Small habits that make a big difference masterclass james clear Flashcards
(42 cards)
What is a result?
It is a measure of my habits that precede the result
Banking account - a measure of my financial habits
My fitness is a lagging measure of my training habits
Productivity is a lagging measure of my prioritization habits
Usually what we want are results, are the results the thing that need to change?
Nope. Habits determine results so therefore habits are the thing that need to change.
Is motivation enough to change habits?
No. While it can help, many people have motivation, the problem is their system, the approach they are taking
Rather than asking myself, what can i do on my best day what should I ask?
What can I stick to on my worst day!
What’s the stonecutter quote and what does it mean?
When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before.
-Master the art of showing up, be consistent.
When dreaming think big but…
when executing think small(things).
I should forget about setting goals. What should I focus on instead?
Setting a system
What is a system?
a collection of daily habits that I follow.
What’s the iceberg analogy?
The results/goals are what you see on the surface, but what allows them to be visible is the system, the collection of daily habits. That’s the mass of the iceberg (underneath the visible layer) that allows it to float.
Give an example of focusing on the system and not on the goal
Bill Walsh, the legendary coach of the San Francisco 49ers, said, “I knew if I did that, winning would take care of itself”.
They focused on the way they were practicing, training and recruiting and not on the results.
How do I turn my goals into systems?
- Identify the goals i’m trying to achieve.
- Break that goal into smaller habits. What are the daily actions that if I do them consistently will lead me towards the desired outcome?
- Take those daily habits and repeat them over a broad span of time
It’s the consistency and repetition that will lead me towards the outcome that I want.
Give examples of building habits
Let’s say that my goal is to read 30 books a year. start with reading one page before bed each night, and then maybe after I’ve done that for a month read 2 pages, and then after 6 months 5 pages, and ultimately i build this read habit.
What do i do if i stray off course of my system?
Don’t pressure myself to be perfect, it doesn’t work this way. Top performers fall off track like all humans but what they are good at is getting back on track quickly. If the re-claiming of a habit is fast, the breaking of it doesn’t matter that much(!). In the long run it’s just a tiny blip on the radar.
If i fell off track, let’s say i ate pizza on the 9th day of a diet, then well, i wish that hadn’t happen but let’s make sure the next meal is healthy. reclaim the habit quickly.
It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being consistent! Don’t let slipping up become the new habit.
Why is the stories that we tell ourselves about our identity important?
Because those stories shape who we think we are , and can hinder us. For example, I have a sweet tooth, I’m lazy and an underachiever and so on.
what are the stories that I tell myself about who I am, and can i reframe that a little bit
How do I reshape my identity?
- what are my Goals
- Determine who I want to become
- Create habits that support this identity.
My habits “cast votes” on the kind of person that I am.
Examples: I want to become a writer
Habit: write 100 words a day
I want to become a person who makes the life easier for my spouse
Habit: Fine one things each day to take off their plate…
Give an example of using identity to break bad habits
Smoking:
Do you want a cigarette?
“No thanks, I’m trying to quit”
vs
Do you want a cigarette?
“No thanks, I’m not a smoker”.
The first person still identifies as a smoker(!).
Assignment questions for “changing identity” chapter
What am I reinforcing?
What identity is being served?
Which new habits can I build to create a new identity?
Break habits into 4 steps
- Cue: the trigger that tells me to initiate a habit (I see a cookie plate on the table)
- Craving: the desire/motivation to act (brain predicts the cookie will be sweet)
- Response: The action i take to form a habit: walk to the cookie plate and eat a cookie
- Reward: The payoff i get from the habit (a sweet taste).
If the behavior isn’t rewarding, it is hard for it to become a hit.
Assignment for habit loops
- Pick a habit that I have
- Write down the cue,craving,response and reward for that habit
What’s the first law of behavior change?
Make it obvious: Noticing the CUE
What’s the Diderot effect and its origin?
The Diderot effect is a phenomenon that occurs when acquiring a new possession leads to a spiral of consumption that results in the acquisition of even more possessions.[1][2] In other words, buying something new can cause a chain reaction leading to one buying more and more things. Each new item makes one feel like one needs other things to go with it or to keep up with it. This can lead to overspending[3] and accumulating more possessions than one needs or uses.
The effect was first described in Diderot’s essay of 1769 “Regrets on Parting with My Old Dressing Gown”.[5] In this essay Diderot tells how the gift of a beautiful scarlet dressing gown leads to unexpected results, eventually plunging him into debt. Initially pleased with the gift, Diderot came to rue his new garment. Compared to his elegant new dressing gown, the rest of his possessions began to seem tawdry and he became dissatisfied that they did not live up to the elegance and style of his new possession. He replaced his old straw chair, for example, with an armchair covered in Moroccan leather; his old desk was replaced with an expensive new writing table; his formerly beloved prints were replaced with more costly prints, and so on. “I was absolute master of my old dressing gown”, Diderot writes, “but I have become a slave to my new one … Beware of the contamination of sudden wealth. The poor man may take his ease without thinking of appearances, but the rich man is always under a strain”.
Why does the Diderot effect teach us?
Life is momentum, change one little habit, and it will start a cascade of changes.
What’s implementation intention?
a specific plan for when and where I’m going to implement my behavior
Fill out this sentence:
I will perform this habit _____ on this day ___ at this time _____ in this place ____
By filling this sentence I will be more likely to follow through (cue).
Once I show up, i get this feeling of momentum, progress (Diderot effect).
Many people think they lack motivation, but what they really lack is…
Clarity! “I hope i feel motivated to go to the gym today” and hope inspiration will strike us vs “I will be at the gym at 10:25 am”.
