you know something really interesting happened to me recently that made me think about identity and change your actions don't follow your identity your identity follows your actions let me paint a picture for you and I'm sure many of you can relate to this picture someone who wants to become healthy they go all in right they buy expensive equipment tell everyone about their new lifestyle I mean they even get the perfect workout clothes here's what typically happens 3 weeks later right back to Old Habits now this brings up a fascinating question and I really want you
to think about this with me why does this happen well what I've discovered is that they tried to change their identity first they basically tried to force it but and this is crucial identity just doesn't work that way think of your brain like a detective it's constantly watching what you do not what you say every tiny action and I mean every single one sends a signal this is who I am do something once your brain just sees it as a fluke twice now it starts to notice an interesting pattern three times that's when something magical
happens your brain goes oh wait a minute this must be part of who they are start microscopically small so small it feels almost stupid like if you want to become a reader don't do what I initially did and declare I'll read 50 books this year instead just read one page every day just one let me break down what actually happens in your brain it's pretty incredible when you think about it your brain notices interesting we read today tomorrow another page huh we're doing this again day three wait a minute are we becoming a reader this
is what I call the identity Loop in action and honestly it's beautiful in its Simplicity small consistent signals reshape your self-image which then makes those actions feel more natural which strengthens your self-image even more no willpower needed no massive declarations just tiny strategic actions that add up to massive change this works for any change you want to make but there's a catch you have to start smaller than your ego wants to way smaller your ego screams for dramatic change your brain it Whispers for consistency and in this battle drawing from years of observation the brain
always wins chapter one brain and plasticity and change your brain changes every single day and you get to decide how it changes pretty incredible right think of your brain like a garden every thought you have every action you take every habit you repeat they're like creating trails in that Garden when you walk the same path over and over it becomes clearer wider easier to travel just like the path I take to my coffee machine every morning trust me that one's well worn but wait it gets even more interesting your brain has no idea whether these
paths lead to flowers or weeds it just does what it's designed to do hey we use this path a lot better make it stronger it's kind of like how my brain automatically knows the root to my favorite coffee shop even though maybe I should be heading to the gym instead remember how we talked about tiny actions building identity what well this is exactly why it works every time you take that small action and I mean every single time you're not just doing something you're literally rewiring your brain pretty cool right those old patterns you have
you know those limiting beliefs those habits you're not super proud of they're just paths too and here's the good news you can let them grow over but and this is really important not by fighting them instead we're going to build new p paths when you try to stop a habit your brain actually focuses on it even more it's like okay quick experiment with me don't think about pink elephants what are you thinking about right now pink elephants right don't worry it gets us every time so here's what we do instead instead of fighting the old
path focus on building the new one want to stop checking your phone first thing in the morning don't fight that urge that's just making your brain think about your phone even more instead build a new morning routine maybe it's drinking water or stretching or taking three deep breaths whatever works for you every time you take that New Path something incredible happens you're not just creating a habit you're literally building new neural connections and that old path starts to fade not because you fought it fighting it actually makes it stronger but because you simply stopped maintaining
it kind of like how that old route to my previous job gradually faded from my mind once I started working from home this is the real secret to Lasting change you don't have to wage war with your old self you just have to consistently build New Paths one tiny step at a time your brain will do the rest it's literally designed for this if you're curious about how this has worked for you before think about any habit you've successfully changed in the past by the way I'd love to hear about it in the comments below
chapter 2 environmental design mastery now that we understand how our brain creates and strengthens new Pathways let's explore how to make this process virtually automatic through our environment the smartest way to change your life isn't what most people think stop relying on motivation stop counting on Willpower instead let's talk about something way more powerful your environment take a moment and do something with me look around your room right now everything you see is either pushing you towards your goals are pulling you away from them you actually have complete control over this let me use a
simple example from nature think about water water always follows the path of least resistance right always flows downhill and here's the thing about your behavior it works exactly the same way I noticed this in my own life you naturally flow toward whatever's easiest in your environment here's a practical example want to eat healthier I used to think it was all about willpower you know trying to resist those late night cravings but here's what actually works don't stock up on Willpower just stop buying junk food because let me tell you something I've learned through experience at
10 p.m. when you're tired and stressed willpower it's gone but you know what still works perfectly the fact that there's no junk food in your house I call this the friction principle it's pretty simple really make good habits downhill make bad habits uphill want to exercise more put your workout clothes right by your bed want to stop mindless social media scrolling delete the apps make it take three extra steps to access them remember how we talked about brain patterns earlier naturally connecting the concepts well your environment is basically a physical version of those patterns change
the environment and you automatically change the patterns studies show that people who keep a fruit bowl visible ible eat 70% more fruit think about that for a second no willpower needed no motivation required just smart environmental design it's exactly what happened when I put a water bottle on my desk suddenly I was drinking way more water without even thinking about it once you understand this principle you can design success triggers everywhere want to read more put books on your coffee table it's what finally got me reading consistently want to drink more water put water bottles
at every spot you typically sit your environment is like an invisible force field that's always influencing your behavior once you set it up right it works 20 for7 even when you're tired stressed or completely unmotivated I'd love to hear in the comments what environmental changes have worked for you or what changes you're planning to make after learning this chapter 3 energy as primary currency even the most perfectly designed environment needs a power source and that's where most people miss something crucial everyone talks about time management but there's a crucial truth they miss you can't actually
manage time time moves forward no matter what we do what you can manage is your energy let me ask you something and be honest with yourself here have you ever had one of those days with plenty of free time but felt so drained you couldn't do anything meaningful with it or maybe you've experienced the opposite where you had had just 30 minutes but you were so energized you accomplished more than you usually do in 3 hours I see some of you nodding we've all been there here's what took me years to understand your energy isn't
just about being tired or awake it's actually Your Capacity to make changes to learn to grow to push forward unlike time which we can't control energy can be expanded think about that for a second you know most people and I was guilty of this too get this completely backwards they try to squeeze more and more into their time push harder sleep less work longer but watch closely this always backfires always think of your energy like a battery that comes with a solar panel sure you can drain it we all do sometimes you can also recharge
it and even better you can actually upgrade your batter's capacity pretty amazing right your brain uses 20% of your body's energy but during intense Focus periods that can jump up to 70% this explains so much doesn't it this is why you feel mentally exhausted after learning something new your brain is literally running a marathon recovery isn't just about rest it's about strategic renewal you know those moments when you think you're doing nothing well something incredible is happening your brain is actually consolidating learning replenishing energy and building new neural pathways mind-blowing isn't it this completely transforms
how we should think about planning our days instead of asking how can I fit more in which I used to do all the time ask yourself how can I match my tasks to my energy Peaks need to learn something new do it when your energy is highest want to be creative match it to when your mind is fresh it's like surfing you want to catch the wave at just the right moment remember how we talked about environmental design now let's apply that same thinking to your energy design your day around your natural energy rhythms create
renewal triggers build in recovery periods because here's what I've learned to be absolutely true when you master your energy time takes care of itself I had planned to cover more today but I believe in keeping these Concepts digestible and actionable if you're finding value in these insights about brain optimization and energy management let me know in the comments below your feedback will help me shape additional videos of this series also I'd love to hear how you're planning to apply these energy management principles in your daily life oh and there's more I've just started a patreon
to help support these videos and connect with you more directly check out the link in the description if you'd like to join thank you for watching and I'll see you in the next video
