Atomic Habits Flashcard Deck
(43 cards)
if you can get 1 percent better each day for one year you’ll improve approximately by:
A) 20%
B) 40%
C) 60%
D) 80%
B) 40%
1 % better every day for one year 1.01365 = 37.78
1 % worse every day for one year 0.99365 = 00.03
What is the definition of the Plateau of Latent Potential?
A) A critical threshold to cross in order to unlock a new level of performance
B) A period of time required for habits to persist long enough before change is possible
C) A only
D) B only
E) Both A and B
E) Both A and B
Goals are good for _________________, but systems are best for _________________.
A) setting a direction / making progress
B) staying motivated / setting a direction
C) making progress / setting a direction
D) creating habits / analysis
A) setting a direction / making progress
True or False: Goal setting is necessary for continuous success.
False, for several reasons.
1) Goal setting suffers from a serious case of survivorship bias and creates a belief that only winners created clear goals or believed in their goals more strongly. Winners and losers have the same goals.
2) Achieving a goal is only a momentary change, not a lasting one. To create lasting change, change your system.
3) Goals restrict your happiness. The problem with a goals - first mentality is that you’re continually putting happiness off until the next milestone.
4) Goals are at odds with long - term progress. After a goal is achieved, it is common to stop working since the goal is no longer there to motivate you. The purpose of setting goals is to win the game . The purpose of building systems is to continue playing the game. True long - term thinking is goal - less thinking.
Write out 3 habits you want to implement during the next 30 days. The 3 habits can consists of new habits you want to adopt and/or existing habits you want to eliminate.
The 3 habits I want to adopt or change in the next 30 days are:
1) _________________
2) _________________
3) _________________
Your identity emerges from your _________
A) Self belief
B) Childhood
C) Emotions
D) Habits
D) Habits. Although your identity is shaped by your self belief, experiences in your childhood, and even genetics, the habits you practice and repeat long enough play more of a significant role than anything else for shaping your identity. Each time you do, think, and feel something, you are adding one more brick to the identity your are building. And just like a building, habits can be torn down and reconstructed to build a new identity of self belief, experiences, and emotions. According to the author, “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.”
Break up your 3 Future Habits into smaller habits.
For example, if your 3 Future Habits are 1) work out 5 times a week, 2) spend more quality time with my loved ones and 3) save more/ earn more money than I did last year, you might break them down like this:
Future Habit #1: Work out 5 times a week
Put my gym clothes in my backpack the night before
Put my backpack in front of the door in the morning so I take it to the car with me
Put my backpack in the passenger side so it’s easy to see when I leave work
Set an alarm on my phone to go off just before I leave work to remind me to drive straight to the gym
Review my diet plan in the morning so I know what to eat for breakfast and what to pack for lunch
Future Habit #2: Spend more quality time with my loved ones
Use a pomodoro timer at work so I can be more productive and won’t have to work late or work on weekends.
During my 5 minute pomodoro breaks communicate with my loved ones via text or social media
During my weekly review, I will spend 10 minutes planning something special to do with my loved ones during the week ahead.
During my morning reading session, I will spend 10 minutes learning how to improve my communication with my children and partner
Future Habit #3: Save more money/ earn more money than I did last year
For every morning I don’t spend money on buying coffee, I will add $5 to my savings account.
For every afternoon I don’t spend eating out for lunch, I will add $15 to my savings account.
When I am in a stressful situation at work, I will use the physical reminder exercise I created which includes box breathing and pinching the inside of my left wrist. I know the less I am bothered by stress the more productive I will be, and I will have a greater chance of receiving a promotion.
During my morning planning session before I start work, I will review my affirmations, write in my gratitude journal, and plan out my work day.
Break Your Habits Down to 5 Minute Habits
Future Habit #1: Work out 5 times a week
Go to the gym and workout for 5 minutes
Spend 5 minutes during my morning planning session either searching for a gym close to work, finding a personal trainer, downloading diet and fitness apps, signing up for a gym membership online, reading about training programs, or thinking about what habits a healthy person uses.
