Assess, correct and solidify
I personally believe in the importance of routine and habits. If you haven’t yet, I highly recommend reading “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. Although there are many books in this realm, none of them are groundbreaking (at least I don’t think so) but where atomic habits excels is in practical application.
My chapter is number 20 “The Downside of creating good habits” read it for yourself, but this is my spin on that. We are currently running a challenge with some of the members at Workshop Gym and it has been a good chance to use it, to develop better habits regardless of what that habit is. There’s a system to follow that I believe works.
First, we must assess and become more aware of our current habits and routines to improve on what we can and eliminate what we can’t. Without this step we have no guiding light and are just stabbing in the dark which is a bit like sitting in a rocking chair; there’s heaps of motion but no real movement in any direction.
Second is as simple as it sounds but is up there in terms of difficulty. Once you’ve found the weakness or problem area, you then have the almighty task of changing them for the better. This is where atomic habits comes to the floor with the four laws of behaviour change;
1) Make it obvious- highlight the good, and highlight the bad.
2) Make it attractive - make the good more fulfilling (if I do more exercise my health will improve and I can go skiing with friends without feeling like I’m going to die, apart from black runs, that’s just hell).
3) Make it easy - this one is self explanatory I hope?!
4) Make it satisfying.
Lastly, this is the most important step in my eyes, to solidify the new routines and habits, meaning to do them well consistently over time. There will be bumps in the road that is all part of it, just remember not to follow up a bad decision with another one.
If it goes wrong, accept the error, look at what went wrong and then forget it and fix it. Another glorious rambling for you lovely folks, all three of you that read this. Lastly remember don’t take life too seriously no-one gets out alive anyway.
