I happened to go through a nice video by @JamesClear from some conference back in 2017. His Atomic Habits book has been a huge inspiration for me and this talk was full of golden nuggets. Here are the things I learnt from it.
- Small improvements and tiny habits repeated over time unlocks significant success.
- Be math driven. Improve 1% each day in something, you become 37x better at the end of a year. Get worse by 1% each day in something, you eventually take it to 0.
- Be math driven. Improve 1% each day in something, you become 37x better at the end of a year. Get worse by 1% each day in something, you eventually take it to 0.
- Small habits and little choices are transforming us every day.
- Habits are the compound interest of self improvement.
- Good habits make time work for you, and is your ally.
- Bad habits make time work against you, and is your enemy.
- Habits are the compound interest of self improvement.
- Good habits make time work for you, and is your ally.
- Bad habits make time work against you, and is your enemy.
There's a four step framework for building a personal habit.
1. Noticing
2. Wanting
3. Doing
4. Liking
1. Noticing
2. Wanting
3. Doing
4. Liking
- You can't perform a habit without noticing (can't drink coffee without noticing coffee on the table and picking it up).
- You need to want to do it (You need to want to pick up the coffee mug to drink the coffee).
- Doing - can't drink without sipping the coffee.
- Liking it.
- You need to want to do it (You need to want to pick up the coffee mug to drink the coffee).
- Doing - can't drink without sipping the coffee.
- Liking it.
** Implementation Intentions **
Usually people who think they lack motivation don't lack motivation, they lack clarity.
Take the decision making out by specifying how, where, when.
Give your goals a time and space to live in the world. Specify exactly when/how you'll do them.
Usually people who think they lack motivation don't lack motivation, they lack clarity.
Take the decision making out by specifying how, where, when.
Give your goals a time and space to live in the world. Specify exactly when/how you'll do them.
*Wanting*
- Physical Environment is an overlooked driver of habit.
- You eat junk food because you have access to it. You smoke because you have a cigarette in your pocket. You drink soda because you have soda in your fridge.
- Physical Environment is an overlooked driver of habit.
- You eat junk food because you have access to it. You smoke because you have a cigarette in your pocket. You drink soda because you have soda in your fridge.
Positive environment reinforces positive habits, and vice versa. Wanna play guitar? Keep it in your living room. Want to read books? Keep your book in your bed, and everytime you lay down, you read the book.
Lot of energy & will power goes into fighting against -ve environment.
Lot of energy & will power goes into fighting against -ve environment.
- Don't be a victim of your environment.
- Use your environment to set up positive triggers.
- Put more steps between you and your bad behaviors.
- Put fewer steps between you and your good behaviors.
- Use your environment to set up positive triggers.
- Put more steps between you and your bad behaviors.
- Put fewer steps between you and your good behaviors.
*Doing*
UFlorida prof gave photography assignment to students, dividing them into two groups.
Group 1: Has to take one photo, the best photo possible.
Group 2: Has to take 100 photos.
Those from group 2 had scored way better than those from group 1.
UFlorida prof gave photography assignment to students, dividing them into two groups.
Group 1: Has to take one photo, the best photo possible.
Group 2: Has to take 100 photos.
Those from group 2 had scored way better than those from group 1.
- Quantity trumps quality - initially.
- Just shut up and put in the work initially.
- The more reps you put in, the more you're likely to get that goal.
- Repetitions matter.
- Getting each rep is important, but getting started is even more important.
- Just shut up and put in the work initially.
- The more reps you put in, the more you're likely to get that goal.
- Repetitions matter.
- Getting each rep is important, but getting started is even more important.
- Get started each day, over and over again.
- If something takes only two mins, do it immediately.
- Don't think about outcome, think about the process.
- Optimize the starting line, not the finish line.
- If something takes only two mins, do it immediately.
- Don't think about outcome, think about the process.
- Optimize the starting line, not the finish line.
*Liking*
- Only reason we repeat behaviors is coz we like them.
- If we don't like, we are unlikely to follow through.
The problem is that with good habits, rewards are delayed. With bad habits, consequences are delayed, but rewards are immediate.
- Only reason we repeat behaviors is coz we like them.
- If we don't like, we are unlikely to follow through.
The problem is that with good habits, rewards are delayed. With bad habits, consequences are delayed, but rewards are immediate.
- Figure out how to bring reward to the present moment.
- Best way to change long term behavior is with short term feedback.
- Use Seinfeld strategy (build a chain of "X" on your calendar every day you execute the habit).
- Best way to change long term behavior is with short term feedback.
- Use Seinfeld strategy (build a chain of "X" on your calendar every day you execute the habit).
Ship of Theseus reference:
It was parked in dock for 25 years. Everytime a part stopped working, a new part replaced the old one. In 25 years, all the parts got renewed. Was the ship now the same ship as when it first docked?
It was parked in dock for 25 years. Everytime a part stopped working, a new part replaced the old one. In 25 years, all the parts got renewed. Was the ship now the same ship as when it first docked?
You change a small thing in you one after another, and in few years you will be a completely new person, but it would still be you. Gradually you become someone new, someone you want, building habit by habit, with repetition and consistency.
- The more evidence we have for a belief, the more likely we are to believe it.
- The actions you take provide evidence for who you are.
- Things you do once or twice fade away.
- Things you do day after day, month after month, forms the bulk of evidence for your beliefs.
- The actions you take provide evidence for who you are.
- Things you do once or twice fade away.
- Things you do day after day, month after month, forms the bulk of evidence for your beliefs.
- Every action you take, is a vote for the type of person you want to become.
- So, take action along the lines of what kind of person you want to be.
- So, take action along the lines of what kind of person you want to be.
- You don't run a marathon, you become a runner.
- You don't read a book, you become a reader.
- You don't write a book, you become a writer.
- Your Identity emerges out of the habits you have.
- You don't read a book, you become a reader.
- You don't write a book, you become a writer.
- Your Identity emerges out of the habits you have.
