If you pick the wrong measure, you will optimize for the wrong thing. The dark side of tracking a particular behavior is that we become driven by the number rather than the purpose behind it. If your success is measured by quarterly earnings, you will optimize sales, revenue, and accounting for quarterly earnings. If your success is measured by a lower number on the scale, you will optimize for a lower number on the scale, even if that means embracing crash diets, juice cleanses, and fat-loss pills. The human mind wants to “win” whatever game is being played. -Atomic Habits, … Continue reading Be careful what measure you pick to track a habit

This is the most important thing about habits. If I miss one day, I try to get back into it as quickly as possible. Missing one workout happens, but I’m not going to miss two in a row. The first mistake is never the one that ruins you. It is the spiral of repeated mistakes that follows. Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit. -Atomic Habits, p.201 Continue reading NEVER MISS TWICE

Habit tracking builds a series of visual cues like the streak of X‘s on your calendar or the list of meals in your food log. When you look at the calendar and see your streak, you’ll be reminded to act again. -Atomic Habits, p.197 Continue reading Start tracking your habits to stick to them more easily.

Master the habit of showing up When you dream about making a change, excitement inevitably takes over and you end up trying to do too much too soon. You’ll find that nearly any habit can be scaled down into a two-minute version: “Read before bed each night” becomes “Read one page.” “Do thirty minutes of yoga” becomes “Take out my yoga mat.” “Study for class” becomes “Open my notes.” Once you’ve started doing the right thing, it is much easier to continue doing it. A new habit should not feel like a challenge. The actions that follow can be challenging, … Continue reading Every new habit should take less than Two minutes

[…] finding ways to reduce the friction associated with our good habits and increase the friction associated with our bad ones. There are many ways to prime your environment so it’s ready for immediate use. Want to draw more? Put your pencils, pens, notebooks, and drawing tools on top of your desk, within easy reach. Want to exercise? Set out your workout clothes, shoes, gym bag, and water bottle ahead of time. -Atomic Habits, p.155 Continue reading Create an environment where doing the right thing is as easy as possible.

There is nothing magical about time passing with regard to habit formation. It doesn’t matter if it’s been twenty-one days or thirty days or three hundred days. You could do something twice in thirty days, or two hundred times. It’s the frequency that makes the difference. Your current habits have been internalized over the course of hundreds, if not thousands, of repetitions. New habits require the same level of frequency. -Atomic Habits, p.146 Continue reading How long does it take to build a new habit?