It just gets better and better! Imagine setting your life up in a way where you are operating without thinking and effort, and as a result - You Hit Your Goals!
That is what Atomic Habits is all about!
For those who missed our group discussion, I invite you to join our live Zoom sessions or watch the replays in our Facebook group.
This week we read pages 59-111.
Ever read or heard someone else say something with so much confidence or proof, that it helped you realize that you were on the right path all along? Many of us felt reassured to know that some of the things we were doing unknowingly, were actual processes that author James Clear talked about and even have names for!
Pointing -and-Calling
Take Pointing-and-Calling as an example. It is proven to reduce errors up to 85% and cuts accidents by 30%. Trains and Subway Systems use this method and so do pilots. It's basically saying out loud what each step is that they are doing. You may find yourself doing this before you leave the house, calling out the most essential items you don't want to forget - "I have my keys, my wallet, and my water". Pointing-and-Calling is so effective because it raises the level of awareness from a nonconscious habit to a more conscious level.
The Best Way to Start A New Habit
Habit Stacking. The best way to start a new habit is to stack the new habit immediately after an existing habit that you never forget. Ex. If you are starting a vitamin regimen, place your vitamins next to your toothbrush or coffee maker since these are two steps you never skip in the morning.
When I do X, I will immediately do Y.
After I brush my teeth, I will immediately take my vitamins.
Visual Cues are critically important to help us remember what we want to do. Make it as obvious as possible! If I need to take something to work with me tomorrow, I set it right in front of the door. Author James Clear gave the example of a man who wanted to practice guitar and did so more frequently by placing the guitar in the middle of the living room!
What new habit can you stack onto an existing one?
What visual cue can you give yourself to ensure you don't forget?
Years ago, a friend of mine shared one of her stacking habits that I adopted for myself.
When her groceries arrive, she meal preps immediately before she puts away any remaining groceries! I found it so easy to schedule my grocery delivery and then immediately after that, hold additional space in my calendar for meal prep.
The Secret to Self-Control
Do you know that 85% of the veterans returning from the Vietnam War who were addicted to Heroin stopped immediately and forever once they were removed from that environment? Your environment, activities, people, and places all serve as triggers. Makes sense why it's so much harder for addicts to stay the course when their environment stays the same. Taking a different route that doesn't allow you to pass by your favorite fast food restaurant or changing your friend group are just two ways you can remove negative triggers. The good news is, that we have the power to design a life that is full of positive triggers that cue us to remember the new and good habits we want to adopt!
Here are a few other examples that might spark some ideas of where you can remove negative triggers:
If you're wasting too much time watching television, move the TV out of the bedroom.
If you're spending too much money on electronics, quit reading reviews of the latest tech gear.
If you're playing too many video games, unplug the console and put it in a closet after each use.
If you're continually feeling like you're not enough, stop following social media accounts that trigger jealousy and envy.
Rather than making it obvious in the 1st Law of Behavior Change, we are making it invisible.
Self-control is a short-term strategy, not a long-term one. You may be able to resist temptation once or twice, but it's unlikely you can muster the willpower to override your desires every time. Instead of summoning a new dose of willpower whenever you want to do the right thing, your energy would be better spent optimizing your environment.
I'd love to hear what new habits you are stacking onto existing ones!
What are you making obvious and what are you making invisible?
It would be great if you could share in the FB group!
Assignment for next Monday pgs 113-167
Join us!
Keep Rising!
Kristy