Future Habit #2: Spend more quality time with my loved ones
Spend 5 minutes during my pomodoro break to text my loved ones
Spend 5 minutes during my weekly review to write down how I would like to spend time with my loved ones
Spend 5 minutes reading in the morning about how to improve the relationships with the people I love
While driving home from the gym after work, turn off the radio for 5 minutes and think about the qualities I love about my partner and children before I come home to see them
Future Habit #3: Save more money/ earn more money than I did last year
Spend 5 minutes writing out my daily work plan
Spend 5 minutes meditating during lunch
Spend 5 minutes making a snack for lunch
Spend 5 minutes
INCLUDE REASON WHY HERE. USE THE SAFETY NET EXAMPLE.
PROVIDE EXAMPLES HERE OF WHAT TO CHOOSE FROM. I believe this is the 5 minute rule. FIND CLEAR’S EXAMPLES AND INCLUDE THEM HERE THEN WRITE OUT MORE. I’ve written some small habits below as well.
Journal 5 minutes a day. Write out what’s on the top of your mind. INCLUDE CLEAR’S EXAMPLE OF ONE SENTENCE JOURNALING HERE.
Make your bed first thing in the morning. It will provide you with an easy win which will motivate you to keep winning and to stay in action. Additionally, it will get you moving physically, which increases XXXXX, and help you XXXXX.
Set deadlines to hit your goals. Are you having trouble getting motivated? Are your habits and tasks getting pushed farther and farther out? If so, take 5 minutes to write down your due dates. Better yet, tell someone such as your accountability partner when your going to do something then commit yourself to doing it, sign up for a time to give a presentation, join a club, complete the assignments in this book marked for Low or 5 minutes (you can search for them by…….)
Set reminders and alerts to help you stay on track.
Here's a list of things you can do in 5 minutes every day: Meditate Journal Plan your day Text a loved one Break down your biggest tasks into smaller ones Clean your workspace, room, or living room Learn a new word to increase your vocabulary Quick exercise Unsubscribe to emails Make your lunch Write out your goals Determine how you will reward yourself for small wins Say your daily affirmations Turn off your notifications on your phone, laptop, and tablet Make your bed Review your expenses Write a love note Write in your gratitude journal Fill out your diet journal Complete a memory exercise Doodle, draw, or write creatively Review your vision board Write a thank you note or email Get outside Set up an automated payment or savings Walk outside Review your systems
Circle the following habits you can add to your existing Future Habits to ensure you adopt them. Rewrite your 3 Future Habits with the new habits you just created.
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
Your identity emerges from your _________
A) Self belief
B) Childhood
C) Emotions
D) Habits
D) Habits. Although your identity is shaped by your self belief, experiences in your childhood, and even genetics, the habits you practice and repeat long enough play more of a significant role than anything else for shaping your identity. Each time you do, think, and feel something, you are adding one more brick to the identity your are building. And just like a building, habits can be torn down and reconstructed to build a new identity of self belief, experiences, and emotions.
PROVIDE DEFINITION OF “PRINCIPLES: HERE
According to Wikipedia, “A principle is a proposition or value that is a guide for behavior or evaluation.”
Oxford Languages defines values as “The regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.”
Say What?
Take 5 minutes and write out your principles and values. If you get stuck review some of the prompting questions below. Remember, there are no right answers and you can always modify your answers later.
Prompting Questions
What qualities do you like most about yourself? What qualities do others say they like about you? What qualities about yourself would you not give up? Some of your qualities might include how you treat others, how you treat yourself, your humor, your discernment, your morals, your character, your work ethic, your discipline, your emotional IQ, your integrity, your communication skills, your empathy, your intelligence, your manners, your open mindedness, and more.
What is most important to you? Is it your career, your physical health, your family, your mental health, your spirituality, or something else? What would you not give up? What would you not want to compromise on?
ADD A COUPLE MORE PROMPTING QUESTIONS
RESEARCH - LOOK IN THE BOOK FOR EXAMPLES. CLEAR PROVIDES SEVERAL.
Refer back to your 3 Future Habits. Are your principles and values in line with your Future Habits? If not, go back and adjust your Future Habits to be congruent with your principles and values. It will make completing them and other habits in the future, much easier. Remember, there is no right or wrong answer here.
Now you are ready to define your identity, the thing that will ultimately motivate you and keep you fighting tooth and nail to accomplish not only your 3 future habits and goals, but your system and process as well, to provide you with a lifetime of growth, grit, and determination.
