Building good habits, breaking bad ones, and mastering the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. Just like Batman, remember that true strength comes from disciplined habits that shape who we become. Okay, but really though, who hasn't tried to like start a new habit and completely failed? Totally.
Like we've all been there, right? Yeah. So today we are diving into Atomic Habits by James Clear. Yes. To figure out how to be one of those people who's just like...
killing it with their morning routine right and like getting everything done absolutely and just like being their best selves yeah um and you know this book was so huge huge it was on the new york times bestseller list with like i know steel fear and the parent trap what a combo talk about a variety of genres wild right um but that just shows you how many people are trying to like yeah improve their habits and like for sure get things done yeah so clearly this book is on to something What I think is so fascinating about it is that it really breaks it down. It makes it seem doable. Yeah.
You know, we all have the same 24 hours. That's true. Like Beyonce.
Okay, so no more excuses about being too busy. Exactly. This is all about maximizing what we've got. Yes.
And apparently, Atomic Habits is like the guidebook. It is. But before we get ahead of ourselves, remind me.
Okay. What is an atomic habit? So basically, it's like the opposite of trying to make this huge change overnight. Okay. It's recognizing that these tiny little changes that you make can compound over time and lead to really remarkable results.
So not the New Year's resolution that you do for like a week. Exactly. Three days. And then give up.
Exactly. It's like those small little things that you do consistently and they kind of snowball into something much bigger. Okay, so I have to ask because this is like my favorite example from the book. The British cycling team.
Yes. Tell me they did not use atomic habits to win the Olympics. They did?
No way! Yes, they did. Are you serious?
Yeah, so they basically were like, okay, how can we make tiny little one percent improvements in every single area? Like what, for example? So we're talking like testing different massage gels to help with recovery.
What? Figuring out like what's the most aerodynamic way for the cyclist to like hold their handlebars. Shut up.
Even teaching everyone the most effective way to wash their hands. to avoid getting sick. You're kidding.
I'm not kidding. No way. It sounds crazy, but...
They were really focused on the tiny things. Yeah, they were obsessed with the tiny thing. And they were like, if we can just make all these little things a little bit better. Yeah.
It's going to compound and lead to huge results. And guess what? What?
It worked. No way. They won.
They won. They won a year. I know. It's amazing. Okay, that's kind of amazing.
Right. So tiny changes, big results. Exactly. Got it. That's the name of the game.
OK, so how do we actually make those changes? Well, that is the question, isn't it? Yes.
That's where the four laws of behavior change come in. OK, hit me. OK, but like no 10 step program. No 10 step programs.
Please keep it simple. OK. I'm all about like instant gratification. Instant gratification. I love that.
So law number one, make it obvious. OK. We are creatures of habit.
We are. So we need to make those good habits like impossible to ignore. OK.
So let's say you want to drink more water, right? Yes, I do. Get yourself a beautiful water bottle. That you love and carry it around with you everywhere you go. Okay, so it's like out with the cookie jar in with a fruit basket.
Exactly. Got it. Make those good habits visible. Make those bad habits invisible.
Okay. Okay, law number two, make it attractive. Ooh.
This is all about pairing that new habit with something that you already love doing. Okay. So you want to start working out more?
Yes. Listen to your favorite podcast while you do it. Oh.
You want to be more productive in the morning. Yeah. Treat yourself to a fancy latte afterwards.
Okay, this is speaking my language. Right. This whole make it enjoyable thing.
Yes. But doesn't that kind of go against the whole like delayed gratification thing? Well, it's not about throwing discipline out the window. Okay. It's about working with your brain.
Okay. Because our brains, they love instant gratification. Yes, they do.
So if we could figure out a way to make the process itself, the habit itself enjoyable. Right. We're much more likely to stick with it. So less willpower, more strategy. Exactly.
I can get behind that. Okay. Law number three, make it easy. Okay. This is all about removing any friction.
Okay. Any obstacles that are standing between you. Okay. And your habit. Got it.
So instead of trying to do like an hour long workout. Yeah. Start with five minutes. Five minutes.
Even I can do five minutes. Exactly. Five minutes is doable for anyone. And you know what?
