Books that change lives...
I don't know many people who are yet to read the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. If you are one of those people, please pause, "add to cart" and return to this article.
I read it in the summer of 2021 and a simple habit I implemented then has had a profound impact on my entire life. That habit was simply moving all my tech devices (and the accompanying chargers) away from my nightstand.
My favourite lines from the book:
Your habits work for or against you.
Results have very little to do with goals and everything to do with the systems you follow.
Good habits teach you to trust yourself.
Your identity emerges out of your habits.
Motivation is overrated, environment matters more.
Create an environment where doing the right thing is as easy as possible (remove the friction).
Make it easy to start, and the rest will follow.
Track your habits, show yourself the evidence.
Never miss twice. Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit.
Choose habits that suit your personality and your skills.
Keep new habits easy, so you can stick with them, even when conditions aren't perfect.
Professionals stick to a schedule, amateurs let life get in the way.
Small habits don't just add up, they compound.
This final sentence leads me to how my tiny habit compounded. When my phone is away from the bed, I read or sleep instead of mindlessly scrolling on social media. My sleep has significantly improved, I wake up rested and make a cup of hot lemon water. I have my coffee alongside the water. I don't snack any more, because I got a good night's sleep (I'd noticed I snacked when I was tired). This means I am no longer having an energy slump at 2pm and I don't need another coffee. Do you see where I'm going with this?
It has been incredible to witness how a tiny habit compounded into a much better quality of life, just by putting my phone away.
I wholeheartedly recommend both this tiny habit and the book to anyone and would love to hear your thoughts and success stories!
Love, Maya