Atomic Habits
Takeaway:
Small changes, micro goals, and mini-steps can lead to huge results! Improving in one area by 1% each day adds up, doing this along with a few tricks and tips along the way will help you to actually accomplish your goals with stunning results.
Guiding Questions:
Are your goals big or a series of smaller ones?
Are stopping bad habits and starting new ones the same?
How can micro-habits make me a better person?
How can I influence others with habits?
Summary:
We often look up to people and wonder how they got to where they did. To us, we only see the destination, the end result. Rarely do we actually see the journey and the effort needed to reach that destination. It is natural for us to see things this way, but it is all of the micro-decisions along the journey that leads someone to one destination or another.
A major shift in terms of habit forming is thinking less about goals, which can seem distant and unattainable, and more about the people who you want to be like. Want to eat healthier? When you are tempted to order fries or dessert, ask yourself, “Is this something that someone healthy would eat?” Want to increase productivity at work? Ask yourself, “Would someone who gets things done take a break to scroll social media while working on an assignment or project?” Seeing your situation through the eyes of someone you admire can help you to frame the decisions you make, prevent indulgence, or the creation of bad habits.
Generally, there are two types of habit goals - ending bad habits or forming good habits. Each one requires different actions, but a similar objective - a better you. Ending bad habits can be done by replacing them with good habits. Be sure to eliminate as many bad habit triggers as possible and be mindful of substituting your responses when you feel the itch coming.
Forming good habits happen by setting small goals is a great way forward. Be intentional about what you want to change or add and find ways to be motivated to keep the habit alive. Personally, I use an app called Streaks. It allows me to track how many days in a row I keep a habit. My habits are to write one paragraph, read the Bible, and journal every day. At present I have done so for about 75 days in a row.
So what is the end goal? To be intentional about your own desired outcomes and dedicated to the small steps necessary to achieve them. Whether you wish to write a book, get a promotion, lose weight, or spend more time with your family, it is the sum of many small decisions and habits that lead to the big results. Atomic Habits provides the framework to make these micro decisions into desirable outcomes.
Leadership Thoughts:
Establishing clear goals and direction is important not only for yourself, but also for your teams. Helping your people learn the skills, behaviors, and mindsets to be able to flourish and be successful is important. Carefully think through on your own and with your team about which habits will allow for the most growth and to become highly successful.