Hey bestie,
You’ve tried the glow up thing before.
Downloaded the apps. Bought the planner. Set the 5am alarm. Maybe even meal prepped for a whole week.
And then… you quit. Again.
Here’s what nobody tells you: You can’t have a lasting glow up by just changing your actions. You need to change your identity first.
Every woman living that aesthetic, put-together, confident life you admire? She didn’t just start doing different things. She became a different person.
Let me show you exactly how.
✨ Download my free Pinterest to Dream Life Vision Map to start mapping your identity transformation today.
Why Your Last Glow Up Attempt Failed
You weren’t lazy. You weren’t unmotivated. You weren’t broken.
You were fighting against your own identity.
If you see yourself as “someone who never follows through,” your brain will sabotage every routine you try to build.
If you identify as “not a morning person,” you’ll hit snooze no matter how many alarms you set.
If you believe “I’m just not the type of girl who has her life together,” you’ll unconsciously create chaos to prove yourself right.
Your actions will always align with your identity. Always.
The routine isn’t the problem. Your identity is.
The 4-Step Identity Shift Method
Step 1: Identify Your Current Identity
Get brutally honest. How do you actually see yourself right now?
Write down the phrases that feel true:
- “I’m someone who starts things but never finishes”
- “I’m the type of person who puts everyone else first”
- “I’ve always been bad with money”
- “I’m just naturally disorganized”
These identity statements are running your life on autopilot.
Step 2: Define Your Dream Identity
Now flip it. Who is the woman living your dream life?
Write identity statements for your future self:
- “I’m someone who follows through on her goals”
- “I’m the type of person who prioritizes her wellbeing”
- “I’m naturally good at managing money”
- “I’m organized and intentional with my space”
Your dream life requires a dream identity.
Step 3: Find Your Identity Bridge
Don’t try to jump from “always quits” to “always consistent” overnight. Your brain won’t buy it.
Find the bridge belief:
- Current: “I never follow through”
- Bridge: “I’m learning to finish what I start”
- Future: “I always complete what I commit to”
Small identity shifts compound into complete transformations.
Step 4: Reprogram Your Subconscious Daily
Your subconscious mind controls 95% of your behavior. Here’s how to reprogram it:
Morning (5 minutes): Say your new identity statements out loud in present tense: “I am someone who…”
Throughout the Day: Ask: “What would the [new identity] version of me do right now?” Then do it.
Evening (10 minutes): Visualize yourself living as your new identity. Journal evidence of your shift.
While You Sleep: Listen to subliminals that reinforce your new identity. Your subconscious is most receptive during sleep.
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How to Have a Glow Up Using Identity-First Thinking
Apply this to every area you want to transform:
Physical Glow Up:
- Old identity: “I’m not athletic”
- New identity: “I’m someone who loves moving my body”
- Result: Movement becomes natural, not forced
Financial Glow Up:
- Old identity: “I’m bad with money”
- New identity: “I’m financially responsible and abundant”
- Result: Saving and investing feels like second nature
Career Glow Up:
- Old identity: “I’m stuck in this job”
- New identity: “I create opportunities for myself”
- Result: You start building skills and networking confidently
Aesthetic Glow Up:
- Old identity: “I’m not the put-together type”
- New identity: “I create beautiful, intentional spaces”
- Result: Keeping your space clean becomes effortless
Change the identity, and the actions follow automatically.
The Identity Shift Glow Up Checklist
Week 1: Identity Audit
- Write 10 current identity statements about yourself
- Identify which beliefs are limiting your glow up
- Notice when you use identity language (“I’m just not…”, “I’ve always been…”)
Week 2: New Identity Creation
- Write 10 new identity statements for your dream self
- Create bridge beliefs for each transformation area
- Design your ideal day as your new identity
Week 3: Daily Reprogramming
- Start morning identity affirmations (5 min)
- Practice “as if” decision-making throughout the day
- Evening visualization routine (10 min)
- Listen to identity subliminals before sleep
Week 4: Identity Integration
- Look for evidence of your new identity showing up
- Journal about moments you acted as your new self
- Adjust language when talking about yourself
- Make one bold choice from your new identity
Month 2-3: Deepening
- Increase complexity of identity-aligned actions
- Share your transformation with others
- Remove content that reinforces old identity
- Celebrate identity wins, not just outcomes
Why This Actually Works
Your brain has a Reticular Activating System (RAS) that filters information based on what it believes is true about you.
When you identify as “not a morning person,” your RAS makes waking up early feel impossible.
When you shift to “I’m becoming a morning person,” your RAS:
- Shows you evidence that supports this
- Makes morning wakeups feel more natural
- Creates neural pathways for the new behavior
You literally rewire your brain by changing your identity.
My Identity Shift Story
When my partner was murdered and I lost everything, I was living in the identity of “victim.”
I had to make a choice: stay in that identity or create a new one.
I chose: “I’m someone who creates solutions, no matter what.”
That one identity shift changed everything.
Instead of “Why is this happening to me?” I asked “What can I create from this?”
Instead of “I can’t afford that,” I thought “How can I afford that?”
Within months, my entire life transformed. Not because circumstances changed, but because I changed who I believed I was.
The single mom struggling to survive became the entrepreneur building her dream life.
Same person. Different identity. Completely different reality.
Your Glow Up Starts With Who You Are
Every glow up you admire started with an identity shift.
The girl with the aesthetic morning routine decided “I’m someone who has intentional mornings.”
The woman with glowing skin became “I’m someone who prioritizes my health.”
The influencer living her Pinterest dreams shifted to “I’m someone who creates the life I desire.”
They didn’t wait to feel worthy. They didn’t wait for perfect circumstances.
They decided who they were, and they became her.
Look at your Pinterest boards. Look at the life you keep saving.
Now ask yourself: “Who would I need to BECOME to live that life?”
Write it down. Say it out loud. Feel it in your body.
Then make one decision today as that person. Just one.
Tomorrow, make another.
In 30 days, you won’t recognize yourself. In 90 days, you’ll be living proof that identity creates reality.
Your glow up isn’t about doing more. It’s about becoming more.
And you get to decide who that is, right now.
Xo,
Chelsea Elise
Ready to map out your complete identity transformation? Download my free Pinterest to Dream Life Vision Map and start becoming the woman you’ve been dreaming about.