Vicky is a Ukrainian woman who claims that everyone needs an identity statement. Here is her rationale!

  • What is an identity statement?

A company has its vision statement / mission statement; therefore, its employees can follow that statement and demonstrate the right behaviour accordingly.

Similarly, a person can also have an identity statement which clearly states who this person is. An identity statement informs this person’s thoughts, behaviour and feelings.

Your identity statement is who you are.

Before you get started, please think about who you want to be, and then be that person!

Take Peter as an example. Peter has had anxiety for many years and was seeing a psychologist. In reality, psychology can only treat the symptoms of mental health issues, which is very valuable and absolutely necessary. Nevertheless, psychology cannot cure the root cause of mental health issues; interestingly, literature, art and religion can cure the root cause of mental health issues, although things like literature, art and religion don’t seem to be extremely useful in a modern society where making money is the priority. Fortunately, Peter realised that seeing a psychologist isn’t enough, so he spent more time reading novels, appreciating music & art and studying Zen. More importantly, he wrote down his identity statement: “I am a creative, artistic and intelligent man. When difficult situations arise, I am calm because I maintain my unfazeable stillness.” A few years later, Peter has become a changed man.

You can change your identity. You can have an alter ego. Your identity is important because:

1). It takes the thinking out of life. You simply write down your identity statement & put your identity statement somewhere you can see every single day and then remind yourself that this is who you are.

2). Once your identity is established, it’s not something that is hard because it doesn’t really require motivation. It just is. It involves BE-ing.

Your identity is absolutely fundamental to everything because it drives your thoughts, emotions and behaviour. Oftentimes, a person’s identity is un-explored or dismissed because people usually prefer the quick fix: run 5km, cut out dairy, practise piano for 30 minutes a day, and so on.

If you can get your identity sorted, everything else falls into place.

Ukrainian women

  • This is the “BE – DO – HAVE” mentality:

Step 1: Be (Create a way of BE-ing that aligns with your values).

Step 2: Do (This new way of BE-ing will propel into action).

Step 3: Have (The results of your actions will then bring you to the life you want).

Remember: Your beliefs and values are underpinned by your identity. Before finding out your why, find out who you are.

Here is the human onion analogy: What’s on the outside is the reflection of what’s going on inside. Hence, in order to change the outside, you need to change the inside first. We should look at who we need to BE in the first place.

Who do you need to be? Please identify three identity characteristics you will need while working out the answer to this question: “Who do I need to be, to do what I need to do, to get what I want to have?” AND you act / behave / think like that identity… you will get what you want in this way – this is guaranteed, according to Dr Bailey Bosch.

Once you have written down your identity statement, you will need to set a few rules, e.g., you will go to bed before 11pm, you will eat vegetables every day, etc. Try your best to obey your rules.

Here is the summary: new identity à rules à commitment à results à motivation. (Commitment comes before motivation.)

“Now you know you don’t have to listen to motivational speakers or read motivational books in order to stay motivated,” says Vicky, a Ukrainian woman.

“Vicky is a Ukrainian woman who points out the importance of an identity statement.”