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Atomic Habits: Small Changes That Can Completely Change Your Life · The Growth Mindset Book Podcast: Ideas That Change the Way You Think

• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Have you ever noticed how easy it is to get excited about making a change in your life, and how difficult it can be to keep that excitement going?
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you've decided you're finally going to get in shape.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: You're going to start exercising, eating better, getting up earlier, and taking better care of yourself.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: And when you make that decision, you feel wonderful, you're motivated, you're excited.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: You can almost picture the person you're going to become.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: But then a few days go by, maybe a week or two, and life starts getting in the way.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: You're tired one morning, something unexpected comes up at work, you don't feel like exercising.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: And before you know it, you're right back to doing the things you've always done.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: Have you ever experienced that?
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: I think most of us have.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: And I want to talk about something today that I believe can help us understand why that happens and more importantly, what we can do differently.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: The book I want to share with you today is called Atomic Habits, written by James Clear.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: And I really enjoy the way he approaches personal change, because he takes something that can seem overwhelming and makes it feel much more manageable.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: Instead of telling us that we need to completely transform our lives, he shows us how the little things we do every day can gradually shape the person we become.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: And when you really think about it, isn't that how so much of life works?
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: We don't usually wake up one morning and discover that everything has changed overnight.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: Most of the meaningful changes in our lives happen gradually through decisions and actions that may not seem particularly important at the time.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: But when we keep making those decisions, day after day, they begin adding up.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I want you to think about something.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: If you wanted to improve your life, where would you begin?
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you'd set a big goal.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: You'd decide you want to lose 20 pounds, earn more money, improve a relationship, become more confident, or finally write that book you've been thinking about.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: And there's nothing wrong with setting goals.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: I love goals.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: I think having something meaningful to work toward can be incredibly motivating.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: But James Clear makes a distinction that I think is worth understanding.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: He talks about the difference between the results we want and the systems we follow to get those results.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: And that matters because you can have a wonderful goal, something you genuinely want.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: But if the things you're doing every day don't support that goal, you're probably going to have a difficult time reaching it.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine two people who both want to become healthier.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: They both have the same goal.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: They both want to feel better, have more energy, and get into better shape.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: One person spends a lot of time thinking about the result.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: They imagine what they'll look like, how much weight they'll lose, and how wonderful they're going to feel.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: But they don't really change what they do each day.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: The other person takes a different approach.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: They begin walking for 10 minutes every morning.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: They start keeping healthier food in the house.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: They go to bed a little earlier.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: Nothing dramatic, nothing that would impress anybody, but they keep doing those things.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: And over time, those little choices begin making a difference.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: Now, which person do you think is more likely to make lasting progress?
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: The one who's thinking about the goal or the one who's building a daily routine that supports it?
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: And this is something I think we can all learn from.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes we become so focused on the destination that we overlook the importance of what we're doing today.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: We tell ourselves we'll be happy when we reach a certain income, when we lose the weight, when we get the promotion, or when we accomplish whatever it is we're working toward.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: But what if we began putting more attention on the little things we're doing right now?
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: Because those little things are what eventually create the bigger results.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: And I think there's something very encouraging about that.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: You may not be able to accomplish your entire goal today, but you can almost always do something today that moves you a little closer to it.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_00: One of the ideas James Clear talks about is becoming just 1% better.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: And I love the simplicity of that.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: Because when you hear somebody say you need to completely change your life, that can feel like an enormous responsibility.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: But when somebody asks you to make one small improvement, well, that feels a whole lot more reasonable, doesn't it?
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you read five pages of a book instead of spending another 15 minutes scrolling through your phone.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you take a short walk after dinner.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you spend 10 minutes organizing your day before you begin working.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe you take a few minutes to tell somebody you appreciate them.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: None of those things is going to completely transform your life in one afternoon.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: But what happens if you keep doing them?
