Atomic Habits - Chp 1 - The Surprising Power of Atomic Habits
Chapter Summary:
Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. Getting 1 percent better every day counts for a lot in the long-run.
Habits are a double-edged sword. They can work for you or against you, which is why understanding the details is essential.
Small changes often appear to make no difference until you cross a critical threshold. The most powerful outcomes of any compounding process are delayed. You need to be patient.
An atomic habit is a little habit that is part of a larger system. Just as atoms are the building blocks of molecules, atomic habits are the building blocks of remarkable results.
If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead.
You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.
Thoughts:
I’m glad the author started of with this chapter. It really hooked me with how much it resonated. In particular, the part about systems over goals. He says, “goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that lead to those results.” An example of this way of thinking is given in the form of a musician. “Your goal might be to play a new piece. The system is how often they practice, how you break down and tackle difficult measures, and your method for receiving feedback from your instructor.”
The idea is presented here that if we focus on improving and following strong systems instead of the goal, we will find success. Perhaps more profoundly than the example of the musician is the author’s statement that “winners and losers have the same goals.” This hits hard and is proof enough for me that goals are not the issue.
Winners and losers have the same goals.
With all the examples of people looking at systems to reach their goals in this chapter, I can’t help but think about what could be happening with my designers. “In order to improve for good, you need to solve problems at the systems level.”
So what are the problems I’m needing to solve? One is consistent quality when we have such a high turn over. Another is how to create design systems that can be used by anyone consistently. Hmmm…consistent has come up twice already. This leads me to think about the resources that are available to folks such as tutorials, trainings, etc.
The part I struggle with the most from this chapter is the idea that big change is delayed. I’ve grown less and less patient as I’ve gotten older. Part of this, I believe, is that I perceive that I have so much going on that I need to accomplish things quickly so I can move to the next thing.
Systems Building:
I’m trying my best to focus on the 1% improvement concept. So far, I am putting learning time into my work day and calendaring my week out through bullet-journaling.