In July, our book of the month was “Atomic Habits” by James Clear and we invited Alma Asinobi, a content strategist and brand storyteller who loves reading to be our guest. It was such an amazing session! We learned so much about personal development and building sustainable habits. These are 8 key takeaways from the book review.
- Choose “progress story” over “success story”. This is one of the reasons we decided to start the #I4GWinWednesdays, it’s an opportunity to reflect and celebrate the progress you’ve made as you grow. Building in the dark is overrated. It’s more impactful when you share as you grow so you and others can learn from your growth. Focus on the impact you can make when you build publicly and gradually.
- We imitate the habits of 3 groups of people. The ones closest to us, the many and the popular. This isn’t bad if you are intentional about learning the right things. Community is important for growth. If you want to build a habit; join a culture or group where your desired behavior is the normal behavior.
- Self-control is a short term strategy. It’s unlikely that you will be able to resist temptation every single time. Make the cues of your good habits obvious and the cues of your bad habits invisible as you improve.
- When preparation becomes a form of procrastination, just stop thinking and take the first step and do what needs to be done. Think about the dreams you have and results you hope to get. Don’t just think about making moves. Take the first step NOW!
- Scale down every habit you want to form into a 2 mins version that’s much easier to do. If you want to read, open a book. If you want to design, open your device. If you want an opportunity, send an application! The idea is to START!
- Massive success does not always require massive actions. We often think what would make a significant difference in our lives is doing something “big”. Sometimes, they require tiny consistent changes made over time. Don’t stop doing the right things when you see results instead, focus on improving as you make progress even on the days it’s uncomfortable.
- Redesign your life such that the actions that matter most are the ones you actually do.This means that you make changes so they are easier to do. If you’re trying to build a habit of reading, keep a book at your bedside.You can also have someone you discuss what you’re learning with. If you’d like to learn with us, join our I4G community here and you’d automatically become a part of our book club!
- It doesn’t matter how successful or unsuccessful you are right now. The most important thing is whether you are building sustainable habits that put you on a path towards the success you desire.
Which lesson inspires you the most?