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I want to be careful with something here.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: When we talk about getting 1% better, I don't want you to think that life works like a bank account where every tiny improvement automatically earns a guaranteed return.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: Real life isn't that predictable.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes we make progress quickly, and sometimes it feels like we're standing still.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes we do everything right and still encounter setbacks.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: But I do believe that small, repeated actions can create meaningful changes over time.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's a much more useful way to approach personal growth than expecting ourselves to become completely different people overnight.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: Think about brushing your teeth.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: You don't brush your teeth once and expect to have healthy teeth for the rest of your life.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: You do it regularly.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: And most of the time, you don't even think about it.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: It's simply something you do.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need a motivational speech every morning to convince yourself that brushing your teeth is a good idea.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_00: You've done it so many times that it's become part of your routine.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: Now, imagine if some of the other things you wanted to accomplish in your life could become that natural.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine if exercising, reading, planning your day, expressing gratitude, or following through on important commitments became things you did almost automatically, rather than things you had to convince yourself to do every time.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: And that's really what makes habits so powerful.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: When we repeat a behavior often enough in a consistent setting, it can begin to feel more automatic.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: We don't have to make a brand new decision every single time.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: And that frees us to put our attention on other things.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: But the same process that helps us build wonderful habits can also work against us.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: Because we can become just as comfortable with habits that aren't helping us.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe we automatically reach for our phone whenever we have a free moment.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe we put off difficult conversations.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe we turn on the television every evening without even thinking about whether there's something else we'd rather be doing.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: And after a while, those things become so familiar that we barely notice we're doing them.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: Have you ever picked up your phone to check one thing and 20 minutes later you realized you were looking at something completely different?
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: You weren't planning to spend 20 minutes doing that.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: You probably didn't even make a conscious decision to do it.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: One thing led to another, and suddenly the time was gone.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: Well, that's a good example of how easily our behavior can be influenced by the habits we've developed and the things around us.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: And I think understanding that gives us an opportunity to become a little more intentional about what we do.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_00: Now, there's a part of atomic habits that I especially like because it connects beautifully with the work we've been discussing on this podcast about self-image and the beliefs we hold about ourselves.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_00: James Clear talks about identity-based habits.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: And the basic idea is that instead of focusing only on what you want to accomplish, you begin thinking about the kind of person you want to become.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: Because there's a difference between saying, I want to run a marathon, and beginning to see yourself as somebody who takes care of their health and enjoys being active.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: There's a difference between saying, I want to write a book, and beginning to think of yourself as somebody who writes regularly.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: And there's a difference between saying, I want to be more generous, and seeing yourself as somebody who naturally looks for opportunities to help other people.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: Let me give you an example.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine somebody who's always saying, I'm terrible at exercising.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: I've never been the kind of person who sticks with it.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: Now, every time they think about working out, they're having to overcome not only the effort involved in exercising, but also this idea they've developed about themselves.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: They don't see themselves as somebody who exercises.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: They see themselves as somebody who's always trying to become that person and never quite getting there.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: But what if they began making a small change?
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: What if they started walking for five minutes every morning?
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: And instead of thinking, I'm somebody who's terrible at exercising, they began thinking, I'm becoming somebody who takes care of my health.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the important part isn't simply repeating those words.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's actually doing something that supports them.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: Each time that person takes a walk, they're giving themselves a little more evidence that this new picture of themselves might be true.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: And over time, those actions can begin changing the way they think about who they are.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's such a valuable idea, because sometimes we spend so much time waiting to feel like a different person before we begin acting differently.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: But maybe we can begin with the action, even if it's small, and allow the repeated experience to help us develop a different belief about ourselves.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: And that reminds me of something we've talked about before.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_00: There's a difference between knowing what to do and actually doing it.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: You can know that exercise is good for you.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: You can know that reading is valuable.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_00: You can know that planning your day will probably make you more productive.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_00: But knowing those things doesn't automatically mean you're going to do them.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's one of the reasons this book is so useful.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: It gives us practical ways to make the things we want to do easier to begin and easier to repeat.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: James Clear organizes much of his approach around four principles for building good habits.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_00: He suggests making the habit obvious, making it attractive, making it easy, and making it satisfying.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: And I want to spend some time talking about those because I think they're incredibly practical.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need to understand anything complicated to begin using them.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_00: You can start applying them to ordinary things in your life almost immediately.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: Let's start with making a habit obvious.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine you've decided you want to begin reading every evening.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: You genuinely want to do it.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_00: You've got a wonderful book sitting somewhere in your house.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: But when you sit down at night, the television remote is right beside you, your phone is in your hand, and the book is in another room.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_00: What do you think you're most likely to do?
