Habits this. Habits that. 

It seems like that is all everyone is talking about. 

Every self-help book always inevitably ends up mentioning habits. Why is that? 

I could be one of the many people to tell you what you are missing out but author James Clear does a better job than me. Let’s start with why integrating a routine and developing habits is crucial to your well-being.

Discipline & Identity Building

I believe discipline to be the first step in developing habits. I used to have such a hard time keeping my eye on the prize. I would always find excuses, procrastinate or distract myself because I did not want to put in the work. I was so accustomed to the path of least resistance that if any inconvenience came my way, my response would be to pull away. 

Then, I realized my response was more than just bad habits. It was a reflection of my identity. James Clear defines identity as your “repeated beingness”. He argues that your identity emerges out of your habits. Therefore, your actions are evidence to your belief in your identity. If you train every day, you are an athlete. If you read regularly, you are a reader. If you write every night, you are a writer. 

After reading “Atomic Habits”, I knew I had to change. I understood that every action I took was a vote for the person I was becoming, and I did not like where I was heading. So, I asked myself: “Who do I want to be? What do I stand for?” I decided to focus on identity-based habits instead of outcome-based ones. It is one thing to say I am someone who wants this. It is very different to say I am the person who is this. The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is a habit-based identity.

Confidence: The Art of Mastery

The most valuable reward I’ve gained through habits is confidence. Nothing speaks louder than the progress achieved through consistent repetition. Begin by incorporating small, achievable habits into your life. By consistently accomplishing them each day, you will gradually start to believe in your ability to make positive changes. This ongoing success creates a positive feedback loop, boosting your confidence and fueling your motivation to progress.

When I first read “Atomic Habits”, I was at the lowest point in my life. I lacked goals and aspirations; I was merely surviving day by day. Consequently, my self-confidence was also nonexistent. Then, I discovered climbing. Some friends of mine were regular climbers, so I joined them without any expectations. Starting out, I wasn’t particularly skilled. However, the challenge of pushing myself physically and witnessing my improvement played a pivotal role in building self-confidence. Gradually, I began to believe in my capabilities and experienced a significant boost in confidence. This newfound confidence led me to seek out new challenges, and I eventually signed up for a half marathon. The half-marathon turned out to be incredibly fulfilling, becoming one of the most gratifying moments of my life and helping me discover a newfound passion.

Success

“Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.” 

James Clear

As we have all learned in math class (or if you are an accountant like me, through time value of money), compound returns cause exponential growth. Now, how does this tie to habits? James Clear explains how doing 1% better every day results in you doing nearly 37 times better after one year. The same applies if you were to repeat mistakes day by day by replicating poor decisions. Making a choice that is 1% better or worse may seem insignificant, but over the span of years, those choices will reflect who you are and who you could be. Your weight is a measure of your eating habits. Your clutter is a measure of your cleaning habits. Your knowledge is a measure of your learning habits. You get what you repeat.

Okay Holly, so habits are important. Now, how can I even start one?

James Clear offers a ton of techniques so I would recommend reading the book but for the sake of this post, I will list out my personal favorites. They are the ones that helped me the most and that I still use to this day.

Environmental Cues

Making changes can be difficult. You might find yourself overwhelmed with the number of changes you would like to make and eventually procrastinate yourself into never starting: I will start working out tomorrow. I will start my diet tomorrow. I will read a book tomorrow. We all know how that story goes.

In “Atomic Habits”, James Clear explains how motivation is overrated and that our surroundings influence our habits. In fact, our environment plays a big role in shaping our behavior, either helping us stick to good habits or making it harder to do so. Clear calls this strategy an environmental design. Here are some key takeaways that helped me design my environment:

• Make Good Habits Stand Out: If you want to start building new habits, it must be in-your-face obvious. Leave your workout clothes and shoes where you can see them, so they remind you to get moving. Place your book by your nightstand, so that you are encouraged to reach for it before bed.

• Cut Out the Hassle for Good Habits: Clear points out that reducing the effort and barriers for positive habits is essential. Make everything as simple as possible. For instance, if you want to eat healthier snacks, keep a bowl of fruit on your kitchen counter instead of hiding it away in the fridge.

• Stack Habits for a Winning Environment: Habit stacking is about piggybacking new habits onto existing ones. You must set up your environment in a way that makes it natural to incorporate the habits you want. This technique helped me reinforce positive changes in my life. Every time I completed a habit, I was rewarded with a feeling of accomplishment, which led me to the next habit…. and the next… and the next… You see how it goes. If not, there is an image from Clear’s book that helps visualize this technique.

Surround Yourself with Positive Influences

The most fulfilling relationships I have experienced are through my friendships. There are two friends in particular that come to mind.

He makes me a much happier person. Life has become so bright and full of color. I now notice the little things that became what I look forward to the most. On my walks downtown, I always take a longer path because I enjoy the smell of Ben and Jerry’s. On my way to work, I always take a moment to notice my neighbor’s cat sleeping at the door. Finally, at the end of the day, I always try to make some time for my mom. Every single one of those moments have become magical to me. It is my dearest friend that showed me how to appreciate those small moments in my life.

She inspires me everyday to be better. She is the most empathetic and kind person I have ever met. I love spending time with her because she makes me want to be that person as well. She is always willing to try anything I pitch to her, no matter how crazy my ideas can be. We always workout together every Mondays, and they are what I look forward to the most during the week. She makes me a better person.

What I am trying to say is to never understimate the power your circle has on you. It is important to wisely pick your friends. Surrounding yourself with positive, supportive, and like-minded individuals can have a tremendous impact on your personal growth. Find friends that inspire you, challenge you to be your best self, and align with the kind of person you want to become. And, of course, be that kind of friend to them too!

Changing Your Mindset

“You yourself will always be the worst enemy you can encounter; you yourself lie in wait for yourself in caves and forests.”

Friedrich Nietzsche

Your thoughts shape who you are. If you believe in yourself, the possibilities are endless. I know this sounds like a cliche, but bear with me.

James Clear mentions two mindsets in his book: fixed and growth. Those with a fixed mindset believe that their traits are (surprise, surprise) fixed. Often, they are reflected through negative beliefs of one’s self. In my case, I never was good at math and I knew believing I was terrible at math helped soothe my ego. I never expected high math grades at school, and whenever I failed, it was never a surprise because I expected this outcome. My failure was never my fault, I was simply bad at math.

Those with a growth mindset understand that their abilities can improve through effort. They believe everyone can get better if they work at it. They see failure as an indication to continue rather than giving up and succumbing to “I am not good at math”.

Here is a little secret for you, a growth mindset is what you want to incorporate into your life. Your beliefs should never be holding you back. It took me a long time to switch my mindsight regarding math. Frankly, I never really changed until I started practicing math problems in my kitchen with my mom. I remember crying over fractions at midnight. I remember my frustration with algebra and I will never forget the trauma calculus left on me. However, I will also never forget my math grades improving as I practiced. I will never forget my mom’s happiness when I could solve algebra problems on my own. Most importantly, I will never forget the self-confidence I built throughout those years and thinking: “Hey, I am not so bad at math after all!”

Conclusion

“Atomic Habits” was a life changing book for me. It is the book that started everything. In other words, for my spider-man/tiktok fellas out there, this book is considered my canon event. I highly recommend it to you and I hope it impacts you just as much.