What I Learned This Week: James Clear: Building Habits that Stick

The most valuable lesson I learned this week is that if you want to make big changes, start small by figuring out what you want to do and then defining 3 things: what you will do, when you will do it, and where you will do it.

Author James Clear says, “Life is a game of momentum, and one of the powerful things about starting with small habits is that you make it easy for yourself to show up each day, but you also make it easy for yourself to get a win.”

Too often, we hope for motivation and inspiration to strike us, but while we often feel like we lack motivation, we actually lack clarity. Clear says we should have “Implementation Intentions.” This means declaring what you will do, when, and where.

Here is how you do it:

I will _________, on __________, at _________.

For example: I will workout, on Friday, at 24 hour fitness.

Having a clear plan for when and where you will do something or implement a new habit, you are more likely to stick with it. Making decisions ahead of time instead of waiting to see how you feel makes it easier to follow through.

Start small. Live one good day. Stack small changes and good days. If you have good habits, time becomes your ally and you just have to be patient. If you have bad habits, time becomes your enemy as you dig yourself into a deeper hole everyday.

Imagine the outcome you want to create, the thing you are wanting to build, or the person you want to become. Then, think about the habits you need to build and take small steps towards it.

You don’t need motivation to get started — but in reality, it often builds after you get started, not before.