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_00: Probably whatever is easiest and most visible.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: But what if you put the book right on your pillow in the morning?
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: Now, when you get ready for bed, there it is.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to remember where you put it.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to go looking for it.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: You've made the behavior you want to develop a little more obvious.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_00: Or let's say you want to begin exercising in the morning.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: What if you put your walking shoes right beside your bed the night before?
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you lay out your clothes so they're ready when you wake up.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_00: Now, that doesn't guarantee you're going to exercise, but you've made the next step a little easier.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes that's all we need to help ourselves get started.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_00: Instead of relying entirely on remembering or feeling motivated, we've arranged things around us to make the behavior more likely.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: Another way to make a habit obvious is to connect it with something you're already doing.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: James Clear calls this habit stacking.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I think it's a wonderful idea because we all have things we do every day without giving them much thought.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you make coffee every morning.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you brush your teeth before bed.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you sit down at your desk at the same time each day.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: Well, what if you connected a new habit to one of those existing routines?
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_00: After you pour your morning coffee, you spend two minutes thinking about what you're grateful for.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_00: After you brush your teeth, you read a page of a book.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_00: After you sit down at your desk, you write down the most important thing you want to accomplish that day.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_00: I like that approach because you're not trying to create an entirely new routine out of thin air.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_00: You're simply attaching something useful to something you're already doing.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_00: And I think most of us could find a few opportunities like that in our lives.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe there's something you've been wanting to do consistently, but you keep forgetting about it.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_00: Instead of relying on your memory, think about something you already do every day and connect the new habit to it.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the next idea is making the habit attractive.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_00: And when I think about this, I think about how much easier it is to do something when we actually enjoy some part of the experience.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_00: Let's say you want to walk more often, but you find walking boring.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: Well, maybe you begin listening to a podcast or an audiobook that you really enjoy while you're walking.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_00: Now you're not simply going for a walk, you're also spending time doing something you look forward to.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe you want to spend more time preparing healthy meals, but you don't particularly enjoy cooking.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you put on some music you love while you're doing it.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_00: You're making the experience a little more enjoyable.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_00: And this is where I think we sometimes make personal growth harder than it needs to be.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_00: We almost seem to believe that if something is good for us, it has to be difficult or unpleasant.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_00: But why?
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_00: Why not look for ways to make the habits we want to develop more enjoyable?
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to exercise, find a form of exercise you actually like.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to read more, begin with books you're excited about.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to spend more time learning, find a way of learning that fits your personality.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to make everything feel like a punishment in order for it to be worthwhile.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the third idea is making the habit easy.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_00: And I think this may be one of the most important lessons in the entire book, especially for people who tend to set very ambitious goals.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_00: Because sometimes we make the mistake of believing that if we're going to do something, we need to do a lot of it right away.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_00: We decide we're going to exercise for an hour every morning, read 50 pages every night, completely change the way we eat, and somehow fit all of that into a life that's already pretty busy.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_00: And then when we can't keep up with everything, we become discouraged and stop.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_00: But what if you made the habit so small that it was almost impossible to talk yourself out of starting?
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_00: James Clear describes something called the two-minute rule.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_00: The idea is to take a habit you want to develop and reduce the starting version of it to something you can do in about two minutes.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_00: Instead of deciding you're going to read for an hour every evening, you begin by reading one page.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_00: Instead of committing to an enormous workout, you begin by putting on your exercise clothes and getting started.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_00: Instead of trying to meditate for 30 minutes, you begin by sitting quietly for a minute or two.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I know what you might be thinking.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_00: What's the point of reading one page?
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_00: What's the point of walking for two minutes?
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_00: How is that going to make any difference?
