064 James Clear How To Build Habits That Last

At a Glance

• Atomic Habits - “James, I can’t sing enough praises about atomic habits.” Chris is enthusiastic about James’ work and mentions the relevance of his book “Atomic Habits”.

• Choosing Reinforcement Wisely - “So you want, instead, maybe you could say, you get to have a bubble bath” The importance of choosing a form of reinforcement that aligns with one’s desired identity is highlighted.

• Consequences and Satisfying Cravings - “Texting your friend not only makes it more attractive to get up, it makes it unsatisfying or adds a consequence to sleeping in.” The speaker explains how consequences can make habits more satisfying or unsatisfying, depending on the outcome.

What to Do

• Choose a form of reinforcement that aligns with your desired identity - This means selecting a reward or consequence that supports and reinforces the kind of person you want to be, rather than conflicting with it.

• Make consequences immediate and unsatisfying when habits are not completed - This can motivate people to complete their habits by making them uncomfortable or unhappy if they don’t follow through.

• Don’t focus on perfection, but instead feel grateful for the impact you’re having - This mindset shift can help individuals avoid feelings of burnout and anxiety, and instead cultivate a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

• Use strategies that make habits more attractive and satisfying to build consistent behavior - This approach combines tactics from behavioral psychology to create habits that are both enjoyable and supportive of long-term goals.

• Aligning rewards with desired identity - By choosing rewards that align with our goals, we can create a consistent message to ourselves about the kind of person we want to be.

• FABAT - adding consequences - This strategy helps us overcome procrastination and makes skipping habits less appealing by introducing an immediate consequence (e.g., texting a friend).

• The importance of anticipation and satisfaction - The host and guest emphasize how strategies that make habits more attractive also make them more satisfying, creating a positive feedback loop.

What to Get

• Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear - Amazon - Book, Title: Atomic Habits, Autor: James Clear

• Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport - Amazon - Book, Title: Deep Work, Autor: Cal Newport

Summary

Episode Summary

In this engaging podcast conversation, the host and guest discuss the importance of creating satisfying habits through various strategies. They delve into the concept of “ultimate” vs. “immediate” outcomes, where the former is the long-term goal we’re working towards, while the latter is the short-term reward that keeps us motivated in the moment. The key takeaway here is to choose a form of reinforcement (reward) that aligns with our desired identity, rather than one that might conflict with it.

The conversation also touches on the idea of FABAT - adding consequences to our behavior when we don’t meet our expectations. This can be as simple as texting a friend to remind us to take action towards our goal. The host and guest highlight how these strategies not only make habits more attractive but also simultaneously make skipping them less satisfying.

Most of the conversation discuessed the concept of understanding human behavior and habits, specifically how people make choices and form routines. The speakers discuss strategies for making positive changes in one’s life, such as aligning short-term and long-term goals, creating consequences for undesirable behaviors, and using various techniques like FABAT (Feelings, Aspirations, Beliefs, Actions, and Tasks) to influence behavior.

Some key take aways of the conversation are as follows;Create satisfying habits by aligning rewards with your desired identity. Use FABAT to add consequences to your behavior when you don’t meet expectations. Strategies that make habits more attractive also make them more satisfying.

This podcast conversation offers practical advice on how to create lasting, positive changes in our lives by making small but meaningful adjustments to our daily habits.