It’s Not Personal, it’s Business. How to Habitize Your New Year’s Resolutions — the Hacks
By: Marian Frecking
Tags: New Years Resolutions, Habits For Success, Habits, Resolutions, Habit Building

Book Summary of Atomic Habits by James Clear

#1 WSJ #1 NYT #2 Audible #3 Amazon | Photo: www.jamesclear.com

I heard on the radio the other night that 92% of resolutions are unsuccessful. The new resolution then, sensically, would be to make no resolution.

However, resolutions and new habits bring the hope of a better future, particularly after a stagnant COVID year.

The counterpoint book that came to mind when I heard the radio statistic was Atomic Habits by James Clear. If you have not read this book, I highly recommend it, prior to or in conjunction with forming any New Year’s resolutions.

Like the old Einstein adage, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” this book drives that message home.

It highlights the error in thinking discipline is the sole means to better habits. Instead, one’s environment may be a better key to success or failure.

This approach takes the personal out of the equation — no longer am I ‘lacking’ willpower or ‘deficient’, in relation to an action, rather, my approach is faulty. Lack of adherence is a sign of the need to alter my approach.

The book gives one the tools to identify and diagnose errors in lifestyle.

The intent with this article is to give you a taste, if you have not read it and a refresher, if you have.

However, I highly recommend the full read. Unlike other habit books filled with anecdotes, much of this was highlightable.

The Book in 3 Sentences-ish

Small improvements over time can be astounding (like compound interest) and delayed.. Motivation is overrated; Environment often matters more. If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system.

How it Has Changed My Thinking

The book reframed the way I view discipline, from one of restriction to that of freedom. Once a habit is automated, it frees the mind from the arduous work of learning and ambivalating.

It took the personal out of the equation. Rather than feeling as if I couldn’t stick with something I started asking — how can I create a better system to improve my success rate?

Habits don’t have to be all or nothing, which is the feeling I tend to have with New Year’s resolutions. An action can be like a vote in the direction or identity you want to become, a step along the path. Someone only needs a majority to win. If there’s a misstep, no need to abort the process. Just get back on track.

Other Tidbits gained

Motion vs. taking action. When you’re in motion, you’re strategizing, planning and learning. Action is the event — writing the article, cooking (and eating) the healthy meal. While motion is not bad, you want to get from motion to action.

When you’re in motion, you’re strategizing, planning and learning. Action is the event — writing the article, cooking (and eating) the healthy meal. While motion is not bad, you want to get from motion to action. Translate mentality. Identify your mentality with the habits that come easily and translate that to the ones that are difficult. For example, I have never smoked — therefore I would say, ‘I don’t smoke’ when offered, not ‘I’m trying to quit.’ Non-smoking is part of my identity. The same is true for when someone takes pride in something — the more pride, the more inherent the upkeep.

Identify your mentality with the habits that come easily and translate that to the ones that are difficult. For example, I have never smoked — therefore I would say, ‘I don’t smoke’ when offered, not ‘I’m trying to quit.’ Non-smoking is part of my identity. The same is true for when someone takes pride in something — the more pride, the more inherent the upkeep. Gravitation towards systems. When I try to incorporate a new habit — namely working out, or cooking healthier, now I seek out systems. A la Pam Reif workout routines because she outlines weekly guides on her Instagram and YouTube (that have a minimal use of burpees) and are in 10 min segments that feel like small gain intervals when completing. For healthy meals, Hello Fresh recipes off their app have been helpful as they tend to be simpler, more direct, and tastier than online searches (for me). Batch cooking is my next tackle — to save time and clean up. This means a higher up front cost of investing in more glass storage containers and non-plastic storage bags for leftovers, but an investment that will hopefully reduce my urge for takeout.

Favorite Quotes

When scientists analyze people who appear to have tremendous self-control, it turns out those individuals aren’t all that different from those who are struggling. Instead, “disciplined” people are better at structuring their lives in a way that does not require heroic willpower and self-control. In other words, they spend less time in tempting situations. The people with the best self-control are typically the ones who need to use it the least. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.

Tackle Good and Bad Habits by Systematizing Your Approach

Habits are, simply, reliable solutions to recurring problems in our environments.

The Fundamentals

Focusing on 1 % better each day will land you 37 times better by the end of the year — small changes add up. Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.

You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results.

Plateau of Latent Potential and Valley of Disappointment

Drawing from Atomic Habits

We often expect progress to be linear. At the very least, we hope it will come quickly. In reality, the results of our efforts are often delayed. Small changes often appear to make no difference until you cross a critical threshold. The most powerful outcomes of any compounding process are delayed. Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that lead to those results. True long-term thinking is goal-kess thinking. It’s not about any single accomplishment. It is about the cycle of endless freinement and continuous improvement. Ultimately, it is your commitment to the process that will determine your progress

Identity-based Habits

With outcome-based habits, the focus is on what you want to achieve. With identity-based habits, the focus is on who you wish to become. The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity. It’s one thing to say I’m the type of person who wants this. It’s something very different to say I’m the type of person who is this. Your identity emerges out of your habits. Every action is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.

1. The 1st Law — Make it Obvious — Cue

Identify and become aware of cues or triggers that are starting the habits — good or bad. If it’s a habit you want to enforce, make it obvious to help reinforce kickstarting of the process. If it’s a habit you want to break, make it difficult (like logging in to social media).

2. The 2nd Law — Make it Attractive — Craving

You’re more likely to find a habit attractive if you get to do one of your favorite things at the same time. For example, if I’m struggling to work out, sometimes I pair it with the feeling of “I want to feel alert and in a good mood for the rest of the day.” I’ll also wait to make my special coffee to drink as a reward, only if I’ve worked out.

3. The 3rd Law — Make it Easy — Response

The strategy is addition by subtraction. When forms of friction are eliminated, more can be achieved with less effort. This is a principle behind successful applications and the most habit forming products — from meal delivery kits to dating apps.

The difference between Austria’s 99% organ donation rate and Germany’s 12%, despite similar cultures, is that Austrians have to uncheck a box. Part of this is contributed to the fact that it is such a big decision, it is defaulted to what has already been decided — pure laziness is not the only factor.

Therefore..

Automate when you can — one time choices like enrolling an an automatic savings plan can deliver increasing returns over time.

Using technology to automate your habits is both reliable and effective.

4. The 4th Law — Make it Satisfying — Reward

It took 90 years for chewing gum to become popular and a worldwide habit — once Wrigley introduced flavors like spearmint. Chewing gum was originally just chewy, not tasty.

Toothpaste had a similar trajectory — only once flavors gave the sensation of a “clean mouth” did it take off.

The Cardinal Rule of Behavior Change: What is rewarded is repeated. What is punished is avoided.

To Sum Up

Godfather throwback. You’ve Got Mail pin.

Although the approach to changing habits can be less personal, less an attack on one’s deficiencies, James Clear writes how behaviors become a reflection of one’s identity.

What you do is an indication of the type of person you believe that you are — either consciously or unconsciously…True behavior change is identity change.

Happy New Year’s Resolutioning!