“We become what we do.”
Note: Links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission, at no extra charge to you, if you make a purchase through such a link. Learn more here.
Chapter 12: The Story (and the Choice)
Notes
Stories (beliefs about the world) drive the actions we take. Often, those stories are based on “lowered expectations, the seduction of compliance, and the avoidance of failure.” And it’s more comfortable to act accordingly—”‘Here we go again'” is an easy way to lull yourself into victimhood, a place where the work is no longer up to you.”
These stories “came from somewhere”—experience, family, etc. But they are changeable: “If you want to change your story, change your actions first.“
“We become what we do.“
Thoughts
This is at the heart of much of Seth’s message. It resonates with something I’ve long believed: that we don’t have access to “reality,” just to our interpretations of it. (This is certainly an oversimplified version of a much more complex epistemology.) Seth’s insight is that these interpretations are stories—narratives that we tell ourselves (and each other) and that both justify and lead to our actions (or inaction).
But this doesn’t mean that stories are malleable. You don’t simply decide, Today I will tell myself a different story; interpretations are still interpretations of something. You don’t just “change your story, change your life.” If you want to change your story, you must take action despite your current story. With time and consistency (a practice!), that story can change.
As with the previous chapter, this echoes James Clear’s Atomic Habits. In that book (and repeated in his newsletter), Clear writes:
Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.
No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your identity.
This is why habits are crucial. They cast repeated votes for being a certain type of person.
This is a goal or, at least, an effect of a practice: votes for an identity.
This raises two questions for me, as I process Godin’s thoughts. First, what story am I telling myself? And, second, what story (or, in Clear’s formulation, what identity) am I trying to create for myself?
I don’t think there’s a quick answer for this, so I’ll probably move this conversation to my journal. If I find something useful, I will report back.
This series is meant to capture my thoughts as I work through Seth Godin’s The Practice. It’s a book with over 200 (very short) chapters, which I hope to work through and, I further hope, to implement over time.
If you’re interested in more of Godin’s ideas, or my thoughts about them, you can check out this collection of posts. Note that if you’re more interested in the former, you should probably get Godin’s book and read it yourself; my notes will be both incomplete and idiosyncratic, and my thoughts will relate to my own experience.
But if my thoughts resonate with you, or if you think I’m just silly, I welcome your comments.