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_00: And I understand the question, but I think the purpose is a little different from what we might initially assume.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_00: You're not expecting one page to make you an expert or two minutes of walking to completely change your health.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_00: You're developing the habit of showing up.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_00: You're making it easier to begin.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_00: And once you begin, you may find that you naturally want to keep going.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_00: Think about how often the hardest part of doing something is simply getting started.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you've got a project you've been putting off for weeks.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_00: Every time you think about it, it feels overwhelming.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: You imagine everything that's involved, how much time it's going to take and how much work you need to do.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_00: So you put it off again.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_00: But what if you told yourself, I'm just going to work on this for five minutes?
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_00: You sit down, you open the file, and you begin.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_00: And suddenly, the project doesn't seem quite as overwhelming as it did when you were just thinking about it.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: You may end up working for half an hour.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe you really do stop after five minutes.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_00: Either way, you've begun.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_00: I think this is especially valuable when we're trying to build a new habit, because consistency can be more useful in the beginning than intensity.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_00: If you can make the behavior part of your life, you can gradually build on it.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_00: But if you make it so difficult that you dread doing it, there's a good chance you'll eventually stop.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_00: And I'd much rather see somebody do something small consistently than do something enormous for three days and then give up completely.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the fourth principle is making the habit satisfying.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_00: And this makes a lot of sense when you think about how people behave.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_00: We tend to repeat things that feel rewarding.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_00: If something makes us feel good immediately, we're often more interested in doing it again.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_00: The challenge is that many of the habits we want to develop have benefits that take time to appear.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_00: You don't necessarily see a big difference after one workout.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_00: You don't become financially independent because you saved a few dollars today.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_00: And you don't become an expert because you read a few pages of a book.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_00: So how do we make those little actions feel worthwhile while we're waiting for the bigger results?
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_00: One way is to give ourselves a sense of progress.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you keep a calendar and put a mark on each day you complete your habit.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you keep a simple record of your workouts, the books you've read, or the important calls you've made.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_00: And when you look back, you can see that you've been showing up.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_00: You can see that you're doing what you said you were going to do.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_00: And I think there's something satisfying about that.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_00: But I also want to make an important point.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_00: Don't become so attached to keeping a perfect record that one missed day makes you feel like you've failed.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_00: Life happens.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_00: People get sick.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_00: We travel, unexpected things come up, and sometimes we're simply not going to do everything we plan to do.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_00: James Clear encourages people to avoid missing a habit twice in a row when possible.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_00: And I like the spirit of that, because it reminds us that missing one day doesn't mean we have to abandon everything we've been working toward.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_00: We can simply begin again.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine somebody who's been walking every morning for three weeks.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_00: They've been doing wonderfully and they're feeling good about themselves.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_00: Then one morning they oversleep and don't have time to walk.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_00: Now, what happens next?
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_00: They could tell themselves, well, I ruined my streak.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_00: I knew I couldn't stick with this.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_00: Or they could say, okay, I missed today.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_00: I'll get back to it tomorrow.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_00: Which response do you think is going to help them more?
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, it's the second one.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_00: One missed day doesn't erase the progress they've made.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I think we need to be a little more understanding with ourselves when things don't go exactly as planned.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_00: Now, we've been talking about building good habits, but James Clear also explains how we can use these ideas to help break habits that aren't serving us.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's equally important, because sometimes improving our lives isn't just about adding something new.
• 21:45
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it's about making it a little less convenient to keep doing something we want to change.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_00: Let's go back to the phone example.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_00: Suppose you find yourself spending far more time on social media than you want to.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: You could spend every day telling yourself that you need more discipline, that you should have more self-control, and that you need to stop wasting time.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_00: But what if you changed the environment instead?
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_00: What if you moved the social media apps off your home screen?
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_00: What if you kept your phone in another room while you were working?
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_00: What if you turned off some of the notifications that constantly interrupt your day?
