"Mastering Atomic Habits": An Upleveler's Guide"
Unlock your potential with this valuable piece in your toolkit
Welcome to the weekly newsletter, where we delve into various frameworks, concepts, and ideas that make up the uplevelers toolkit. Today, we explore one of the all-time favourite books of many at Choose To Thinq— "Atomic Habits" by James Clear.
For those unfamiliar, "Atomic Habits" is celebrated for its clear and concise take on habit formation, making it essential reading for anyone interested in personal development. Read on to get key insights and takeaways from our discussion. Btw, if you prefer to watch it instead, you can catch this episode on YouTube.
Finding Identity through Habits:
One of the powerful ideas from the book, Atomic Habits, is asking the big question: “What do I want this habit to lead me to?” Essentially, what identity do you wish to cultivate? Whether you aim to be an upleveler, a storyteller, or simply stay relevant in the future, starting with your desired identity is crucial. James Clear calls our attention to this fundamental question of identity, from which all other elements flow.
Ways to Cultivate Desired Identity
Our co-host and co-founder, Harish shares additional insights into achieving the desired identity by highlighting two main strategies discussed in the book:
Group Identity: Being part of a group where everyone is aiming for the same identity. The shared struggle within the group helps in solidifying the desired habit.
Attachment to Aspiring Groups: Associating yourself with a group already practicing what you wish to achieve. For instance, if you want to start running, being surrounded by avid runners can naturally influence you to adopt the habit.
Atomic Habits in Practice
At Choose To Thinq, the principles from the book have lent stability and strength to various designed programs, such as creating a reading habit or maintaining a regular social media presence for professional visibility. For example, the concept of piggybacking—associating a new habit with an existing, reliable routine—is a tactic used to help individuals start reading every day.
Immediate rewards and positive feedback are also integrated into their learning sessions to keep motivation high, effectively showcasing a blend of habits and rewards in practice.
Tying back to the importance of community, many of Choose To Thinq’s programs are structured around groups and cohorts, enabling participants to share common goals and learn from one another. Being part of a community not only helps in adopting new habits but also provides a shared vocabulary and support system to keep each other accountable.
As with anything, there are pitfalls of not understanding the science behind things. People often fail to create sustainable routines, such as writing for professional visibility, because they lack awareness of best practices. Books like "Atomic Habits" equip individuals with the necessary knowledge to avoid these common mistakes and successfully build valuable habits.
The Systemic Approach
Building long-term, sustainable habits starts with an absence of a system. As Ramanand points out, getting from the initial desire to form a habit to making it a seamless part of everyday life requires deliberate effort and systems like the habit loop. This careful and systemic approach acts as a bridge, transforming desires into embedded daily routines.
If you haven’t seen our video on Habit Loop, please check it out!
Why "Atomic Habits" is critical in the uplevelers toolkit?
In a single line, Ramanand encapsulates the essence of the book: "We are all creatures of habit and also our old habits hold us back. So you should read Atomic Habits to learn how to build new habits and do this every so often."
The book serves as an essential guide for anyone aiming to elevate their personal or professional lives by mastering the art of habit formation. With its practical insights and actionable advice, we advice you to re-read this book, if you’ve read it earlier too.
Hope you are following our hand-picked “Incite Your Month” for June 2024. If not, you can check it out on YouTube.
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