I was watching a Netflix show recently called Black Rabbit with Jude Law and Jason Bateman.
As I watched, I realized the two main characters are brothers.
One brother would be easy to label as the disappointment.
He has issues with drugs, gambling, and money.
His life looks messy.
The other brother, from the outside looking in, appears to be the successful one.
Nice car.
Beautiful house.
Successful restaurant owner.
Looks like he has it all together.
But as the show goes on, it becomes clear that a lot of it is smoke and mirrors.
He is struggling financially too.
And what stood out to me was this:
He seemed to identify as rich and successful.
So he behaved like a rich and successful person, even when the evidence did not fully support it.
Without spoiling it, the lack of money becomes an issue.
If he lived within his means and didn’t try to appear rich, it would have solved many of his problems—and made for a much less exciting Netflix series.
It was a reminder of how powerful identity can be.
A lot of people struggle with exercise because they do not yet identify as someone who works out.
They still see themselves as:
- not a gym person
- not consistent
- not athletic
- not disciplined
- someone who always falls off
And that makes sense.
Usually, it takes some degree of proof before a person starts believing:
“Maybe I am someone who can do this.”
But here is the important part:
You do not need to obsess over identity first.
You do not need to announce to the world that you are now a “fitness person.”
You do not need to force yourself into a label.
The first step is much simpler.
Just act.
You can simply be a person who knows health and fitness matter, so you make room for them in your life.
That is enough.
This is not politics where you need to pick a side and make it your personality.
It is exercise.
It is just something important enough to do consistently.
And over time, the identity starts to follow the action.
That is how the shift happens.
Not by saying, “I’m a fitness person now.”
But by showing up enough times that one day it no longer feels strange.
A big reason many people resist identifying as a fitness person is because they assume fitness will be:
- painful
- miserable
- annoying
- embarrassing
- something they hate forever
And that is exactly why the right fitness experience matters so much.
Because when someone experiences a program that shows them:
- they can enjoy workouts
- they can push themselves without overdoing it
- they can stay consistent
- they can see results
…everything starts to change.
Now they are no longer trying to become someone else.
They are just becoming a more proven version of themselves. 
5 things to do if you want to become the type of person who exercises consistently:
1. Avoid making dramatic declarations.
You do not need to say you are a fitness person. Just start behaving like health matters.
2. Focus on repetition, not emotion.
Do not wait to feel inspired. Show up enough times that it starts to feel normal.
3. Choose a version of exercise you do not hate.
If your workouts always feel miserable, you will keep resisting them.
4. Let the identity come later.
Belief usually follows evidence. Action gives you that evidence.
5. Stay in long enough to prove yourself wrong.
Many people still think they are “not the type” because they quit before they get enough proof that they can succeed.
You do not need to become a different person overnight.
If buying a water bottle and a few new outfits makes you feel more confident getting to the gym- by all means- do it!
More importantly, you just need to keep doing the kinds of things that the person you want to become would do.
Eventually, that identity becomes real.
– James Pratt