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_00: You're not necessarily changing your personality or trying to become somebody with extraordinary willpower.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_00: You're simply making the behavior you want to reduce a little less convenient.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe you've been eating more snacks in the evening than you'd like.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_00: You could keep a bowl of your favorite snacks sitting on the kitchen counter and spend every evening trying to resist them.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_00: Or you could make a different choice about what you keep within easy reach.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_00: You could put healthier options where you'll see them and make the other choices less convenient.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_00: Again, that doesn't mean you'll never be tempted, but you've made it a little easier to do what you actually want to do.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_00: And I think this connects with something important about how we approach change.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes we're very quick to blame ourselves when we don't follow through.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_00: We tell ourselves we're lazy, undisciplined, or lacking motivation.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_00: But maybe part of the problem is that we've arranged our lives in a way that makes the habits we want difficult and the habits we don't want incredibly easy.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_00: And if that's the case, perhaps we can begin changing some of those conditions instead of constantly criticizing ourselves.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_00: Now, there's another part of the book that I think is especially meaningful, and that's the idea that progress isn't always immediately visible.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_00: James Clear uses the example of an ice cube in a room that's gradually getting warmer.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine the temperature begins below freezing and you slowly increase it one degree at a time.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_00: At first, nothing seems to happen to the ice cube.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_00: The room is getting warmer, but the ice still looks the same.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_00: Then, eventually, the temperature reaches the point where the ice begins to melt, and suddenly you can see the change.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_00: But the earlier increases in temperature weren't meaningless, were they?
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_00: They were part of what made that visible change possible.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's a wonderful way to look at some of the things we're working toward in our lives.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes we're doing the right things, but we haven't reached the point where the results are obvious yet.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're developing a skill, maybe you're building a business, maybe you're working on improving your health, and you're putting in the effort, but you don't see much happening.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_00: Now, that doesn't mean every effort will eventually produce exactly the result we want.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes we need to adjust our approach, sometimes we need to learn something new, sometimes circumstances change.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_00: But I do think it's important not to assume that something isn't working simply because we haven't seen a dramatic result yet.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_00: Progress can be gradual, and sometimes the changes happening beneath the surface become visible only after we've been consistent for a while.
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_00: Think about learning to play the piano.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine somebody sits down for their first lesson.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_00: They're struggling to find the right keys, their fingers feel awkward, they're making mistakes, and everything seems difficult.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_00: Now, imagine they practice for 10 or 15 minutes each day.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_00: After a week, they may still feel like they're not very good.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_00: After two weeks, they may still be making mistakes.
• 25:45
  SPEAKER_00: But after several months, they may be able to play something that seemed impossible when they began.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_00: And when somebody hears them play, they might say, Wow, you're so talented.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_00: But what they didn't see were all those little practice sessions when the person was simply showing up and trying to get a little better.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_00: And I think the same thing is true in so many areas of life.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_00: We often admire the result without seeing the habits that helped create it.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_00: We see somebody who's in wonderful physical condition, but we don't see the countless ordinary decisions they've made about exercise, sleep, and nutrition.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_00: We see somebody who's an excellent communicator, but we don't see the years they've spent listening, learning, practicing, and improving.
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_00: We see somebody who's written a book, but we don't see all the days they sat down and wrote when they didn't particularly feel like writing.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_00: And that makes me think about something else.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes we spend too much time looking for a breakthrough when what we really need is a routine.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_00: We want the big moment when everything changes.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_00: We want the sudden realization, the perfect opportunity, or the incredible burst of motivation that finally gets us moving.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_00: But maybe the change we're looking for begins with something much less exciting.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it begins with getting up tomorrow morning and doing one small thing that supports the person we want to become.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_00: I want to bring this into the world of work for a moment, because I think these ideas are especially valuable for people who are building businesses, developing relationships with clients, or trying to become better leaders.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine a financial advisor who wants to grow their business.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_00: They set a big production goal for the year, they're excited about it, and they can picture what achieving it would mean for themselves and their family.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_00: But what happens on an ordinary Tuesday morning when they don't feel particularly motivated?
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_00: What happens when they've had a few disappointing conversations or somebody hasn't returned their call?
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_00: Well, if their entire approach depends on feeling excited about the goal, they're probably going to have some difficult days.
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_00: But what if they've developed a habit of making a certain number of meaningful contacts each day?
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_00: What if they've developed a routine for following up with people, preparing for meetings, and asking thoughtful questions?
