O Diretor de Ensino, Pesquisa e Extensão da Faculdade Suprema, Dr. Djalma Rabelo Ricardo, foi titulado como Cidadão Honorário de Juiz de Fora.
Proposta pelo vereador Nilton Militão (PSD), a sessão de outorga ocorreu nesta segunda-feira, dia 12, na Câmara Municipal da cidade.
Identity Before Habits: Why Tiny Changes Actually Stick

Real, lasting change doesn’t start with willpower.
It starts with identity.

Before we talk about habits—sleep, stress, movement, or nutrition—we have to answer a more important question:

Who are you becoming?

That’s why everything begins with an identity statement:

“I’m the type of person who…”

This matters because behavior follows identity. When your habits are aligned with who you believe you are, they stop feeling forced. They become automatic.

And here’s the key:
Your identity is allowed to change. You’re dynamic. If the wording evolves, that’s not failure—that’s growth.

Auditing the Habits That Actually Moved the Needle

Over the last several weeks, the focus wasn’t on perfection. It was on awareness.

Instead of overhauling everything, we looked attiny habitsin four categories:

• Sleep

• Stress

• Movement

• Eating

The goal wasn’t to do all of them.
The goal was to notice whichone or twoactually made a positive impact.

Eating: Patterns, Not Perfection

Rather than labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” the focus was on patterns.

• Where did you succeed in fueling your body well?

• What was challenging—and why?

• What environmental factors helped or hurt?

Context matters. Holidays, social events, and real life don’t disappear just because you’re trying to eat better. Awareness—not guilt—is what drives change.

Movement: Awareness Changes Everything

Movement wasn’t about workouts. It was aboutdaily activity.

• Steps

• Carrying things

• Sweating

• Simply noticing how much (or how little) you moved

Awareness alone often changes behavior. The point wasn’t to obsess—it was to observe.

Sleep: Tweaking Variables

Sleep is tricky. Sometimes changes help. Sometimes they backfire.

That’s normal.

Instead of chasing the “perfect” sleep routine, the goal was to identify:

• What worked

• What didn’t

• What you learned

Data beats judgment every time.

Stress: Environment Over Willpower

Stress habits weren’t about doing more. They were about doinglessof what drains you.

Things like:

• Turning the TV off earlier

• Limiting social media

• Journaling

• Walking

• Getting outside

• Getting natural light

Stress improves fastest when theenvironmentsupports you—because willpower gets tired.

Why Identity Beats Outcomes

When it comes time to rewrite the identity statement, there’s one rule:

Focus on qualities, not quantities.

This isn’t about:

• A number on a scale

• A clothing size

• A dollar amount

Those are outcomes—and you don’t fully control them.

Youdocontrol:

• Your effort

• Your consistency

• The attitude you show up with

When you shift from outcome-based goals to process-based identity, habits stop feeling like chores.

The Power of One Tiny Habit

Here’s where everything comes together.

Instead of choosing five or ten habits, you chooseone.

A habit so small you could do it daily.
A “grain of sand” habit.

Then you ask:

• What happens in a week if I do this?

• A month?

• A year?

• Ten years?

Small actions compound. That’s not motivational fluff—it’s biology and behavior science.

If it feels too big to do daily, it’s not small enough.

Reflection That Actually Leads to Change

To solidify the process, reflection matters. Not endlessly—intentionally.

Ask yourself:

• What was one win from the last several weeks?

• What was one challenge?

• What is one adjustment you’ll make going forward?

• Who else benefited from you showing up better?

Because change doesn’t happen in isolation. When you improve, the people around you feel it too.

The Big Takeaway

Lasting change doesn’t come from white-knuckling habits.

It comes from:

• Designing better environments

• Reducing reliance on willpower

• Choosing tiny, repeatable actions

• Anchoring habits to identity

Small changes aren’t weak. They’re the only thing that works.

Make it easy.
Make it repeatable.
Make it part of who you are.

And then—keep moving
O Projeto de Lei, votado favoravelmente com unanimidade, por todos os vereadores da Casa, honraria concedida às pessoas que fazem a diferença e demostram seu trabalho em prol de uma cidade cada vez melhor. O proponente, vereador Nilton Militão, em seu discurso ressaltou que é com “orgulho que o Poder Legislativo reconhece o Título ao Dr. Djalma Ricardo pela sua atuação na área de educação, em prol da sociedade”. Ainda reforçou que o Diretor da Suprema é “um grande homem formado por pequenos detalhes, que sabe administrar simplicidade com competência”.