The way to building lasting habits is focusing on creating a new identity first rather than the goal. Your current behaviors, belief system and mindsets are a reflection of your current identity. What you do now is a mirror image of the type of person you believe that you are, consciously or subconsciously. To transform your behavior for good, you need to start believing new things about yourself and what's possible for you. "I want to lose weight" "I want to lose 20 pounds" These goals are centered around our performance or our appearance. Performance and appearance goals are great to strive towards , but they aren't the same as habits.