Leader Compass 49: The Power of Habit

One of my favorite books I listened to this month was Atomic Habits by James Clear. While I can't say I was blown away by new information I loved how Clear broke down some of the keys to habit creation. He also discussed the importance of and a simple "how to" break old habits. I would highly recommend the book to anyone wanting to make changes in life in any area. Below are a few of the key takeaways I had that may be of interest to you as well. Some of what Clear wrote I've either read before or have been already practicing and found his instruction as a great refinement to my current processes.

BE, Don't Just Chase
One of the things I've found to be true is to identify not just what goals you want, but to identify who you want to be. A fit person works out regularly. A smart person reads. A kind person practices empathic listening. Habits are better created when we decide not just what we want to accomplish but who we want to be. Below are a few tips on creating YOU:

1. Be Clear. Write out the type of person you want to be. Who do you want to look up to? What qualities does that person have? What habits do they possess? Clearly writing out who you want to be will help you in developing the habits that will mold you into the person you will become. 
2. Determine the Basement. Know what your lowest acceptable standard is. What is the worst you will allow for yourself in your health, your fitness, your relationships, your self talk. How bad is "bad enough" for you to change course. Unless you determine what your basement is others will determine it for you.
3. Write your Scriptures. Many people have found reading religious texts or scriptures to be very powerful at inspiring them to be their best self. Why not write your own script? How will you behave in the face of challenge and adversity? What will you do the next time you don't want to keep your personal commitments? Ultimately I believe that the scripts you write for yourself are more important than anything external you will read. We all live scripts...either the scripts others write or our own. Why not chose your own path and incorporate anything from other sources that inspire you. 
4. Read, Act, Repeat. Integrity means that you are integrated...your thoughts, actions and beliefs are aligned. Once you have written down who you want to be read it regularly, plan your actions accordingly and repeat. Over time the new you will spring forward naturally. 

Start Small
In his book James Clear talks about how you have to create a habit first before you can improve on it. He cites how a client of his committed to a habit of going to and being at the gym for 5 minutes every day. Over time he improved on this habit and spent more time in the gym. Little by little his habit compounded and he lost significant weight. This thought is so simple I felt stupid I hadn't thought of it before relative to some of the habits I wanted to create. I tried it out in two areas and have started to see big changes compound over time. My "2 minute habit" has now led me to a greater wealth of knowledge and skill compounded over several days and weeks.

The 2 Day Rule
One of the rules I adopted from a content creator on YouTube prior to reading the book is The 2 Day Rule. We all know that life gets in the way and sometimes we get so busy it's tough to keep even our strongest habits. The 2 Day Rule states that it's ok to miss a habit in extreme circumstances - but not for 2 days in a row. Once you've missed for 2 days in a row it's easy to get out of the habit.

I've used the 2 Day Rule for quite some time now and it works wonders. Admittedly this means that in order to keep my habits I've shown up at the gym around 11PM to get my workout in when I'm on the road so I can keep my habit going. Try it and I'm sure you'll feel the power of it too!

Conclusion
One of my all time favorite books is Carol Dewick's Mindset. In the book Dewick discusses the difference between a "fixed" and a "growth" mindset. Those who live in the space of a growth mindset are those that consistently create the life they want by managing the "atomic" or small habits of their life. Little by little those small habits compound to create the life you want. Take charge and start moving on your small habits and I'm confident you will have greater personal power 6 months from now! Be a great leader of self...create strong habits...lead on!