A business owner and EOS® client recently shared the book Atomic Habits, by James Clear.
Personally and professionally, it’s had a great impact on his team.
The book provides strategies to develop healthy habits and eliminate unhealthy ones – plus insightful stories to support both. It has fascinating new insights and critical reminders.On a personal level,
- We are the sum of our habits and it’s a continuous cycle. Habits initially define our identity (my parents taught me to work hard; I now have a strong work ethic). Then our identity drives our habits (because I have a strong work ethic, I develop habits to make work more productive). It’s an iterative process.
- Success is not a goal. Success is a process. It’s having a system to continually improve and refine.
- “You have to fall in love with boredom.” Routine is a necessary evil. Most good habits aren’t scintillating and don’t offer instant gratification (bad ones are just the opposite – instant gratification but long-term disaster). The book has techniques for making the boring activities more enticing and the bad habits less so.
- Tiny behaviors lead to remarkable results. Habits have a cumulative effect. Steady effort over a long time creates an “overnight success.” The converse is also true. The first mistake is never the one that ruins you. Eating a chocolate sundae today won’t hurt you; having one every day for a month will.
Next month, insights from an organizational level and the ties to EOS.
YOUR PRIVACY CHOICES