Once you do those five minutes, you're probably going to want to keep going. Okay, but is five minutes really enough to make a difference, though? Okay, so this is where it gets interesting.
Remember those little 1% improvements we were talking about? Yeah, with the cycling. With the cycling team? Yeah. They weren't winning races by huge margins.
Okay. Especially at first. Right.
It was all those tiny improvements adding up over time that led to these incredible gains. So it's not about being perfect every single day. Exactly.
It's just about showing up and doing something. Exactly. Show up, do something, even if it's just a little bit.
Even if it's five minutes. Even if it's five minutes. Because those small changes consistently applied over time, that is where the magic happens.
So it's kind of like compound interest, but for your habits. Exactly. I like that. Right.
You're making those small deposits of effort every single day. And you're not going to see those massive returns immediately. Right. But over time, the magic of compounding kicks in. Yeah.
And you suddenly find yourself like miles ahead. Okay. I'm not going to lie.
I think I've been approaching this whole habit thing. Oh, yeah. Completely wrong.
Tell me more. I'm like all or nothing. Okay. It's like go big or go home.
Yeah. No wonder I burn out so quickly. And that's so common.
It is. We do that all the time. Yeah. We set these unrealistic expectations. Yeah.
We're like, I'm going to change my entire life starting tomorrow. Yes. And then we crash and burn three days later.
Exactly. Because it's not sustainable. So what do we do instead? Focus on the system. Systems over goals.
What does that even mean? It's easy to get caught up in like the excitement of a goal. Right.
I'm going to write a book. Yeah. I'm going to run a marathon. Right.
I'm going to learn a new language. Yeah. All these amazing goals.
Right. But without a system. Yeah.
Without those daily habits. Right. Those goals can feel really overwhelming.
Okay. Really daunting and really hard to achieve. So it's not enough to have like the.
destination in mind. No. You need the roadmap to get there.
You need the roadmap. Okay. You need the step-by-step guide.
Okay. So let's say your goal is to learn a new language. Okay. Amazing goal. Yeah.
But instead of just saying, okay, I'm going to become flow it. Right. In a year.
Which feels impossible. Which feels impossible. Yeah.
Break it down. Okay. Create a system.
Okay. What are you going to do every single day? Okay.
To get a little bit closer to that goal. So like study vocabulary for 15 minutes every morning. Exactly.
Or like listen to a language learning podcast on my commute. Exactly. Embed those small actions into your daily life.
Yeah. Until they become second nature. Until you're basically on autopilot.
Exactly. Autopilot. That's the dream.
Okay. I like it. All right. So speaking of embedding habits into your daily life.
Yeah. Let's talk about environment design. Okay. Is this where we get into like the whole swap out your...
Candy bowl for fruit basket. That's exactly what I'm talking about. Okay.
Sounds so simple. It does. But it's powerful.
Okay. Because our environment has a huge impact on our choices. True.
Whether we realize it or not. Yeah, I mean, you put a bowl of chips in front of me, they're gone. Exactly.
What happened? It's like magic, right? So it's all about making those good choices.
Yeah. The easy choices. Right.
So if those healthy snacks are front and center in your pantry on your counter. Okay. You're way less likely to go for the junk food. It's like tricking your brain into making a better decision.
Exactly. Trick your brain. Because willpower is out the window. Out the window. Out the window, especially when you're tired.
Oh, especially when you're tired. Hangry. Hangry.
All of it. All the things. All the things.
So I remember another example from the book was like, you should make water more visible. Yes. To drink more of it. Yes.
And like, I am so bad at remembering to drink water. Right. throughout the day.
It's essential though. It is. We need it. We do but I forget about it.
You know it's hard. Yes. But visual cues.
Yeah. They're powerful. They are.
Imagine this. You're at work. Okay. It's like two o'clock in the afternoon. Yeah.
You're feeling that afternoon slump. Yes. And you see this big beautiful water bottle.
Yes. Sitting on your desk. Yeah.
You're much more likely to reach for that. Than if it was like under my desk. Exactly.
Or like in the other room. Exactly. Out of sight, out of mind. Out of sight, out of mind. Exactly.