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_00: Now they're not relying entirely on how motivated they feel that morning.
• 28:21
  SPEAKER_00: They've created a way of working that supports the result they want.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that can make an enormous difference over time.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_00: The same thing applies to leadership.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine somebody who wants to become a better leader.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_00: They could read every leadership book available, attend seminars, and listen to wonderful speakers.
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_00: And there's value in all of that.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_00: But what if they also developed one small habit of asking the people they work with how they're doing and then genuinely listening to the answer?
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_00: What if they made a point of recognizing somebody's effort each day?
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_00: What if they spent five minutes preparing for important conversations instead of walking into them distracted?
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_00: Those are small things, but they can change the way people experience that leader.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_00: And this applies to our personal relationships too.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you want a better relationship with your spouse, your children, or somebody you care about.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_00: You could spend a lot of time thinking about what you wish were different.
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_00: But what if you began developing a few little habits that made the relationship stronger?
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you put your phone away when somebody's talking to you.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you make a point of expressing appreciation every day.
• 29:36
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you spend a few minutes asking somebody about their day and actually listening to what they have to say.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_00: Those things may seem small, but isn't that how relationships are built?
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_00: Through the little moments that happen over and over again?
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I think gratitude is a wonderful example of this.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_00: You know how important gratitude is to me.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_00: I believe there's something incredibly powerful about taking time to appreciate the gifts we already have in our lives.
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_00: But imagine somebody who listens to a podcast about gratitude, thinks it's a wonderful idea, and then never really does anything with it.
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_00: They might feel inspired for a little while, but eventually they go back to their normal routine.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_00: Now, imagine somebody who begins taking just a few minutes every morning to think about what they're genuinely grateful for.
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_00: Not simply rushing through a list, but really appreciating the people, experiences, and opportunities that are part of their life.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they do it while they're having their morning coffee.
• 30:41
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they do it before they get out of bed.
• 30:43
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they spend a few minutes at night reflecting on the good things that happen during the day.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_00: And over time, they may begin noticing more of the things they appreciate.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_00: They may become a little less focused on everything that's missing and a little more aware of everything that's already wonderful.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_00: That's a beautiful example of how a small habit can influence the way we experience our lives.
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I want to talk about something that I think can get in the way of building habits, and that's perfectionism.
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes we tell ourselves that if we can't do something exactly right, there's no point in doing it at all.
• 31:24
  SPEAKER_00: If we can't exercise for an hour, we won't exercise.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_00: If we can't read an entire chapter, we won't read.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_00: If we can't spend 30 minutes working on a project, we won't even begin.
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that kind of thinking can keep us stuck for a very long time.
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_00: What if we began giving ourselves credit for doing something instead of criticizing ourselves for not doing everything?
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_00: If you only have five minutes to walk, take the five-minute walk.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_00: If you only have time to read one page, read the page.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_00: If you only have 10 minutes to work on that project, use the 10 minutes.
• 32:04
  SPEAKER_00: You may not accomplish everything you wanted to accomplish today, but you've kept the habit alive.
• 32:10
  SPEAKER_00: You've continued being somebody who follows through on the things that matter to them.
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_00: And there's something about that which connects with our self-image.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_00: Every time we do what we said we were going to do, even in a small way, we're giving ourselves evidence that we can trust ourselves to follow through.
• 32:28
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's important because confidence isn't always something we need to wait around to feel.
• 32:34
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it grows as a result of doing the things we committed to doing.
• 32:39
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I don't want you to walk away from this conversation thinking that you need to develop 20 new habits tomorrow morning.
• 32:47
  SPEAKER_00: Please don't do that.
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, I think that would miss one of the most useful lessons in the book.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_00: If you're trying to change too many things at once, it can become overwhelming.
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_00: So I'd much rather see you choose one habit, just one, something that would genuinely improve your life if you began doing it consistently.
• 33:08
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's getting up a little earlier.
• 33:11
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's exercising.
• 33:13
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's reading.
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's making an important phone call each day.
• 33:18
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's spending more time with your family, practicing gratitude, or taking a few minutes to plan your day.
