Epictetus told us that **Men are disturbed not by things themselves** but **the view which they take of them**.

Our identities and the way we constantly re-frame ourselves essentially shapes our behaviour and experiences.

People often underestimate the way words directly impact actions. 

**Bad habits weigh us down on our journey to moral excellence**; like an anchor, they can pull us back. It's our job to untie each anchor one at a time in order to quicken our assent. 

This identity is described in the sense that “my name is John and I drink coffee often” or “I smoke cigarettes every day.” 

A study published in the *Journal of Consumer Research* tested the way people used words and how the way they used them made a difference to resisting the temptation of a bad habit.

There were two groups in the study, the first let’s call then group 1 were instructed to use the phrase “I can’t”. Group 2 were instructed to use the phrase **“I don’t”** both in response to a temptation of unhealthy food options. 

As the study ended both group 1 and 2 were offered two options. The first was a granola bar (acting as the “healthy” option), while the second was offered a chocolate bar (acting as the “unhealthy” option). 

The researchers were then measuring whether their new founded “identity” would have any significant effect on whether they would choose the relatively healthy choice or the unhealthy one. 

39 % of people who used the phrase “I can’t” picked the granola (healthy) option while 64% of the “I don’t” (group 2) chose the healthy option over the unhealthy one. 

The idea is then that **one gains greater “psychological empowerment” when phrases used in order to resist a temptation come together to form a new identity.**

We can see this identity formation in action with diets. A vegetarian may find themselves consistent, disciplined and healthier as they follow their diet, same with ketogenic diets, vegan diets. 

#Decision fatigue

We like to have rules which we can follow, they serve us better long-term rather than “eating healthier”.

Veganism in itself involves many ethical arguments and forms a very strong identity, you see many vegans who explicitly date other vegans (there’s nothing wrong with this, I’m simply proving a point).

Some people may have had difficulty in following a “healthy diet” and vegetarianism, Atkins, etc…come to save the day. 

**Choosing an identity leads to less decision fatigue.**

In studies (as seen below) they have looked at judges and observed that as the day progresses, judges seem to lose their ability to make consistent rationally grounded decisions hence “decision fatigue” (1).

There’s less decision in the moment of “should I eat that” if your deontology allows you too. 

This means less decision fatigue and more willpower, especially in the case of vegans “more extreme” which can hold a high emotional investment into the “cause”. 

&gt;“The soul, like the body, accepts by practice whatever habit one wishes it to contact.”
- Socrates

#Don’t count days. 

Another idea which can help in forming this identity is to stop “counting days” this is a similar strategy as saying I can’t. 

**NEVER count days.** Now you may disagree, but if you are counting days you are still staying in the same identity, every day you count you are a "smoker who went 40 days without it" or a gamer who went 24 days without gaming”

**Every habit is triggered by some event.** For me, I would smoke after stress, eating, drinking coffee, a meeting, drinking alcohol, or being around other smokers. 

I found this out by carrying around a notebook and pencil and making a tally mark in the notebook each time I smoked, for a couple of days. 

Then I wrote down the triggers in the notebook for a day or two — if I smoked, I’d look at what happened just before the urge to smoke. 

This helped me to be more aware of the triggers, some of which you don’t realise you have.

The point is that we are always striving to eliminate them, one at a time. 

#[Watch This Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z8DDMebnQQ&amp;t)