I’ve been looking for a chance to talk about Atomic Habits since last year. And because it’s been long since I read the book, I felt I had to reread before I could talk about it. I was wrong.
I find myself living out and practicing some of the things I learnt even though I don’t exactly remember the things I read. So I too would say, “I cannot remember the books I’ve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me”. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
And this could be the reason:
Let me tell you a story. The story within which I get to share some lessons from one of my favourite reads of all time: Atomic Habits by James Clear. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing.
The story
I created a new schedule (that was like the 3rd or 4th!) late last year and when I was planning for this year, I realised if I wanted to build a habit outside of work, I shouldn't set any big goals. I would only get tired, frustrated, and give up because I missed a day or two.
So what did I do?
I decided to start small. For example, I wanted to build a habit of reading everyday. (I hear great writers read a lot across different genres. And I want to be one someday). So I had to find a way to read consistently, even if it meant reading 2 minutes everyday.
Now, my consistency varies based on the activity at hand. For this blog, consistency means once a month (because that’s all I can handle). For reading, it means 5 minutes everyday. For practicing Spanish, it means spending a couple of minutes daily to finish at least one lesson on Duolingo. And so on.
I mentioned 5 minutes daily for reading because that’s what I’m currently working with. But prior to that, I had started with 10 minutes daily reading. If I’m reading a novel, know I’ll exceed 10 minutes because I just cannot put that book down. But if it’s non-fiction, I’m literally counting the time. Like, when will I see “reading goal achieved” pop up?
Anyway, I initially left reading till I was going to bed. But I realised I was always too tired and sleepy. So I moved it into the day. During one of my breaks. Or just anytime I pause to do something other than work.
And it’s been great. It’s been working.
But as time passed, I realised the 10 minutes was actually quite a lot and I ended up not really paying attention because I was in a hurry. Just waiting for 10 minutes to come. Other things also required my attention so I couldn’t afford to have 10 minutes reading breaks - even if I’m doing it while I’m eating because it means I’ll spend more time on my breaks. I had to find a way out.
So I decided to reduce my reading time. Honestly, when I was making that decision, I didn’t even remember James Clear said something about starting small to build a habit.
But when I was writing this post, I remembered I learnt something like that from Atomic Habits. I couldn’t even remember the exact words. Thankfully, James and I were in sync at the time of editing this section so he shared it in his 3-2-1 Newsletter on Thursday, 6th June 2024:
“If you're having trouble sticking to a new habit, try a smaller version until it becomes automatic. Do less than you're capable of, but do it more consistently than you have before.” — James Clear
In the book, he showed how to stop procrastinating by using the Two-Minutes Rule, which states, “When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do”.
According to James Clear,
“The point is not to do one thing. The point is to master the habit of showing up. The truth is, a habit must be established before it can be improved. If you can’t learn the basic skill of showing up, then you have little hope of mastering the finer details.”
So that’s how I reduced my daily reading time from 10 minutes to 5. And I’ve stuck with that.
It hasn't been all rosy. At the time I was doing 10 minutes readings, I wasn’t doing it everyday. I missed some days. Sometimes I got back after 3 days because I was heartbroken over my dead streak. But I always returned. Even for the 5 mins, I’ve missed some days. Life happens.
But things are better now. Thanks to the Atomic Habits app - Atoms. by James Clear. The app reminds me of the reason I set a reading goal. It tells me I missed once and should not miss twice. It tells me I could read again today to save my streak. If I forgot to log a read the previous day, I’m able to log it the next day.
So because of Atoms, I only try to miss reading one day and then go back the next day so I can keep going. I haven’t missed twice to see what’ll happen in the app :)
“The first mistake is never the one that ruins you. It is the spiral of repeated mistakes that follows. Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit.” — James Clear
Why am I sharing this with you?
I’ve always wanted to talk about Atomic Habits and the farthest I’ve gone is talk about the book on my Instagram story (screenshots below - click to expand), and sometimes on WhatsApp.
But I needed to make a post and I didn’t think just sharing quotes would work. I had to talk about how the book influenced me. Also I prefer experiencing things before writing about them. That’s why I still have a lot of posts in drafts because I’m waiting for things to happen to confirm what I’ve said 🤣
On a more serious note.
I think if you’re trying to build a habit (and it’s proving difficult), then your best bet will be to start small. No matter how small.
James Clear says to “build a system for getting 1% better every day” because…
“If you get one percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done. Conversely, if you get 1 percent worse each day for one year, you’ll decline nearly down zero”.
Look at me now. It’s because of the 10 mins and 5 mins readings that I’ve been able to complete 5 books this year already. I’m 46% into my 6th read and 13% into my 7th book (at the time of writing this).
Remember
“All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision”. — James Clear
“An atomic habit is a little habit that is part of a larger system. Just as Atoms. are building blocks of molecules, atomic habits are the building blocks of remarkable results”. — James Clear
"Tiny changes, remarkable results". — James Clear
Notes
I have merely scratched the surface of Atomic Habits by sharing bits that are relevant to this article. I’ll recommend you read the book to learn more. 😌 Or read this short article by James Clear on How to Build a New Habit
If you decide to get the Atoms app, note: The free plan of Atoms only allows you to track one habit at a time. So even though you’ll get the chance to add about 2-3 habits on the free trial when you download the app, once you’re downgraded, you can only track one (that’s why my “Pray” habit is locked as shown below). So if you intend to use the free plan, remember to add the habit you want to track after the trial ends first. Unless you want to upgrade.
Until next month.
Love,
D.
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