Ask yourself, “Who is the type of person that could get the outcome I want?” Spend 5 minutes writing this down. The clearer you get, the easier you’ll develop a vision, an identity and a game plan for adopting the habits you need to in order to become the person you want to be.
The author states, “it’s important to let your values , principles, and identity drive the loop rather than your results.” “The focus should always be on becoming that type of person, not getting a particular outcome.”
“For example , “ Who is the type of person who could write a book ? ” It’s probably someone who is consistent and reliable . Now your focus shifts from writing a book ( outcome - based ) to being the type of person who is consistent and reliable ( identity - based ) .”
As the author puts it, “Your habits shape your identity , and your identity shapes your habits.”
If you have a hard time figuring out what the values are of the identity you want to try on, first ask questions about what that person is like that has that identity. Then ask what that person values. For example:
Hard Worker
Questions to ask
How do they respond to stress, what is their tonality like when discussing a stressful topic, how easily do they appear emotionally upset, how do they confront others, do they appear to worry much, what are they thinking about, are they compassionate, do they take criticism well, when asking for a raise do they seem sheepish or confident, are they able to express themselves clearly the first time, what is their diction like, do they have a good vocabulary, what do they do to connect with others?
Values
They probably value handling stressful situations without getting attached, they value hard work and determination, they try to see the best in themselves and others, they value getting ahead, making plans for success and sticking with it, they value the work they do and see their work as meaningful.
Business Owner
Questions to ask
Who is the person that can become a successful business owner and grow a company to $X revenue per year? What do they do during their down time? What do they focus on? What questions do they ask themselves? What books, articles, and videos do they consume? What habits do they perform? How are they productive? What do they do differently than I do? What are the most important qualities of a successful business owner?
Values
They probably value hard work and deferred gratification. They value staying focused and seeing projects through to the end. They value self awareness and solving problems. They value their emotional health and are cautions of internal and external negative influences. They value a growth mindset and ambition.
Sexy/ attractive
Questions to ask
Who is a person that is sexy? What makes them sexy? Is it their clothes, the wan they hold themselves, the way they think about themselves, the way they communicate with others? What makes someone attractive? How do they influence others? What can I do to be more like them? Do they take better care of their physical appearance than I do? If so, how? What steps can I take to improve my appearance?
Values
They are probably someone that values fashion, skin care, personal grooming, and physical fitness. They probably stay on top of trends and can talk about a variety of things. They value communication and communicate easily with others.
A good parent
Questions to ask
What is a good parent like? How do they communicate to their children? How do they react when their children are obstanent, rude, or disrespectful? How do they keep their cool?
Values
They probably value learning how to communicate with their children and their partner in the most effective ways possible. They value spending quality time with their loved ones and set aside plans to
A great partner
What are the three levels of change for creating habits?
A) Belief change, emotional change, and action change
B) Outcome change, process change, and identity change
C) Motivational change, mindset change, and system change
D) Internal change, external change, and global change
B) Outcome change, process change, and identity change. The author identifies and addresses these three level of change for forming habits.
Outcome change is what most people seek when setting goals. They think, “I want to be skinny (outcome) and if I stick to this diet, then I’ll be skinny (process).” They set goals and determine the actions they should take to achieve those goals without considering the beliefs that drive their actions. They never shift the way they look at themselves (identity change), and they don’t realize that their old identity can sabotage their new plans for change.
Why do habits matter?
A) They can help you get better results
B) They can change your beliefs about yourself
C) They require you to take action, which in turn creates your identity
D) All of the above
D) All of the above. However, the real reason why habits matter according to the author is, “
I DON’T KNOW IF I WANT TO INCLUDE THIS. IT SEEMS LIKE IT IS PANDERING AND NOT PROVIDING VALUE.
As habits are ________, the level of activity in the brain ________, and freedom ________.
A) ADD ANSWER HERE
B) solidified, increases, decreases
C) ADD ANSWER HERE
D) created, decreases, increases.
D) created, decreases, increases.
Outcome Change
Outcome change is the "what" you'd like to achieve. For instance your outcome might be: Loose weight Feel less stressed Spend more quality time with my family Be happier Take a vacation Get a raise Be more social Get a date with the guy/ girl I like Be admired by my friends
Write down 3 outcomes you’d like to achieve.
