Who do you want to be?

Learning new skills and building new habits requires a shift in how we see ourselves. In fact, James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, says the secret lies in our identity. Our belief or understanding of who we are shapes our behavior. If your child says “I’m bad at math” or “I’m not musical and I can’t learn how to play guitar” then they’ll likely avoid it. But if we can help students see themselves differently and adopt a new identity, new habits can take hold. Clear says there are two simple steps:

1. Identify who they want to be. Sometime who is confident in math. Someone who plays guitar. 
2. Take small actions to prove their new identity. Meet with my math teacher once per week after school. Practice the guitar for five minutes a day. 

Identity is what you believe, Clear says. Through small efforts we can help students shift their mindset and begin to believe something new about themselves. Anything is possible.