The Power Of Habits
On personal habit building...
Recently I've re-read and re-listened to "Atomic Habits" by James Clear.
I've been through alot of good(ish) books about habits, but James' book has to be the simplest and most actionable book I've ever come across.
Habits essentially are the building block of a man's destiny
The law of harvest is to reap more than you sow. Sow an act, and you reap a habit. Sow a habit and you reap a character. Sow a character and you reap a destiny.
James Allen
Over the years I have found the lack of habits (or essentially randomn action) to be destructive.
My use of habits has created great success:
- Habitual diet and exercise - Losing 30kg
- Habitual writing and reading - Becoming a professional writer
- Habitual getting up early and going to work - Creating and growing multiple businesses
- Habitual going to a martial arts club - Progressing through the belts and becoming an instructor
- Habitual kindness and generousity of time and spirit - Making a host of exceptional friends
Habits are just repeated actions.
Things we do over and over which shape who we are.
We all have habits.
The trick is whether we have the right habits to get us to where we want to go.
I avoid TV, Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime.
As in me, this creates the habit of slothfulness and general mind numbing.
I do however still watch some YouTube.
As it allows me to follow topics and creators I enjoy.
Plus there is something about the unscripted nature of following people in business who are further than me, that allows me to have mentors from afar.
I keep vitamins on my desk at work.
My Mum used to say to me, from when I was a kid how important vitamins were.
But I just don't like swallowing pills.
Finally a month and a half ago, I found some gummies I liked.
And I haven't missed a day since.
Plus they are sitting right next to me when I sit down to work.
There are many great takeaways from James Clear's book, but a few that have stuck are:
- Make a new habit rewarding
- Make a new habit easy
- Environment and cues matter
If it's obvious, I like it, and I remove things which are bad for me, I slowly end up improving the quality of my life.
And it is slow (at first)
Many mistakes I have seen and made myself are based on trying to chase "fast change", yes it's absolutely possible.
But whether it sticks for the weeks, months and years you need for habits to create a destiny is quite another story.