IDL122 Season 3: Atomic Habits
Do you have a new habit you have been meaning to create in your daily routine? Have you often wanted to change but felt daunted by the amount? What is the trick to actually building and maintaining positive change in your life that lasts, and even gets easier?
I’m excited to introduce the book of the month for the Impact Driven Leader book club, Atomic Habits. It was released 5 years ago by James Clear, and it’s easily in my top 5 leadership books of all time. If you have not read it yet, join this month’s book club and we’ll go through it together!
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
Why I picked this book - 00:27
Atomic Habits by James Clear - 02:11
Habits can be unconsciously made and then intentionally remade - 07:04
Starting small is the best way to do it - 09:52
The cornerstones of success in habit formation - 10:32
Two minutes to change your world - 21:25
Why I picked this book
While going back over the leadership books that have impacted me the most, Atomic Habits came up again.
“I did not realize how much this book impacted me until I started reading it again to share it with the Impact Driven Leader book club. ”
It is one of the greatest leadership books, and you get more and more out of it each time that you pick it up.
If you haven’t read this one before, I’m telling you now, join the Impact Driven Leader book club for the month of June because that’s when we’ll be going through it.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
“[This book] has been routinely one of the number one selling books on the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Amazon from week to week, month to month, [and] year to year, it continues to be a very impactful book. ”
In this book, James Clear shares the four laws of behavior change:
1 – Make it obvious
2 – Make it attractive
3 – Make it easy
4 – Make it satisfying
In all of the study and practice that James Clear had to do in writing this book, he places the focal point on:
- Cue
- Craving
- Response
- Reward patterns
These four aspects relate to the four laws of behavioral change and they are present in every human being on the planet. So, if you want to develop a new habit, this is the book for you.
Habits can be unconsciously made and then intentionally remade
“I was reminded so much about how impactful, life-changing events can create habits. ”
There can be moments in a person’s life that are so painful or difficult that they quickly develop habits and coping mechanisms to help them get through that tough time.
However, they can become stuck in these coping habits and lose sight of their growth, development, and higher goals.
Habits are not forever, good or bad. It’s the ones that you intentionally choose every day and stick to that become the ones that you live out in your daily life.
Starting small is the best way to do it
New research on habit formation has suggested that it can take anywhere from 21 days to 65 days for a habit to be automatic in a person, and this is going to be difficult to achieve when you take big steps that your brain decides are unnecessary or inefficient.
“These atomic habits … if you want impactful results, then make small changes.”
Your mind is constantly trying to save energy, and it usually wants to avoid doing things that feel scary, new, or daunting. So, hack your biology, and start small. Introduce a habit that you want in your best life now, in a small way, and give yourself time to adjust to it.
“See, if you commit to that process, it’s amazing what you can accomplish over time. ”
The cornerstones of success in habit formation
- Start small enough that it seems almost silly, so it doesn’t feel daunting for your mind
- Embrace the identity of the person that has this habit in their daily life
- The value of tracking your progress is to encourage yourself and celebrate small wins. James’ main advice? Never skip two days in a row. If you miss one, sure, but then commit to picking it up again tomorrow.
- Utilize habit stacking which is a culmination of all these steps so far, which makes it easier for you to do what it is that you want to do.
Two minutes to change your world
Two minutes can change a life.
Give the habit that you want to create two minutes a day. Set your timer and perform that task until the timer goes.
You’ll find that starting is often much more difficult than doing, and once you get used to starting – even for those two minutes – the doing will become easier.
Resources, books, and links mentioned in this episode:
BOOK | James Clear – Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
BOOK | Will Guidara – Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect
Mentioned episode: IDL13 SEASON 1: EARN YOUR X WITH MIKE NILSON
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About the Impact Driven Leader Podcast
The Impact Driven Leader Podcast, hosted by Tyler Dickerhoof, is for Xillennial leaders who have felt alone and ill-equipped to lead in today's world. Through inspiring interviews with authors from around the world, Tyler uncovers how unique leadership strengths can empower others to achieve so much more, with real impact.
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