Rest assured that I won’t be recommending anything that isn’t worth your time. I am not a fan of an app for app’s sake, they really need to deliver tangible value to earn their place on my home screen/desktop.

Or perhaps more encouragingly, from little things big things grow. As they say, you have to start somewhere. The point is to master the habit of showing up. To run a marathon, start by putting on your running shoes. This brings us to the two-minute rule: when you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do. While small in themselves, the difference between a good or bad day is often a few productive and healthy choices made at decisive moments. A fork in the road when you decide between staying awake at 6am or going back to bed, cooking or ordering food for dinner. In other words, just show up and get those runs on the board.Īnd when it comes to showing up, which, by the way, helps to strengthen the new identity you are building, it all comes down to a crucial decisive moment.

You may have heard that it takes 21 or 30 days to build a habit but Clear shatters that notion, explaining that the real question is not how long does it take to build a new habit, but how many does it take - that is how many repetitions are required to make a habit automatic? It’s the frequency that makes the difference. Based on the fact that it’s hard to change your habits if you never change your underlying beliefs - the more pride you have in a particular aspect of your identity, the more motivated you’ll be to maintain the habits associated with it.īuilding on this, another revelation for me was that there is no magic number until a habit becomes ingrained. Identity-based habits are the deepest level of behavioural change, concerned with your beliefs, self-image and judgements about yourself and others. Instead, I’ll share three key takeaways that have changed my thinking on habits.Ĭlear uncovers that one of the key components to forming a habit is to switch the focus from what you want to achieve, to who you wish to become. It would be impossible to try and summarise Atomic Habits in a few short paragraphs, which is why I won’t attempt it. Opening with the powerful story about Clear’s horrific accident in high school and how he used habits to rebuild his life, he is a walking example of his work. When it comes to habits, Atomic Habits is usually mentioned in the same sentence. It was not until I picked it up in Daunt Books and began to read the introduction that I knew I couldn’t put it down. James Clear’s bestselling book has been on my reading list for years. To our core selves, inherent strength and power…perhaps the right next step is waiting for you in this month’s Future You… Essentially, it all boils down to getting those runs on the board and votes of confidence for the identity you want to embody. I’ve always taken solace in breaking things down to the right next step or the fact that I just have to show up and do my best. An acronym I like to remind myself when times get tough, JKSU goes hand in hand with taking the next right step when things feel overwhelming. The good news is one of the best ways to do this is to just keep showing up. It’s a vicious cycle that leads us into the trap of focusing more on seeking approval from others than behaviours that are consistent with our beliefs and values.īy getting back in touch with who we are at our core - our inherent strength and power - it is much easier to make changes and stop limiting ourselves. The outermost layer is who we pretend to be - the bravado and facade we put up to mask the self-doubt and fear. Over time this inner strength can become hidden beneath a layer of fear, anxiety and doubt as well as years of habitual behaviours. At the centre is who we are, our values, heart and soul. There’s a great diagram from one of my all-time favourite books, Your Best Year Yet, which demonstrates the different ‘layers’ we have. Having finally read James Clear’s Atomic Habits, I realised how easy it can be to lose sight of who you are at the core of your being. In October I focused on the concept of identity. No not Shady, Future You the trifecta (3rd) edition.

Atomic habits by james clear download