Habits are something we all have, and will always have. We sometimes create them unintentionally, and sometimes are unaware they even exist until they are in full motion. As this happens, bad habits can become huge stumbling blocks in our lives until we learn to break them down and create good ones. Atomic Habits by James clear goes into detail regarding the most efficient ways to develop life changing habits, as well as tear apart bad habits. One example of a key concept he taught was the 4 simple steps to create good habits. Here is a small info-graph to show those steps. https://pin.it/DkEU1hU
Clear found that throughout his life, he noticed time and time again that the better he could become at having small and simple habits, the better the outcome of his life would be. First, Clear draws you into the book with his own personal examples that changed his life forever. As he does this, he begins to describe the why behind this book, as well as why we create habits in the first place. The meat of this book is the what. This involves what exactly you need to do to create those small impactful habits, and what you need to do to stop those bad ones.
What insights did you gain from this book?
Right off that bat, this book inspired me. One of the first yet more impactful examples that Clear describes is the one of two smokers.
“Imagine two people resisting a cigarette. When offered a smoke, the first person says, “No thanks. I’m trying to quit.” It sounds like a reasonable response, but this person still believes they are a smoker who is trying to be something else. They are hoping their behavior will change while carrying around the same beliefs. The second person declines by saying, “No thanks. I’m not a smoker.” It’s a small difference, but this statement signals a shift in identity. Smoking was part of their former life, not their current one. They no longer identify as someone who smokes.”
Excerpt From: James Clear. “An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones.” Apple Books. As I read this passage. I began to immediately ponder the ways in which I identify myself. Do I identify as someone who is kind? Or do I often say I am trying to be kind? What are the things that I typically “try to be” rather than identity as? As I analyzed those things, I began to make changes within my own life to further my vision of growth. I started with a list with two columns. The first read, things I am, and the second, things I no longer am. Since then, I have now been more cautious on how I identify myself. Not only has that empowered me to be confident in what I do and say, however it also gives me even more of a reason to be that type of person. This has inspired me to be better with myself, which essentially leads me to be better amongst others. Here is a few links to some more thoughts regarding identity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiFjPGZZmVg&feature=youtu.be
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/370139663130264661/
Just as I was able to explain before, because habits are a universal human action, Atomic Habits is a book that is relatable to anyone. It is influential for any human, any business, and in any work specialty. The fact is that creating good habits can impact your life forever. However, something that I noted while reading this book is that many people often don’t find time to follow these patterns. I decided to a more in depth thought on this subject and recorded it here https://www.buzzsprout.com/1690900/7838602. They never find time to start that good habit they’ve always wanted to. Or they simply can find strength to quit that habit that has been taking over their life. Something that Clear recognizes within this book is the key to exceptional results is small and consistent efforts. As you are able to slowly yet steadily provide effort towards anything you are doing, you will find that over time, those small efforts have turned into extraordinary results. So how does this apply? Let’s take your business for example. If you decide to start incorporating 10 min of team building exercises within your company everyday, you will not see great results right away. However, let’s say 3–5 years down the road you are still doing these team building exercises. You will now find that your company is an expert at team building exercises. By then, you will have seen what works and what doesn’t. You will see the impact that it has and the benefit it brings to your company. This was not one big task that happened within one day, but it was a small simple action, consistently given attention over a long period of time. This same idea works within the walls of your home, at work and with self improvement. Atomic Habits by James clear changed the way I choose to live my life, has it changed yours?
Here is how James Clear demonstrated the three groups that offer opportunity for the 2nd Law of Behavior Change.