Atomic Habits
Habits are not a finish line to be crossed, they’re a lifestyle to be lived.
James Clear
A friend once said bad habits die slow, building them is not a different scenario either. Sewing new ‘good’ habits is a bit of a challenge, but they define so many aspects of your life including well-being, environment, and identity above all. That’s why James Clear’s Atomic Habit is a productivity classic that focuses on just that, how to build good habits that will impact the trajectory of your life.
Building the right habit is centralized in the notion of “identity-based habits” and focuses on who we want to become rather than what we want to achieve. It is a shift in our beliefs prior to behavior, this will ensure the long-term achievement we all seek so much. An example would be not write an article, the goal is to become a writer.
The ultimate form of inartistic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity… The more you repeat a behavior, the more you reinforce the identity associated with that behavior. And the more you reinforce the identity, the more natural it will feel to repeat the behavior.
You can achieve consistency by building systems that refine and continuously improve your progress and output respectively. Goals reflect the results whereas systems are the process and workflows that help you achieve those results. Trust me, they are the safety net we all have been seeking.
A ‘systems-first mentality’ is the biggest hack within the productivity sphere. Falling in love with the process rather than the goal, as to say falling in love with the journey, will help you achieve consistency and make new habits stick. The less-friction associated with that system, the more effective the outcome will become.
This is important because habits are “the compound interest of self-improvement”, the results multiply through time indefinitely. We can’t see the growth over a short period of time, but cumulatively over the months and years the results become impeccable and cannot be denied. There is one more secret to this formula, join a culture where the desired behavior and identity is the norm.
Birds of a Feather, Flock Together.
Les Brown
🎧 What I’ve Been Up To Lately
I must admit, this journey of becoming a writer and a creator is quite challenging. Not in relation to the action itself, rather to keeping that action consistent. I have been constantly writing but I haven’t been consistently publishing. Part to blame is I’ve been getting caught up in other facets of life, but that just means I’m at the edge of failure.
A bit harsh? Perhaps but that’s how it feels like sometimes when we try so hard and still don’t achieve our desires. I went down from publishing daily to once every two weeks if I’m lucky. But looking at the bright side, I have accumulated a decent amount of articles that are ready to spread around. And most awesomely, I’m finding a new groove and tone of voice that is just about right. Insightful, yet poetic like a bard in front of the biggest stage of all times. Soon enough, I’ll share the love.
📚 Additional Resources
James Clear is one of the leading productivity creators, and author of Atomic Habits an international bestseller and a must read. Simple ideas but powerful beyond measure, Yah his 3-2-1 weekly newsletter is kick-ass too.
30 Days to Better Habits: A simple step-by-step guide for forming habits that stick is a 30 days free course that is complementary to the book. This is a great starting point that introduces some of the key ideas in his book. Don't miss out!