It's so true. Right. Like my phone. Oh, yeah.
My phone is my biggest distraction. Your biggest distraction. So if I see it, I'm going for it.
You're going for it. So maybe I need to make that less visible. Interesting. I like it. Put it away.
Yeah. Maybe even in another room. Ooh, that's a good one. Right. I like that.
But I don't see it. And then I won't get distracted. Yeah.
Because out of sight, out of mind. Out of sight, out of mind, exactly. Okay, so if we were to wave a magic wand right now, and we could each just make one tiny tweak to our environment, what would it be?
Ooh, that's a good one. What would you change? What would I change? Yeah. Ooh, good question.
What's your biggest vice in terms of environment? That's making you not reach your full potential. You know what? I think I'm going to swap out that candy jar on my desk. Oh, the candy jar?
Yeah. It's just too tempting. It's too tempting. It's calling your name. It is.
It's like, come here. I know. Just one more. Just one more. And then you look down and it's gone.
Exactly. And it's digging. The whole thing is gone. How did that happen? I don't know.
It's a mystery. It's a mystery. So you're going to swap it out for him? I'm going to swap it out for a nice bowl of fruit. Okay.
Some grapes, some berries. Okay. Something refreshing.
All right. Something healthy. I like it. I think that's my one tweak.
Okay. So beyond environment design. Yes.
What are some of those practical tactics we can use to really make these habits stick? Yeah. Because information without action is just more information overload. Totally. Like I've read all the books.
I know what to do. Right. But like. But the doing it is the hard part. The doing it is the hard part.
Exactly. That's why we're here. That's why we're here. Okay.
So one of my favorite strategies that James Clear talks about. Okay. Is the two minute rule. The two minute rule. The two minute rule.
Tell me more. Okay. So it sounds almost too simple. Okay. I like simple.
I love simple too. Yeah. So the idea is you take any habit. Yeah.
That you're trying to build. Okay. And you scale it down.
Okay. Into something that takes two minutes or less to do. So instead of meditating for 20 minutes.
Yes. I could meditate for two minutes. Exactly. And that counts. That counts.
Is that cheating? It's not cheating. Okay.
It's outsmarting your brain. Okay. Because we tend to overestimate how much we can actually do in one go.
Yes. And we underestimate the power of these small, consistent actions. Yes. So the two-minute rule eliminates all of that friction, that resistance.
It's like tricking yourself into getting started. Exactly. It's tricking yourself into getting started. I can get behind that.
Right. Yeah. Because once you get started.
Yeah. You're much more likely to keep going. That's so true. It's like that saying.
What is it? Objects in motion stay in motion. Yes. Objects in motion stay in motion. Yes.
And objects at rest. Stay at rest. Stay at rest. Yeah.
So I just need to get in motion. You just got to get in motion. I like it.
Okay. So speaking of tricking yourself. Okay. Let's talk about habit tracking.
Okay. Habit tracking. I've tried this. Yes.
It never works for me. Okay. Why not? I get bored.
You get bored? Yeah. Okay, so it's not just about checking boxes.
Okay. It's about visualizing your progress. Okay.
And tapping into that reward system in your brain. So how do we do that? So remember our cyclist friends?
Yes. With their marginal gains? They were tracking those tiny improvements. Yeah. And seeing those numbers add up.
Yeah. Was incredibly motivating for. Okay. Right, same principle applies here.
Okay. When you're tracking your habits. Yeah. And you're seeing those streaks build up.
Yeah. That could be incredibly satisfying. And it's true. Right.
And it can really encourage you to keep going. Yeah. Even when you're not seeing those massive results. Okay.
So you need that visual reminder. You need that visual reminder. Of how far you've come.
Exactly. Yeah. Like I am a very visual person. Yes. So like.
Visuals are powerful. They are powerful. Yes.
If I see it. Yes. I'm more likely to stick with it. Exactly.
I don't. Out of sight, out of mind. Out of sight, out of mind. Exactly. All right.
So. We've talked about environment design. We've talked about habit tracking. Yeah. We've talked about the two-minute rule.
