Happy New Year 2026! I hope you all had a wonderful time off with family and friends over the holidays. As always, this is the time of year when resolutions are in full swing—gyms are packed, clubs are signing up new members, and the motivation to bring positive change to our lives is at an all-time high. It’s an exciting energy!
However, we’ve all been there: by February, most resolutions haven’t stuck. They fail because they usually focus on the outcome rather than being aligned with our identity.
James Clear’s Atomic Habits explains this beautifully, and it’s a book I personally recommend because it truly changed my life. If you are setting resolutions right now, I’d love for you to check out the Sketchnote I created.
I’ve used the example of someone who wants to start Sketchnoting, but you can apply this logic to any new habit—or rather, any new Identity—you want to form. Here is the framework:
- Align yourself to your new Identity: Stop saying “I want to do this” and start saying “I am the type of person who is this.”
- Build a system based on the 4 Laws of Behavior Change: (Cue, Craving, Response, and Reward).
Motivation is a spark, but it can die out fast. To keep the fire going, you need a system. I hope this helps you kick off 2026 on the right foot!
Do share your comments if this resonated with you. I would really love to hear your thoughts and what identities you’re building this year!
PS: GenAI was used for Grammar checks in this post. The SketchNote, Ideas, the content was all generated by a Human with love for its readers.
Jatin Kapadia 