Three Card Monty
New Year, New Name
The beginning of the year is often seen as a time to start over. We set resolutions or intentions, and vow to commit to the effort required to produce the new person we seek to become. Some of us set completely new resolutions. Others slightly modify past ones.
And then there are those who simply recommit to the exact same goal.
Case in point — there's a man in Russia who changes his name every year just to avoid paying child support. According to court documents, this deadbeat dad annually changes his entire civil identity — first name, last name, and patronymic — only to revert back to his real identity a few months later. I get wanting a fresh start, but filing paperwork to reinvent yourself and outrun debt is like calling in sick from the conference room.
Assuming a new identity to avoid financial responsibility may sound like a brilliant plan, but this guy's execution was impressively idiotic — he literally left a paper trail. When playing hide-and-seek, most people don't tell the seeker where they'll be. This guy gave up his location faster than Waldo in a black-and-white photo.
If this story teaches us one thing, it's that changing your name every year might feel like a fresh start, but it's more like a belt made out of watches — a waist of time.
Sorry for the Dad joke. I couldn't resist. New year, same me.
Identity Over Strategy
What makes this story interesting isn’t the name change — it’s the belief underneath it. The idea that if you can just be someone else, the consequences won’t follow.
The guy is trying to solve a behavior problem with an identity change. Instead of changing what he does, he keeps changing who he is. And while most of us aren’t filing annual paperwork to dodge responsibility, versions of this show up at work all the time.
We change titles instead of behaviors.
We rebrand initiatives instead of fixing what broke.
We chase a fresh identity when what we really need is sustained effort.
Those efforts might buy temporary relief, but they essentially create fragile performance — work that looks like success until pressure shows up.
As long as no one asks questions, expectations stay low, or circumstances don’t change, they work. But the moment reality pushes back, it exposes cracks in the foundation. When things get uncomfortable, it’s tempting to hide behind an identity:
“I’m new.”
“That’s not really my role.”
“I’m too senior for this.”
Identities aren’t bad — but when we use them to escape effort, they quietly replace strategy.
So how can we interrupt that pattern before it does real damage?
Name the Identity You’re Leaning On
When you feel stuck or defensive, pause and ask: What label am I using to justify inaction right now?
Identities can protect us — but they can also keep us from doing the work that actually builds credibility.
Optimize for Stability, Not Relief
Identity-based decisions optimize for relief now.
Strategy-based decisions optimize for stability later.
Before acting, ask: Is this making my work more durable—or just quieter for the moment?
That one question often exposes whether you’re choosing comfort or progress.
Repair Before You Reinvent
Before rebranding yourself, resetting expectations, or declaring a “fresh start,” ask: What’s one small repair that would make this situation less fragile?
A single conversation, clarification, or follow-through often does more than a total reinvention.
Changing your name doesn’t change your obligations. And at work, changing your title, narrative, or identity won’t either.
You can reinvent yourself as many times as you want — but if the work doesn’t change, neither will the outcome.
At some point, effort is the only identity that holds up under pressure.
Question of the Week
What’s one small repair you could make this month that would matter more than a fresh start?
