Have you ever looked at successful people and wondered what it took them to get where they are now?
This is probably one of the most often asked questions in life:What is the secret to ultimate success and happiness?
Some people might argue that the answer to this question is quite existential and definitely more complicated than a list of step-by-step procedures or tips that people can follow.
But then, a book was able to challenge that argument and made me realize that the answer to that question is actually simple.
As a matter of fact, the answer is just two words—ATOMIC HABITS.
A New Take in Improving Our Habits
There’s a popular saying that if we want to achieve a nurturing and wonderful lifestyle, we must first observe and strengthen our habits. We’ve proven this a lot of times in our lives. Our daily habits have really huge consequences for the rest of our lives. We may not see them now, but someday we definitely will. That is why, if you think you are practicing unhealthy habits lately you must really work on changing them into good ones so you can live a full, balanced, and happy life.
However, we all know that this is easier said than done. Sometimes, even if we break down our lifestyle into habits, changing them may still seem too overwhelming for us. James Clear, the author of the book Atomic Habits, understands this too well. As a matter of fact, he gave a new and entirely different take on how we can improve our habits for our own benefit.
In his book Atomic Habits, James reveals to his readers what we’ve been doing wrong all our lives, based on scientific theories and backed up with his personal experiences, as well.
More often than not, people have been obsessed looking at the bigger picture and this the reason why we cannot recognize our growth and how much we’ve learned during the process. Oftentimes, we overlook the small things and think that they are unnecessary. James encourages us to look into our “atomic habits”—this refers to our routine or behavior that we automatically perform regularly because the transformation that we’re aiming for is embedded into these habits.
The Value of Small Yet Consistent Steps
Examining our atomic habits will enable us to see our progress and teach us to appreciate our small victories every day. After all, these everyday victories aren’t really small, for when we do them consistently, they result in more permanent impacts in our lives. For example, our tiny habit of drinking adequate water daily will make our bodies cleaner and healthier in the long run. Another example—our habit of meditating first or writing our to-do list first before looking at our phones when we wake up will make us more productive and focused during the day. Being productive and focused at work will then help us reach important milestones and achievement in our career or business. Atomic habits take value on small yet consistent actions and progress rather than one-time radical ones that overwhelm us rather than inspire us.
The strategy of focusing on his micro habits made it possible for James to reach his potential through time even after a huge accident that happened in his childhood. He consistently reminded in his book that change does not happen overnight. It can, though, for some people but for most of us, the change we want may take a relatively long time. And that’s okay.
Keep Going
James also reminded in his book that setbacks and failures along the way are normal, valid, and vital parts of the process. Even in the face of failure, we must still be consistent and faithful to our habits because in the end, quality habits will yield quality results no matter how long it took you to achieve them.
The bottom line is, don’t be afraid to start small. Rushing your progress won’t take you any further than half-cooked success. Always remember that great things take time and patience, and habit formation may be a long process but it surely is worth every bit of the journey.
For James, it took a life-changing accident for him to finally take over his habits, and eventually, his life. What about you? What will make you decide to take even the smallest step today?
Who knows, you maybe actually be one decision away from the life that you really, really want.
To learn more about the inspiring story of James Clear and the lessons and other realizations he shared, we encourage you to grab your own copy of Atomic Habits to experience it first hand.