Life Goals 101
Evolving into your own identity is the work of personal development. As you grow in life, you can learn to identify which aspects of your personality represent your values and beliefs and which were perhaps imposed upon you, by others or society. Recognizing and then cultivating your true identity, the one that represents who you are at your core, is the crucial work of personal growth and learning.
When your identity is indeed your own, it can support the realization of your life’s purpose and values. When you stray from your dreams and mission, you will lose part of your identity. This could lead to the inability to see meaning in your life, which is the ultimate price paid for embracing an identity that is not your own.
What is Identity?
When you become aware of yourself and your place in the world, you start to form your identity, and psychologists and philosophers have been trying to understand and describe the process of identity formation for thousands of years.
Your identity is a constructed narrative your brain creates to tell the story of you. Whether or not it authentically represents your true nature or the wishes and wants of others is up to you. You form your identity starting at a young age, and it continues to evolve throughout your entire life. It comprises your conscious thoughts as well as your beliefs, subconscious values, and personal preferences.
When you make an effort to discover your true self and your own identity, you can live a fully authentic life according to your principles and values. When you find conflict in your psyche, chances are it is from parts of your identity (likely imposed on you from others) that do not match with these foundational aspects of who you are.
How Your Identity Evolves
Through self-awareness and reflection, you can let go of any conditioned thoughts and beliefs that are in conflict with your own and align your identity with who you really are. This process requires the challenging of perhaps some long-held beliefs and habits, the formation of new ways of thinking, and an examination of your place in the world.
Much of what we do as adolescents and young adults in the name of “rebellion” is really about forming one’s identity. By experimenting with cultural norms, behaviours, philosophies, and even belief systems, we explore the full range of possibilities and begin selecting those that align with what’s in our own hearts and minds.
As you age and circumstances change, you learn more about yourself and the world. Your identity shifts based on new priorities and experiences that expose you to new ideas. Your values and beliefs expand with new learning, providing you with a broader foundation upon which to support your identity. You also begin to realize that you are not the first person to go through this process, which provides you with some comfort that this process is natural and acceptable.
Assessing Your Identity
Knowing whether your sense of self is truly your own or the work of outside forces is a process that requires introspection, reflection, and identification of your strongest beliefs and values. It means getting to you know motivations, dreams, fears, and goals, and then determining which parts of your identity no longer support your chosen path in life.
And while this process may seem scary or daunting, it’s one we are each perpetually engaging in as we learn, grow, and change. Identities are not static; they are dynamic. And choosing to change yours because it no longer represents your values and beliefs is a crucial process for personal growth and development.
Leave a Comment 👋
Having a viewpoint shows your interests and passions. Most people find others with no opinions to be boring. Know where you stand on issues important to your beliefs and be sure you have information to support your perspectives. But, you should also be willing to listen to others’ views and use those to evaluate your own stance. Make an effort to talk with people whose views are different than yours to understand their perspective better.
By making the choice to design the life you really want, versus letting life just happen to you, you will experience some crucial benefits. Taking control of your life and going after the things that are really important to you can help you not only achieve your dreams but also learn new skills, find new opportunities, and let go of the fears that are holding you back. Here are the top five reasons you should start today to design the life you really want.