Every New Year, millions of us swear we’ll fix something about ourselves — lose weight, be more productive, stop procrastinating. But what if the real work isn’t about fixing who you are?
What if it’s about finding yourself again — your values, your identity, the parts of you that got buried under expectations, pressure, and constant “self-improvement”?
This week, I found myself reflecting on the January 1st edition of James Clear’s 3-2-1 newsletter, a weekly series I regularly return to for inspiration and perspective:
👉 https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/january-1-2026
Why “Fixing Yourself” Rarely Works
So much personal development language assumes we’re broken.
Fix your habits.
Fix your mindset.
Fix your productivity.
But James Clear offers a quieter, more compassionate reframe: lasting change doesn’t start with goals — it starts with identity.
Goals tell you what you want.
Identity shapes who you become.
And when you skip the identity part, even the best goals struggle to stick.
Identity Is About Remembering, Not Reinventing
One idea from the 3-2-1 series that always stays with me is this:
New goals don’t create new results. New lifestyles do.
That matters because lifestyles are lived by people — not projects.
When we obsess over outcomes, we often lose ourselves in the process. But when we focus on identity, we begin to remember who we are rather than constantly trying to become someone else.
Instead of:
“I need to read more” “I need to be healthier” “I need to be more disciplined”
The shift becomes:
I’m a reader I care for my body I show up for myself
Each small habit becomes a quiet vote for your identity.
Finding Yourself Through Small Choices
This is why I’m drawn to James Clear’s work — and why I revisit the 3-2-1 newsletter each week. It doesn’t shout instructions. It offers reflection.
Finding yourself doesn’t happen through massive overhauls. It happens through small, honest moments:
Choosing what aligns with you today Letting go of habits that no longer reflect who you are Creating space to notice what brings you calm, joy, and meaning
You’re not fixing flaws — you’re reconnecting with your values.
A Question Worth Sitting With
Each edition of the 3-2-1 newsletter ends with a question. This week’s feels especially fitting as a new year begins:
If you met your 80-year-old self today, what would they beg you to stop postponing?
That question isn’t about productivity.
It’s about identity.
It’s about remembering what matters before another year slips by.
Why I Share These Reflections Weekly
I often look to James Clear’s 3-2-1 newsletter as a starting point — not for answers, but for awareness. Each week, it offers a small pause in the noise, a reminder that growth doesn’t have to be harsh to be effective.
If you’d like to explore the original inspiration behind this post, you can read the full newsletter here:
👉 https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/january-1-2026
For me, this is part of finding the joy — not chasing a better version of myself, but choosing to live in alignment with who I already am becoming.
Find the joy 