• 33:25
  SPEAKER_00: Whatever it is, choose something that matters to you, not something you think you should do simply because everybody else is doing it.
• 33:34
  SPEAKER_00: Then ask yourself a few questions.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_00: How can I make this habit more obvious?
• 33:39
  SPEAKER_00: How can I make it something I look forward to?
• 33:42
  SPEAKER_00: How can I make it easier to begin?
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_00: And how can I give myself a sense of satisfaction when I follow through?
• 33:50
  SPEAKER_00: Those questions come directly from the approach James Clear teaches, and I think they're a wonderful place to begin.
• 33:57
  SPEAKER_00: Let's say you decide you want to read more.
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_00: Well, maybe you choose a book you're genuinely excited about.
• 34:04
  SPEAKER_00: You put it beside your bed.
• 34:05
  SPEAKER_00: You decide that after you brush your teeth each evening, you're going to read one page, and you keep a little record of the days you follow through.
• 34:13
  SPEAKER_00: Now you've made the habit obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying.
• 34:19
  SPEAKER_00: And once that routine begins feeling natural, maybe you read two pages, then five.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe eventually you find yourself looking forward to that time every evening.
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe your goal is to become more physically active.
• 34:34
  SPEAKER_00: You choose a form of movement you enjoy.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_00: You put your shoes where you'll see them.
• 34:39
  SPEAKER_00: You decide to begin with a five-minute walk after lunch, and when you finish, you take a moment to appreciate the fact that you did something good for yourself.
• 34:48
  SPEAKER_00: Nothing complicated.
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_00: You're simply building a routine that supports the person you want to become.
• 34:54
  SPEAKER_00: And if you miss a day, you don't need to make it into some enormous failure.
• 35:00
  SPEAKER_00: You simply begin again.
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_00: Because this isn't about proving that you're perfect.
• 35:05
  SPEAKER_00: It's about gradually creating a way of living that supports the things you care about.
• 35:11
  SPEAKER_00: I want to share one more thought about identity, because I think it may be the part of atomic habits that stays with me the most.
• 35:20
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine looking at your life not simply as a collection of goals you're trying to accomplish, but as an opportunity to become the kind of person you genuinely want to be.
• 35:31
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you want to be somebody who takes care of their health, somebody who keeps their commitments, somebody who's generous, thoughtful, and encouraging, somebody who continues learning, somebody who makes time for the people they love.
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_00: Now, what would that person do today?
• 35:49
  SPEAKER_00: Not next year, not when everything is perfect, not when they finally have more time or more money.
• 35:57
  SPEAKER_00: Today.
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_00: Would they take a short walk?
• 36:00
  SPEAKER_00: Would they make that phone call?
• 36:02
  SPEAKER_00: Would they spend a few minutes reading?
• 36:04
  SPEAKER_00: Would they put their phone away and give somebody their full attention?
• 36:08
  SPEAKER_00: Would they take a moment to express gratitude?
• 36:11
  SPEAKER_00: And if the answer is yes, then why not begin doing that?
• 36:16
  SPEAKER_00: Because I think sometimes we imagine that becoming a different version of ourselves requires some enormous transformation.
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_00: But maybe it begins with making one small decision that's consistent with the person we want to become, and then making another and another.
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I want to connect this with something we talked about in our recent episode on being your authentic self.
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_00: I believe there's something wonderful about being comfortable with who you really are.
• 36:47
  SPEAKER_00: Not pretending to be somebody you're not, not putting on an act to impress people, just being yourself.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_00: And I think atomic habits fits beautifully with that idea, because developing better habits doesn't have to mean becoming somebody else.
• 37:04
  SPEAKER_00: It can mean becoming a healthier, more capable, more thoughtful version of the person you already are.
• 37:12
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to copy somebody else's morning routine simply because they're successful.
• 37:17
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to force yourself to develop habits that don't fit your life.
• 37:22
  SPEAKER_00: You can learn from the principles in this book and then find ways to apply them that make sense for you.
• 37:28
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you love getting up early.
• 37:30
  SPEAKER_00: Wonderful.
• 37:31
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe your best time to exercise is in the evening.
