“Your system is the collection of daily habits.” James Clear
Behaviors and Beliefs are a two way Street, says James Clear, author of “Atomic Habit”. Effectively, the way you act influences what you believe about yourself; what you believe about yourself influences the actions you take and the manner in which you behave. But, you should let the behavior lead the way, explains Clear.
Every action you take on a daily basis is a vote regarding the person you are currently and want to become in the future. Everyday you’re casting votes to become the person you see yourself. Habits matter because they reenforce the person you want to become.
Build a system.
You want to focus on developing a process / building a system or achieving a goal or outcome. You don’t rise to the level of your goals, you fail to the level of your system. Building the system — the way you prepare — that executes on achieving your goals is what is important. The system is what gets you closer to your destination. Ask yourself what you’re optimizing for?
Your goal is your desired outcome. Your system is the collection of daily habits you follow. Your system is your collection of daily habits you follow. Your current daily habits are perfectly designed to deliver your current results. Over a long period of time, your life bends towards your system, or collection of habits.
The purpose of habits:
Habits are the autopilot mode that your brain goes into when completing repetitive tasks, according to James Clear, author of “Atomic Habits”. For example, driving to work, the first time you do it, it may be confusing and stressful but after a few weeks your mind is just going through the motions, explains Clear.
Not having a grasp on your habits means not having control of your life and outcomes…consider:
- No financial habits = living pay check to paycheck.
- No healthy food and exercise habits = lacking energy and good health.
Without good habits, you will always be behind the curve. Success in your life and finances depends on the effectiveness of your habits and systems.
- Your system for reading might be to read at least 1 page before bed every night.
- Your system for exercising might be to do at least 5 minutes of bodyweight exercise every morning.
- Your system for healthy eating might be to eat at least 1 apple every day for lunch.
- Habits are the “compound interest”of self-improvement.
The bigger your systems, the bigger your results. Systems are the vehicles that are going to take you to your goals—your goals are simply the destination. Effectively, you don’t rise to the level of your goals; you fall to the level of your systems.
If you want to change the world and do big things, the actions you’re doing every day, your habits, are what are going to get you there. That’s where the things happens.
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”James Clear
Showing up each day and making one small choice or trying to do something in a slightly better way, and then watching that compound and multiply over time. In life, changes may seem relatively small and insignificant on a daily basis, but over 10 or 20 or 30 years, small choices and changes can make meaningful difference.
What starts out small and seems relatively insignificant, grows and accumulates into something bigger.
Your mindsets and your systems can set us up for success. It is important to understand the importance of consistency when it comes to forming habits that last.
“Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them for years”, says Clear. “We all deal with setbacks, but in the long run, the quality of our lives depends on the quality of our habits. With the same habits, you’ll end up with the same results. With better habits, anything is possible.”
Small incremental changes can end in massive results. Small improvements day by day will result in a huge compounding effect, says Clear.
References:
- https://movemequotes.com/beyond-the-quote-8/
- https://brenebrown.com/podcast/atomic-habits-part-1-of-2/
- https://theherstonproject.com/2020/11/atomic-habits-summary/