Process Change
Process change addresses how you’d like to achieve your outcome. For instance, if your outcome was “loose weight” your process change might be “exercise 3 times a week.” Here are some process changes paired out with outcome changes.
Outcome Change Process Change
Loose weight Change my diet
Feel less stressed Meditate
Be happier Write in a gratitude journal
Take a vacation Save $100 for every $1,000
spent
Get a raise Write out your
accomplishments, take
more responsibility, talk
with your manager
Be more social Join toastmasters
Be admired by my friends Adopt positive non-verbal
communication and active
listening skills
Write one process change you can incorporate for the three outcome change you created.
Provide the definition of, or an example of Identity Change.
Identity Change
PROVIDE DEFINITION AND MULTIPLE EXAMPLES HERE
Ask yourself who is the type of person who already accomplished my 3 Future Habits? Is the person a celebrity, a family member, a character from a movie or TV, an influencer, a colleague, a friend, or someone else? It is best if this person is someone you admire
After you identify the person or persons that best exemplify the identity you want to try on, write their name(s) down. Then think to yourself, how they embody this identity? How do they hold themselves, how would they respond to someone, how are they perceived by others, how do they handle conflict, etc.
Now imagine you are that person, you have that identity. How would you act, how would you respond differently to people than you used to, how do you hold yourself, what do your non-verbal communications say about you, and what do others think of you now?
Review your 3 Future Habits. Write O next to the habits that are Outcome Change focused, P next to habits that are Process Change focused, and I next to identity focused habits.
If any of your 3 future habits are “O” Outcome Change focused, rewrite them as either Process Change or Identity Change focused.
PROVIDE EXAMPLES HERE
CCRR - The habit loop
Define what each of the 4 steps in the habit loop are - cue, craving, response, and reward.
Cue: A cue is a stimulus that is designed to remind you to complete a habit. The more obvious the cue the easier it is to remember to complete the habit. Successful cues are highly visible, associated with existing habits (which is called habit stacking), and occur before the habit you want to adopt.
Select some of the cues below that you can use to remind you to complete your habit. If you don’t find one you like, think of something you can use and write it down below:
Make it Obvious
Write a note, create a message on your screensaver of your computer or phone, set alarms on your calendar, phone, watch, or software (such as INSERT SOFTWARE AND CHROME EXTENSIONS HERE).
Fail Safe Win: Make Your Cue Obvious
Place your cue some place obvious such as in, on, or next to your:
car, mirror, wallet, purse, nightstand, backpack, pillow, microwave, door, laptop, TV, phone, tablet, trash can, kitchen table, desk, refrigerator, sofa, or chair.
Putting it All Together:
INCLUDE AN EXAMPLE HERE OF WHAT A FUTURE HABIT MIGHT LOOK LIKE GIVEN THE EXERCISE ABOVE.
Craving: Habits are easier to complete if there is desire to do so. If you don’t have a craving to complete a habit, then you won’t likely complete it, no matter how clear the cue is.
PROVIDE EXAMPLES
Response: The response is the action you take to complete the habit. BUILD THIS OUT
PROVIDE EXAMPLES
Reward: Humans, like the rest of nature value the easiest and quickest path to achieve a gold. We are all geared for instant reward but our habits take a long time to achieve the outcome we seek. The best way to stay motivated is not through sheer will but rather through continuous small rewards. Without a reward to keep you motivated to see your long term habit through fruition, you are not likely to complete it.
PROVIDE EXAMPLES
Have students write out what cue, craving, responseand reward they can have for each of the 3 habits they want to adopt. Provide them with a list of examples to help prompt them.
Rate Your Motivation
Whether a response occurs depends on how motivated you are and how much friction is associated with the behavior .
Ask students to rate on a 1-10 scale how motivated they are and how much friction they face. If a low rating for motivation or a high rating for friction, ask them what they can do to change that.
Prompting Questions
What is interfering with completing your habits? Is this something you can manage? If so, what can you do to reduce the friction?
