Do you ever feel like you're just drifting through life, not getting any closer to becoming the person you aspire to be? It's a feeling that often hits around New Year's, isn't it? You think of all the bad habits you'll break and the good ones you'll start. "This time will be different," you tell yourself. But then, before you know it, you're back to square one, no closer to your dreams.
So how do you actually become the person you dream of being? How do you ditch bad habits and make good ones stick?
Simple Shifts, Big Differences - Learning from "Atomic Habits"
James Clear's "Atomic Habits" gives us the lowdown on how small changes can lead to big life shifts. Here are the basics.
Little Tweaks, Big Paths: Small habit adjustments can significantly change your life's direction.
Adding Up: Improving just a little each day can lead to big changes, while slipping back can drag you down.
Consistency Over Big Moves: It's the regular, small changes that truly shape your life.
Daily Actions Matter: Focus on improving your daily habits rather than obsessing over the end goal.
See the New You: Change begins with how you view yourself and ensuring your actions reflect this new identity.
Understanding Habit Formation: Learn how habits form and how to alter them using cues, cravings, responses, and rewards.
Steps to Make Habits Stick
Spotlight Good Habits: Keep reminders of the habits you want to adopt visible.
Pair Tough Tasks with Fun: Link challenging habits with something you enjoy.
Simplify Your Approach: Make starting good habits easier and continuing bad ones harder.
Celebrate Small Victories: Keep a record of your progress to maintain motivation.
Putting It Into Practice
Knowing what to do and actually doing it are different things. Here's how to make these principles work for you.
Exercise in the Morning: Set out your exercise gear before bed. Match your workout with uplifting music.
Read Regularly: Combine reading with your morning coffee ritual. Begin with a page a day and then increase.
Limit Social Media: Make your phone less enticing by deleting distracting apps and keeping it out of easy reach.
Step-by-Step Example of Atomic Habit Creating an "Early Riser" Habit
Let's say you want to become an early riser. Here's how you might apply the principles of "Atomic Habits" to make this change.
Set Your Intent: Decide you want to wake up at 6 am every day.
Make it Obvious: Place an alarm clock far from your bed, so you have to get up to turn it off.
Make it Attractive: Plan a pleasant morning routine that you look forward to, like a delicious breakfast or a peaceful moment to yourself.
Make it Easy: Go to bed earlier to ensure you're well-rested and ready to wake up early.
Make it Satisfying: Track your early rising days on a calendar, marking off each success to visualize your progress.
Before you know it, you'll be waking up early without a second thought, enjoying the mornings, and feeling proud of the new habit you've formed!
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