We've talked about those Olympic athletes. Those Olympic athletes. Who are amazing.
Amazing. But you know, we're all human. We are all human.
We're not perfect. Exactly. So what happens when we fall off track?
We all fall off track. Because it's gonna happen. It's gonna happen. Right. It's not about if.
It's about when. Exactly. Right.
So James Clear has this great saying. What is it? Never miss twice. Ooh, I like that.
Never miss twice. Never miss twice. Okay. That's going on a post-it note.
Put it on your mirror. On my mirror. Yes.
Because it's a good reminder that slip-ups are going to happen. They are. It's part of the process. You're human. Yes.
You're not a robot. Not yet. Not yet.
Give it time. Give it time. Okay. So we're not going for perfection.
We're going for consistency. We're going for consistency. Okay.
I like that. So if you stumble, don't. Don't beat yourself up about it. Don't be so hard on yourself. Don't be so hard on yourself.
Yeah. Just get back on track. Tomorrow's a new day.
Exactly. tomorrow's a new day love it right okay so much good stuff here i know right i feel like we're just scratching the surface we are just scratching the surface what's this whole atomic habits thing there's so much more to uncover so much more so many more nuggets of wisdom so many nuggets i know okay so we're gonna take a quick break okay but when we come back yes we're gonna dive even deeper let's do it into the world of atomic habits i'm excited stay tuned It really is amazing how much those tiny improvements can add up over time. It is.
It's like that saying, right? What's that? Like inches make champions.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Or something like that. Yeah, like little things.
Little things add up. Exactly. Okay, so we're back.
Back again. And ready to dive even deeper. Let's do this.
Into the world of atomic habits. Yes. Okay, so before the break, we were talking about environment design. Yes. And like how much our surroundings can really impact.
Totally. our habits without us even realizing it. It's true. It's like you walk into the kitchen. Yeah.
And there's a plate of cookies just sitting there. Right? Like who can resist that?
Exactly. No one. Impossible. It's calling your name. It is.
And we want to be mindful of creating those environments. Yes. That set us up for success.
Okay. So like out with the cookie jar, in with the fruit basket. Exactly.
Got it. We talked about this a little bit. Yeah.
But I think it's worth reiterating because it's so important. Okay. We really want to make those healthy choices.
Okay. The easy choices. Right.
So make those suits and veggies. Yeah. Super accessible. Right. Put them in a bowl on the counter.
Okay. Chop them up ahead of time. Okay. So they're ready to grab and go.
So you're not like, oh, I don't have time to cut up a pineapple. Exactly. So I'm just going to eat this bag of chips.
Exactly. We want to eliminate any excuse. Any excuse.
Any obstacle. Because the excuses are already there. Oh, they're there. They're just waiting.
They're lurking. To sabotage us. I know. And we're on to them.
We are on to our excuses. Yeah. We're not falling for it.
Not today. Not today. Okay, so we've talked about the four laws of behavior change.
Yes. We've talked about environment design. Yes. We've talked about habit tracking. Yes.
The two-minute rule. The two-minute rule. All great stuff. So good.
Super helpful. Practical tips. But as we wrap up this deep dive into atomic habits. Yes.
What is like the one key takeaway? Ooh. the one key takeaway. The thing that people should remember. Yes.
Like a week from now, a month from now, a year from now, a year from now. I love it. Okay.
So the one key takeaway from atomic habits is that small changes consistently applied over time lead to remarkable results. I love it. That's it.
It's so simple. It is so simple. But it's so true.
It's so true. We don't need to overhaul our entire lives overnight. No more New Year's resolutions.
No more New Year's resolutions. Where we're like, I'm going to be a completely different person. Exactly. And then we give up by like January 3rd. Exactly.
We've all been there. We have been there. It's about those small, consistent actions. Yes. Those 1% improvements.
The 1%. That add up over time. Add up over time. And create extraordinary results. You'll love it.
That's Atomic Habits in a nutshell. I love it. So good.
So good. Well, thank you so much for joining us on this deep dive. Thank you for having me.
It's been amazing. And we'll see you next time. See you next time. For another deep dive. Thank you for watching.
What habit will you change?