Are you spending any time elsewhere that you can reduce? Can you use your downtime for completing a habit? Do you need to make your cue obvious and in plain sight? Is your habit stacked on the appropriate habit? Can you break your habit down to smaller chunks? What can you do in 5 minutes? How can you improve tracking your habit? Can you use additional alarms or other prompts to remind you to track your habit? Can you track your habit right after you complete it? How can you automate completing or tracking your habit? How important is it that you complete your habit? How can you reward yourself in the short term? What might it look like to complete your habit? How would you feel when you complete your habit? If someone else whom you admire routinely completes this habit what do they do? What clue do they leave? If you were to 10X your habit completion what would that look like? What does the habit require to complete it? Can you complete your habit with little thought or do you need creative energy? How can you prompt yourself to be in a better state to start your habit? Would changing your posture, your breath, and your thoughts help? If so, how can you remind yourself to do this before you start the habit? Do you need to add smaller habits to this larger habit so you can complete it?
FAAST Track
Provide examples on what they can do. Cite other books, tweets, podcasts, etc. on how to become motivated.
“If a behavior is insufficient in any of the four stages , it will not become a habit . Eliminate the cue and your habit will never start . Reduce the craving and you won’t experience enough motivation to act . Make the behavior difficult and you won’t be able to do it . And if the reward fails to satisfy your desire , then you’ll have no reason to do it again in the future . Without the first three steps , a behavior will not occur . Without all four , a behavior will not be repeated .”
Ask students to review their 4 stages and ensure their success. If they are uncertain they can succeed, have them review the 4 steps and rewrite/ improve.
The 4 Laws of Habit Creation
- How to Create a Good Habit The 1st law ( Cue ) : Make it obvious . The 2nd law ( Craving ) : Make it attractive . The 3rd law ( Response ) : Make it easy . The 4th law ( Reward ) : Make it satisfying .”
- How to Break a Bad Habit Inversion of the 1st law ( Cue ) : Make it invisible . Inversion of the 2nd law ( Craving ) : Make it unattractive . Inversion of the 3rd law ( Response ) : Make it difficult . Inversion of the 4th law ( Reward ) : Make it unsatisfying .”
PROVIDE EXAMPLES AND DEFINITIONS OF EACH OF THE 4 LAWS AS WELL AS THEIR INVERSIONS
Help the student revise their 4 steps by describing each in more detail. For example for Cue, the 1st Law, ask them how they can make the cue more obvious. Then provide them with examples on how to do that.
If the student responded that they are trying to break one of their 3 habits, then have them answer these inversion of the 4 laws.
“*Whenever you want to change your behavior , you can simply ask yourself : How can I make it obvious ? How can I make it attractive ? How can I make it easy ? How can I make it satisfying ?”
Ask students to write out these questions or print it out and tape it to their mirror or copy and paste it into their screen saver on their phone or laptop.
The Point and Call Method
“As the psychologist Carl Jung said , “ Until you make the unconscious conscious , it will direct your life and you will call it fate . ”
*Before each train departs , staff members will point along the edge of the platform and declare , “ All clear ! ” Every detail is identified , pointed at , and named aloud . *
“Pointing - and - Calling reduces errors by up to 85 percent and cuts accidents by 30 percent .”
Ask students to write out ways they can make their habits more consciousand be morepresent while doing it. Add in tips from other references on how to be more present/ in the moment/ conscious/ mindful. Provide them with examples to choose from. Provide digital tools as well.
The Habits Scorecard
“Once you have a full list , look at each behavior , and ask yourself , “ Is this a good habit , a bad habit , or a neutral habit ? ” If it is a good habit , write “ + ” next to it . If it is a bad habit , write “ – ” . If it is a neutral habit , write “ = ” .”
“If you’re still having trouble determining how to rate a particular habit , here is a question I like to use : “ Does this behavior help me become the type of person I wish to be ? Does this habit cast a vote for or against my desired identity ? ”
Create a one day assignment - journal throughout the day (set automatic reminders so students don’t forget) and observe and write down any good habits they want to expand and bad habits they want to eliminate. They can go through this guidebook as often as they like repeating the same steps to enhance or adopt good habits and eliminate bad ones.
Ask students to fill this out. Consider putting this toward the beginning of the book to make it easy to accomplish and provide motivation since 1) they already use a lot of habits so they can be rewarded for doing habits and doing good habits, and 2) this is something easy that will provide a quick win.
Provide other insights on identifying habits.