• 37:34
  SPEAKER_00: That's fine too.
• 37:35
  SPEAKER_00: The goal isn't to create a life that looks impressive to other people.
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_00: It's to develop habits that help you live the life you genuinely want.
• 37:45
  SPEAKER_00: And I think there's something very freeing about that.
• 37:48
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to get everything right tomorrow.
• 37:51
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to completely reinvent yourself.
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to wait for the perfect moment when you finally feel motivated enough to change.
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_00: You can begin with something small, something so manageable that it doesn't feel overwhelming.
• 38:07
  SPEAKER_00: And over time, you can build on it.
• 38:10
  SPEAKER_00: So here's what I'd love for you to do when we're finished today.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to choose one habit that would make a meaningful difference in your life.
• 38:19
  SPEAKER_00: Just one.
• 38:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I want you to make it so simple that you can begin tomorrow without having to rearrange your entire schedule.
• 38:28
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to read more, begin with one page.
• 38:32
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to exercise, begin with a few minutes.
• 38:35
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to become more grateful, take a moment each morning to genuinely appreciate something wonderful in your life.
• 38:43
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to improve a relationship, begin by giving somebody your full attention for a few minutes each day.
• 38:51
  SPEAKER_00: Then keep doing it.
• 38:53
  SPEAKER_00: And don't spend every day wondering why you haven't seen some enormous change yet.
• 38:58
  SPEAKER_00: Give yourself an opportunity to develop the routine.
• 39:02
  SPEAKER_00: Pay attention to how you're feeling, what you're learning, and how the habit is becoming part of your life.
• 39:08
  SPEAKER_00: And as it becomes easier, you can gradually build on it.
• 39:12
  SPEAKER_00: Because I believe one of the greatest things we can learn is that we don't always need to make enormous changes to begin improving our lives.
• 39:21
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes the most important thing we can do is simply become a little more intentional about what we're doing every day.
• 39:29
  SPEAKER_00: And I want to leave you with a question.
• 39:32
  SPEAKER_00: If you could look ahead one year from today and you knew that one small habit you began tomorrow would become a natural part of your life, what habit would you choose?
• 39:44
  SPEAKER_00: Think about that.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_00: What one little thing, if you did it consistently, could make your life better?
• 39:52
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you already know the answer.
• 39:54
  SPEAKER_00: And if you do, why not begin?
• 39:58
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need to wait until Monday.
• 40:00
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need to wait until the beginning of the month.
• 40:03
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need to wait until you feel more motivated or have more time.
• 40:08
  SPEAKER_00: You can begin with one small action.
• 40:12
  SPEAKER_00: And then you can do it again tomorrow.
• 40:15
  SPEAKER_00: And the next day.
• 40:16
  SPEAKER_00: And before you know it, you may begin noticing that something is changing.
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're feeling a little healthier.
• 40:24
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're getting more accomplished.
• 40:26
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're spending more meaningful time with the people you love.
• 40:30
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're becoming a little more confident because you're following through on the things you said you wanted to do.
• 40:37
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe when you look back, you'll realize that some of the most meaningful changes in your life began with things that seemed almost too small to matter.
• 40:47
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's a wonderful lesson.
• 40:50
  SPEAKER_00: Because you don't have to change everything today.
• 40:54
  SPEAKER_00: You just have to begin changing something.
• 40:57
  SPEAKER_00: And if you can make that little change part of your life, who knows where it might lead?
• 41:03
  SPEAKER_00: That's what I hope you'll take away from our conversation about atomic habits.
• 41:08
  SPEAKER_00: Not simply another collection of ideas that sound wonderful while you're listening, but something you can actually begin using in your life.
• 41:16
  SPEAKER_00: So choose one habit.
• 41:18
  SPEAKER_00: Make it simple, make it something that matters to you, and give yourself the opportunity to become a little better at it over time.
• 41:27
  SPEAKER_00: Because sometimes the biggest changes in our lives really do begin with the smallest things we do.
• 41:34
  SPEAKER_00: And wouldn't it be wonderful if one of those little things you begin tomorrow becomes something you look back on a year from now and say, I'm so glad I started doing that.