'Why tiny changes make a big difference'
This article is inspired by the book 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear. It is an attempt to summarize and understand how habits work and how we can understand ours better. So let's dive straight in!
An Atomic Habit is a regular practice or routine that is not only small and easy to do but is also the source of incredible power; a component of the system of compound growth.
The 4 Laws of Behaviour Change
Make it Obvious
Make it Easy
Make it Attractive and,
Make it Satisfying
The most important step in getting to understand our habits and create good ones is to work on these four laws of behaviour change. The simplest way to start a habit is to set a fixed time to do it. Also, we are more likely to do stuff which we expect will be fun and rewarding. Making habits easy is all about starting with the smallest step and then building on it progressively. We are more likely to stick to a habit if it provides some sort of internal satisfaction in the form of feedback.
So how are habits formed? Well, our brain figures out how to respond to new situations through a system of trial and error. Psychologist Edward Thorndike demonstrated this with an experiment where cats were placed in a black box. Unsurprisingly, each cat immediately tried to escape from the box, sniffing at its corners and clawing at its walls. Eventually, the cat would find a lever that, when pressed, would open a door, enabling escape.
Thorndike then took the cats that’d successfully escaped and repeated the experiment. He found that after being put in the box a few times, each cat learned the trick — the cats went straight for the lever. In other words, the process of getting out of the box had become habitual. This is how our habits are formed. The behaviours that give positive consequences get repeated until they become automatic.
Three Layers of Behavior Change
The first layer is changing your outcomes. This level is concerned with changing your results: losing weight, publishing a book, winning a championship. Most of the goals you set are associated with this level of change.
The second layer is changing your process. This level is concerned with changing your habits and systems: implementing a new routine at the gym, decluttering your desk for better workflow, developing a meditation practice. Most of the habits you build are associated with this level.
The third and deepest layer is changing your identity. This level is concerned with changing your beliefs: your worldview, your self-image, your judgments about yourself and others. Most of the beliefs, assumptions, and biases you hold are associated with this level.
A lifestyle change happens when the identity is finally changes. It is about building a new set of beliefs and changing the kind of person you identify yourself with.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle
I highly recommend laying your hands on the book or audiobook. I believe doing that, then using the summary to review the key ideas, is the best bet for transformation :)
Thanks for reading!
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