At Schultz Financial Group (SFG), we view wealth differently through our Four Capital approach. Our team works with you to build your wealth across Four Capitals – Financial Matters, Physical Well-being, Intellectual Engagement, and Psychological Space. This post focuses on Psychological Space and tips for enhancing your quality of life.
As our Healthy Holiday Series comes to a close, we hope that you learned or tried something new this holiday season – perhaps something you will carry with you into the new year.
The start of a new year is an opportune time to reflect and consider ways in which you can enhance your quality of life. Small, sustainable behavior change can have a meaningful impact on your health and longevity. Over the next few months, we will be sharing information about specific behaviors that can impact your longevity, as well as strategies to turn those behaviors into habits. Here is a sneak peek:
Strategy #1
In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear explains that behind every system of actions is a system of beliefs. Before we can sustainably change our actions (i.e., exercise, read, eat more vegetables), we must change our beliefs. To achieve a new goal or implement a new plan, you must first believe in your new identity. Why is this important?
“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,” Clear explains.
For example, if you’re proud of the scarves you knit, you’ll be more likely to spend hours knitting. This may not seem important at first because you are intrinsically motivated when you set a goal. But over time, when the motivation fades, the behaviors to reach that goal will only become habits if you changed your beliefs about your identity. Here are some examples:
- The goal is not to read a book (the what), the goal is to become a reader (the who)
- The goal is not to run a 5K, the goal is to become a runner
- The goal is not to learn an instrument, the goal is to become a musician
So How Do You Change Your Identity?
1. Decide the type of person you want to be
2. Prove it to yourself with small wins
Rather than setting the goal to lose weight, set the goal to become a healthy person. Then begin incorporating small behaviors that a healthy person would perform. Would a healthy person make time for exercise? Or cook a healthy dinner? Your behaviors define your identity, and if you practice specific behaviors over time, they become habits. And as Clear explains, “Your habits shape your identity, and your identity shapes your habits.”
Take Action!
We encourage you to use our Four Capitals framework to guide your identity-based goals this year to help enhance your quality of life.
Additional Reading
Check out our previous blog, Making Your New Years Resolutions Stick, to learn some tips about sustainable behavior change.
Additionally, if becoming a healthy, or healthier, person is on your list, don’t forget to check out this month’s Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter. You’ll find a list of small, evidence-based changes that will have a large impact on your health, such as fitting in fiber and incorporating leafy greens into meals.
Here’s to a happy, healthy and fulfilling 2021!
Nicole Schultz Ninteau is the Physical Capital Resources Manager with Schultz Financial Group Inc.
Schultz Financial Group Inc. (SFG) is a wealth management firm located in Reno, NV. Our approach to wealth management is different from many other wealth managers, financial advisors, and financial planners. Our team of fee-only fiduciaries strives to help our clients build their wealth across four capitals: Financial Matters, Physical Well-being, Psychological Space, and Intellectual Engagement. We provide family office and wealth management services to clients located in Nevada, California, and other states. If you’d like more information, please check out our website or reach out to us via our contact page.