habits: why 1% daily improvement will change the quality of your life
your ability to achieve success (on your terms) has a large correlation with your habits. while this may not sound exciting, it’s the little choices you make every day that add up. incremental improvements (or declines) in your habits compound.
since i get a front-row seat at the power of intentional habit formation and continuity with my clients (and myself), i’m dedicating today’s email to helping you create habits that truly move the needle for you.
much like muscle or weight gain or loss, you won’t notice it as it’s happening, but you’ll notice the impact and accumulation over time.
and one of the most powerful ways to have the lasting change you desire is not to focus on the goal itself, but on the way that goal’s achievement will impact who you want to become (aka: visualizing your future identity).
“every action is a vote for the type of person you wish to become,” explains james clear in his book atomic habits. i highly suggest you read it.
before you do (or as a refresher if you have already), here are some keys to creating effortless habits that will help you in becoming the person whom you hope to be:
a willingness to be an ongoing work in progress, and not to hold too tightly to any stage of your development.
once you see the results of a habit, the real payoff is that you can see yourself as the person who does that thing (example: you’re no longer someone who wants to be a runner, you are a runner).
habits stick when they become automatic.
they become automatic when they take as little energy and effort as possible.
to do that, you should work to make the action obvious, attractive, easy and satisfying.
time and location are common cues to make a behavior change obvious. a great framework for this is: “i will (behavior) at (time) in (location)”.
habit stacking is another great way to make it obvious. “after i (current habit), i will (new habit).”
make cues for good habits obvious (example: leave your running shoes and outfit next to your bed before you sleep if you want to work out first thing in the morning).
gradually, your context becomes the cue to do the habit.
new environments help prompt new habits because you don’t have to fight old cues.
make temptation invisible (example: don’t want to watch tv before bed? remove the tv from your bedroom.)
a great way to break a bad habit is to reduce your exposure to the cue that causes it.
self-control isn’t a great long-term strategy. you only have a limited supply.
when you anticipate the reward from doing the thing, not the fulfillment of the thing, that creates action.
pair an action you want to do with an action you need to do (example: binge-watch a show while walking on the treadmill).
remember that we tend to imitate the habits of our social groups (friends/family, our culture, and those with status and prestige), so, join a culture where your desired behaviors are the norm.
habits are attractive when associated with positive feelings, and unattractive when associated with negative ones. doing something you enjoy immediately before you do something difficult will help.
it’s more important to do something, if even for a short bit, then to focus on doing it for a long amount of time. aka small wins and consistency matter a lot.
humans gravitate naturally to the thing that takes the least effort so, create an environment where doing the right thing is as easy as possible. increase the friction for doing something you consider a bad habit and reduce the friction for good ones.
just start. once you start, the next steps are easy. so make the goal the starting, not the completion or the quality of the outcome.
progress feels good, so consider tracking it and focusing on not breaking your streak (particularly if you’re competitive).
never miss twice, as then you begin to set into motion a new (bad) habit.
consider getting an accountability partner or to make there be a punishment or cost to your inaction or bad habit repetition.
once a habit is installed, beware of boredom or monotony that might upend it. it’s important to reflect on and review what becomes habitual or else errors will seep into mindless habits.
beware of attaching your identity to a habit as the more you do, the harder it will be to grow beyond it.
what’s one tip that stands out to you that and how can you put it into action today?
remember: the small things add up. waiting is a vote for a habit of perfectionism and/or procrastination. it feels good to make progress and get closer to the person you know you can be.