What I've learned about transformation design thus far #20

Identity is encoded in neural patterns: networks of connections that fire together, strengthened through repetition. The thought “I am anxious” is not just a belief; it is a groove worn into the brain through thousands of repetitions. Each time the thought fires, the groove deepens. The brain, efficient above all, prefers to use existing pathways.

Changing identity means creating new pathways and weakening old ones. This requires repetition; the new pattern must fire often enough to establish itself. It also requires intensity; strongly emotional experiences create stronger neural traces. And it requires consistency; new patterns that are not reinforced will be overwritten by old ones.