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Small Improvements, Better Systems, and 4 Traits of Effective Habit Formation, Based on James Clear's Atomic Habits

Writer's picture: Laura Hope GoldstoneLaura Hope Goldstone

Do your habits set you up for success?


Okay, that might be a bit too broad of a question to start with. Let me ask an easier question first: Have you read Atomic Habits by James Clear? There's a reason it has sold more than 15 million copies - but even more importantly, there's a reason its ideology and frameworks have worked for so many people worldwide.


In May 2024, I got to hear James Clear speak at BambooHR's Virtual Summit. In less than an hour, he laid out an actionable framework that was simple but felt revolutionary based on its potential to literally change our lives for the better.


Here are some of my takeaways!


✨ Excellence is not about radical changes but about accruing small improvements over time.


It's so empowering to realize that you can make a deep impact over time by doing something so simple and easy right now. So many of us dream of these larger-than-life, drastic, 180º pivots, where a fairy godmother waves a wand and everything magically changes for the better, shedding everything negative and only looking toward this bright new life. But that's not realistic, and it's not needed, either. If you just make a little change today, you can start to bring a new version of yourself into reality. You can make choices about the little things today--the words you use, your mindset, your structure, the time you spend on certain tasks--that will bring you closer and closer to the person you wish to become.


✨ If you're struggling to improve, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. You don't rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.


Your goal is your desired outcome, and your system is the collection of daily habits you follow. If there's a gap between the two, daily habits will always win. So many people have the same goals--lose weight, get a new job, find a new hobby, publish a book (that one's mine!)--but we don't all achieve them. That's because the way we go about making progress differs. If we can set ourselves up with systems that are geared toward not just hitting one goal but turning us into the type of person who can easily hit that goal, then we'll be much more effective. (This can also be applied to teamwork and how structure and processes can--and should--set you up for success!)


✨ Make it obvious, attractive, easy, and rewarding, and you'll set yourself up for success with positive behavior change and effective habit formation.


Is it clearly visible and available? Is it motivating? Is it simple and convenient? Is it enjoyable and pleasurable? Adjusting your environment, adding motivators, developing a repeatable ritual, and visualizing your progress are a few quick and easy ways to create systems that curb your behaviors toward your desired outcomes.


Bonus: Don't break the chain, and if you do, never miss twice.


People may tell you to never miss a day or "break the chain" as you build your habit, but sometimes life gets in the way. Understandable. Maybe you're feeling sick one day or otherwise totally indisposed and cannot do the thing that you are trying to set yourself up to do. Try not to break the chain, but if you do, try not to do it twice. Missing the mark twice means you'll have more difficulty trying to get back into the swing of things, since it would just be easier to continue missing it rather than re-establishing the habit. Try to keep the momentum going so the habit becomes deeply ingrained.


What are some ways you build positive habits and maintain them over time? How do you make little shifts to help yourself become the person you want to be?

These are personal growth reflections, but they could also apply to leaders and individual contributors of all types:

  • What kind of employee do you want to be?

  • What kind of teammate do you want to be?

  • What kind of leader do you want to be?

  • What systems are set up to help you succeed?

  • How can you improve your systems for greater effectiveness?

  • How can you make one small improvement today to put yourself on the path toward success?


We can't improve what we don't reflect on. Take a moment to think about your habits, goals, and systems, and make a tiny shift today that will make a major impact in a positive way for you down the line.


3 Takeaways from a session by James Clear on Atomic Habits: Small improvements, Better Systems, and 4 Traits of Effective Habit Formation.

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