Atomic Habits
Short 6 of 9
Want to create a new habit? Make it as simple as you can to start.
Creating a habit that brings joy is a guaranteed method to ensure it becomes a part of your routine. Another effective strategy to integrate habits into your life is by simplifying them.
Simple actions often become the cornerstone of our daily routines. Activities like browsing through social media or eating a bag of chips are effortless and thus, frequently indulged in. Conversely, tasks like performing a hundred push-ups or learning Mandarin Chinese are demanding and require significant effort. This is why we typically don't gravitate towards rigorous workouts or language studies during our leisure time.
By minimizing the complexity of the behaviors we wish to adopt, we increase the likelihood of them transforming into habits. Fortunately, there are several methods to facilitate this process.
The initial approach involves decreasing resistance. Here's an example to illustrate this concept.
James Clear has always struggled with sending greeting cards. His wife, however, consistently remembers to send cards for every occasion. The reason behind her success is straightforward. She maintains a box of cards at home, organized by event type. This small measure of preparation simplifies the task of sending cards for celebrations or sympathies. She doesn't need to rush out to purchase a card when someone gets married or starts a new job, thereby reducing the obstacles associated with sending a card.
Resistance works both ways. You can lessen resistance to foster a beneficial habit, but you can also increase resistance to eliminate a detrimental habit.
For instance, if you aim to spend less time watching TV, disconnect the TV and remove the batteries from the remote. This added resistance ensures that you only watch TV when you truly desire to do so.
This brings us to the concept of resistance. The next technique for making a habit more manageable in the long run is known as the two-minute rule. This method helps to make any new activity seem achievable. The rule suggests that any behavior can be condensed into a habit that can be completed within two minutes. Therefore, if you aspire to read more, don't pledge to read a book every week. Instead, establish a habit of reading two pages each night.
Alternatively, if your goal is to run a marathon, commit to merely putting on your running attire every day after work.
The two-minute rule is a tool to develop easily attainable habits—small achievements that can pave the way to greater accomplishments. Once you've donned your running shoes, you're likely to go for a run. Once you've read two pages, you'll probably continue reading. The act of starting is the most crucial step towards accomplishing any task.
Simple actions often become the cornerstone of our daily routines. Activities like browsing through social media or eating a bag of chips are effortless and thus, frequently indulged in. Conversely, tasks like performing a hundred push-ups or learning Mandarin Chinese are demanding and require significant effort. This is why we typically don't gravitate towards rigorous workouts or language studies during our leisure time.
By minimizing the complexity of the behaviors we wish to adopt, we increase the likelihood of them transforming into habits. Fortunately, there are several methods to facilitate this process.
The initial approach involves decreasing resistance. Here's an example to illustrate this concept.
James Clear has always struggled with sending greeting cards. His wife, however, consistently remembers to send cards for every occasion. The reason behind her success is straightforward. She maintains a box of cards at home, organized by event type. This small measure of preparation simplifies the task of sending cards for celebrations or sympathies. She doesn't need to rush out to purchase a card when someone gets married or starts a new job, thereby reducing the obstacles associated with sending a card.
Resistance works both ways. You can lessen resistance to foster a beneficial habit, but you can also increase resistance to eliminate a detrimental habit.
For instance, if you aim to spend less time watching TV, disconnect the TV and remove the batteries from the remote. This added resistance ensures that you only watch TV when you truly desire to do so.
This brings us to the concept of resistance. The next technique for making a habit more manageable in the long run is known as the two-minute rule. This method helps to make any new activity seem achievable. The rule suggests that any behavior can be condensed into a habit that can be completed within two minutes. Therefore, if you aspire to read more, don't pledge to read a book every week. Instead, establish a habit of reading two pages each night.
Alternatively, if your goal is to run a marathon, commit to merely putting on your running attire every day after work.
The two-minute rule is a tool to develop easily attainable habits—small achievements that can pave the way to greater accomplishments. Once you've donned your running shoes, you're likely to go for a run. Once you've read two pages, you'll probably continue reading. The act of starting is the most crucial step towards accomplishing any task.
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Atomic Habits
James Clear