This week's book: "Atomic Habits" by James Clear.
"Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior."
James Clear
What if building a good habit had less to do with willpower and more to do with simply setting yourself up to win?
That's one of my biggest takeaways from the first half of this week's book. We tend to treat habits as a test of character, if I just wanted it badly enough, I'd do it. Clear says that's mostly wrong, and honestly, it's great wisdom. Your environment does a lot more work than your willpower ever will.
He builds it on four laws. Here are the first two.
Make it obvious. Your environment quietly decides what you do next, so put the cues for good habits right in front of you. Want to work out in the morning? Set your clothes out the night before, where you'll see them the second your feet hit the floor. Want to read more? Put the book on your pillow and go to bed earlier. Want to eat better? Keep the good food visible on the kitchen counter and the junk out of sight, or don’t buy it at all. That way, you're not fighting temptation, you're removing it.
Make it attractive. We repeat habits that feel good, so combine the habit you want with something you already enjoy. Hate the treadmill but want to get fit? Let yourself watch your favorite show only while you're using it. Give yourself something to look forward to, and the habit stops feeling like a punishment.
Here's why this matters more than it sounds. Motivation is a terrible long-term strategy, because it’s easily lost. Think about how many New Year's resolutions are forgotten by February, not because people are weak, but because they were relying on a fleeting feeling instead of a system you set up. Feelings fade. A book on your pillow doesn't.
I've seen this my whole life, especially when running the futures brokerage firm. The ones who “made it” weren't the ones with the most fire. Those folks usually faded quickly. The successful ones were the ones with the best routines, the ones who'd made the right thing the easy thing, the automatic thing: Send your emails then reward yourself with a coffee at the diner. Make your morning calls, then have lunch. Do your research, then take a break. Make some more calls, then head home. Motivation is wonderful when you have it. But a good system means you need less of it.
One thing to try today
Pick one habit you want and change one thing in your environment to make it easier. Just one. Set out the shoes. Move the book. Hide the snacks. Get the guitar out of the closet and put it on a stand where you can easily pick it up and play. Don't rely on tomorrow's willpower. Design today so the right choice is the easy one tomorrow.
What's one small change to your environment that would make a good habit easier? Hit reply, I read every one.
I'll go first: I write better early in the morning, so the night before I leave the book out and my notes open on my desk. Yes, it might be a little thing, but it means that in the morning, the path of least resistance leads straight to the desk instead of the couch.
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Talk tomorrow,
Mike
Practical wisdom for the life you're building