Atomic Habits

We're all keen to make positive changes in our lives, and setting and achieving goals needn't be a massive challenge. In fact, it all begins with building tiny but intentional habits.

You've likely heard of James Clear's book, 'Atomic Habits,' which provides practical guidelines for creating habits and getting 1% better every day. I've previously read the book myself, so it was pretty special to hear from the author himself during his talk in Sydney.

Anyone who has created a business and sold 15 million books is worth listening to, and James Clear did not disappoint.

I'm also excited to build on Clear's principles at my live event, the Habits Virtual Masterclass, later this month. Participants will discover how to reframe their daily routines to spark impactful change. We'll also learn how to define our 'Ideal Day' so we can continue our journeys towards better wellbeing.

If you can't make the masterclass, then read on to find a summary of Clear's tips for forming habits with small but effective changes.

How to form habits: Starting small to create impactful change

Something Clear shared in his masterclass really stuck with me: 'If you're struggling to improve, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system.'

We're all capable of shaping ourselves and our habits. But rather than diving in and wishing for massive changes overnight, we need to slow down and shape the system within which we will make those changes.

Creating real change will be much easier when we start small and build habits within a great system.

Seven tips for building impactful habits:

1. Start small.

Did you know that making a 1% daily improvement can help you get to gold?

James kicked off his talk with the same inspiring story that opens his book: a summary of the unique strategy that British cyclists used to get Olympic gold.

When they started, they were considered a mediocre team. However, the team's performance director, Sir David Brailsford, believed in 'the aggregation of marginal gains.' Essentially, Brailsford decided to make a 1% improvement in everything the cycling team did, from creating 1% better tires and seats to the best pillows for optimal sleep and tools for exercise recovery. They even got a lesson on the best way to wash their hands!

And, sure enough, within three years, they'd won the Tour de France and later won 70% of the gold medals available at the London Olympics.

When considering your own goals, you don't need to make a radical change to go from zero to gold medalist. Instead, take David Brailsford's strategy and start by considering how to get just 1% better.

2. How you start your day matters.

'There is a moment that determines the rest of my day. When I start the day, do I a) Read the sports page or b) Start writing?

Either I open Google Docs and start writing the next thing I'm going to work on, or I read the latest sports news. And what happens in the first hour is basically determined by what happens in the first 30 seconds.'

When Clear is having a good day, he focuses on the one or two things that will help move him along.

When imagining your best day, ask yourself the following:

1. What am I spending my time on? How am I directing my attention? Consider the one or two things that you will part of your best days.

2. What is the entry point for doing those one or two things? What is the equivalent of 'changing into your workout clothes' for those activities? What can you have in place to help you easily master that first movement, to make it as automatic and habitual as possible?

3. Shape your environment.

You already know that shaping your physical environment can help lead to better productivity and wellbeing - such as keeping your desk free of clutter and filling your fridge with nutritious offerings rather than unhealthy snacks.

However, your social environment is vital, too. Clear reminded us, 'I have never seen a person consistently stick to a positive habit in a negative environment.'

When you shape your environment to your desires, you're in a much better position to build better habits: you have a tailwind rather than a headwind to help propel you forward.

Read more: How to grow your social capital and the benefits of building community.

4. Habits are easier to achieve when they're grounded in belief.

How would you finish the sentence, 'I am the sort of person who…'?

Having the right mindset about who you are can make a world of difference; every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. For example, the goal is not to read a book; the goal is to become a reader.

Go back and finish the sentence, 'I am the sort of person who…' and finish it as the type of person you wish to become.

5. Just show up.

Once you're clear on the person you want to be, just showing up will help reinforce that you ARE that person. It's not about how much you achieve on any given day; it's just about showing up - however briefly - and being that person every day.

Clear uses the analogy, 'The heaviest weight in the gym is the front door.'

The tricky part is to stop procrastinating and get started! James likes to use the 'two-minute rule': take whatever habit you are trying to build and break it down into a task that takes two minutes or less.

When it comes to goals, focus on consistency rather than intensity. For example, set a goal to write for 10 minutes daily, every day, vs. writing a book. If you dream of running a marathon, set a goal to run for 10 minutes daily instead of running a marathon. These small actions shape your identity.

'One sentence may not finish the novel, but it does cast a vote for "I'm a writer." Sending positive feedback or praise to someone on your team doesn't make you the world's best leader, but it does cast a vote for "I'm the kind of leader who cares about their team members."

Individually, these are small actions. But collectively, you keep making votes and start to build up a body of evidence. You begin to have proof that you're that kind of person.'

6. Track your progress or have a reflective practice.

Clear's story about the British cycling team shows that excellence is not about radical change but small shifts.

However, making these increments shifts means that change is not noticeable initially - it has a cumulative effect over time. So don't worry too much about your current position - the current trajectory towards your goals is more important. 'If you're on a good trajectory, all you need is time.'

Just ask yourself, are you 1% better or 1% worse off than the day before?

However, feeling like we have nothing to show for our healthy habits can make it harder to stick to them.

Clear says his parents like to swim. 'But the problem is their body looks exactly the same when they get out of the water as when they jump in.' If you need some physical evidence to show that your workout or habit is worth it, there's not going to be anything there.

For this reason, using a habit tracker can be motivating. Just put a little X down in your diary and count how many workouts you did each month. You can compare your progress to the month before. When you see longer streaks or longer workout sessions, it's an excellent motivator to keep moving forward. 

7. Use these four steps when building new habits.

The four stages of habit change:

1. CUE: The trigger that tells your brain to initiate a habit - make the cue obvious.

2. CRAVING: The craving compels you to act, making your habit attractive.

3. RESPONSE: Performing the habit should be easy.

4. REWARD: Give yourself a reward that satisfies your craving - you're more likely to achieve your habit when it's satisfying.

When forming your habits, make sure they flow through each of these four steps. Ask yourself: How can I make this behaviour more obvious? How can I make it more attractive? How can I make it easier? How can I make it more satisfying?

Summary: Forming Habits with James Clear

Making tiny, 1% changes in our everyday lives can make a huge difference in our lives over time.

As Clear reflected, 'Life does not reward intelligence; it rewards actions. Courage is in short supply, but you need the courage to get started.'

With this in mind, what small habit can you do in the next 24 hours that aligns with the person you want to become? Once you've enacted this habit, you're already on a better trajectory to where you want to be.

If you'd like to read more of Clear's tips, I'd really recommend reading his fantastic book: 'Atomic Habits,' where he outlines multiple different strategies for building habits.

As Clear said at the talk, 'I really don't think there's one way to build better habits. There are many ways, and my job is to lay all the tools on the table and give you a broad tool belt to work with.'

To hear more from James Clear and me, join our live virtual masterclass at the Growth Faculty on 26th September. During the interactive event, you'll learn how to build a blueprint for your 'ideal day' and tools to sustain your wellbeing journey in the years to come.

Learn more: Live Virtual Masterclass: 7 Habits to Build Your Ideal Day.