoming a vegetarian
- 34:10
The ego as a house of a cards
- 40:30
The delicate balance of identifying with our identities
- 42:00
Sacinandana Swami’s advice to Michael
- 47:00
Closing takeaways
Quotes
“The ego is defined by ‘I am the controller and I am the enjoyer.’”
— Hari Prasada
“[When you start thinking that] people should be like me…that’s a good warning sign that the ego has kicked in.”
— Michael
“We’re trying to celebrate [our new identities] from a completely different place [a place that has nothing to do with our egos]”
— Hari Prasada