The Fundamentals – Why Tiny Changes Make a Big Difference (Chapters 1-3)
Welcome back! Let's begin with a quick recap from Chapter 1, here’s what we know:
Small, consistent improvements are greater than one-time big wins
Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement
Noticeable growth takes time and it is easy to get discouraged
Systems are more important than goals
Okay, let’s dive into Chapters 2 and 3.
If I could summarize the entire first section, The Fundamentals, into one sentence, it would be: You are what you repeatedly do.
James Clear talks about the importance of your daily habits and the compounding effect of these small actions. He then goes on to say, “Building habits is actually the process of becoming yourself” (p. 37).
There is a feedback loop where your identity drives your actions (habits) and your actions (habits) determine your identity. You only believe your current identity because you have proof of who you are through your repeated actions.
The more you repeat your actions, the stronger you believe that is who you are.
I’ll use myself as an example. I have never considered myself a writer. I’ve liked the idea of writing but until a couple years ago, I never wrote. Therefore, I was not a writer.
Well, 25+ blog posts later and I am beginning to believe that I am a writer. After another 25 posts, I will certainly identify more deeply as a writer. Perhaps one day, I will even have “writer” on my LinkedIn profile or be introduced as “Cole Leonida, writer, author…”
The point is, the more you repeat actions, the more you believe that is who you are.
This is the basis for the 2-step process for building habits.
Decide the person you want to be.
Prove it to yourself with small wins.
For me, it looks like this:
I want to be a writer.
I write a blog each week.
Each week I take the step to write a blog, I cast a vote in favor of “writer” being added to my identity.
I have carved out time (created systems) in my daily and weekly schedule that create space for me to sit down and write. Without these systems, I would never be able to publish a post each week.
You’ll notice that the first step is not to “set a goal.” Clear explains that goals are outcome focused and lead to short bursts of motivation but are not as powerful or useful as defining your desired identity. He puts it this way:
“The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity. It’s one thing to say I’m the type of person who wants this. It’s something very different to say I’m the type of person who is this” (p. 33)
This reminds me of my college days. I did not drink in college. Zero, zip, nada. It was my identity, who I was. This was a recurring exchange I would have in college: “‘Cole, want a drink?’ ‘No thank you, I don’t drink.’” It was not, “I’m trying not to drink,” or “I don’t want to drink.” It was, “I don’t drink.” Period. It was who I was and it was a point of pride in my identity.
So let me ask you, who is the person you want to be?
Stop. Don’t keep reading. Who do you want to be?
Do you want to be healthy?
Do you want to be active?
Do you want to be a runner?
Do you want to be a musician?
Do you want to be a reader?
Do you want to be a Christian?
Do you want to be a leader?
Do you want to be an entrepreneur?
Do you want to be reliable?
Do you want to be punctual?
Do you want to be a good spouse?
Do you want to be a good parent?
Do you want to be a good friend?
Pause for a moment and write this down somewhere you will see it again. A journal, a sticky note, your phone wallpaper. Write down WHO you want to be.
Next, we get to the second step in the process, proving it to yourself! This is where habits come in.
Clear explains that habits are reliable solutions to recurring problems. This makes it less taxing on your brain when you are confronted with known challenges. They are like mental shortcuts.
These mental shortcuts can be positive or negative. Remember from Chapter 1, the compounding interest of your habits goes both ways.
Are your mental shortcuts, your daily routines, your habits reinforcing the identity that you want or is it pushing you further away from the person you want to become?
This feedback loop is powerful because it can be self-perpetuating. Who you are determines what you repeatedly do...and what you repeatedly do determines who you are...and who you are determines what you repeatedly do and so on…
This is why it is so important to be intentional about who you want to be AND about what you do on a daily basis.
It is so easy to mindlessly wander through life in a “cognitive slumber,” following the norms we currently believe about ourselves. Thoughts like:
I’m terrible with directions
I’m not a morning person
I’m bad at remembering people’s names
I’m always late
I’m not good with technology
I’m horrible at math
These statements are a product of the story you have had on repeat about yourself for years.
Spiritual Sidenote: The sermon at church this weekend had amazing overlap with the themes we are talking about this week, it was about the accusations of the devil. He takes your sins, your shortcomings, your insecurities and shouts accusations about WHO you are because of them. An example of that would be, you lose your job and he will tell you you’re a failure, you’re not good enough, you’re a loser, you’re never going to amount to anything, this is your lot in life. THOSE ARE LIES. Jesus tells a different story. Jesus says you are loved and accepted and that a failure does not define you. Your worth is based on much more than your professional or financial success. You are a child of God and the schemes of the enemy do not stand up to the love and grace of Jesus.
Okay, back to your regularly scheduled Book Clubbing…
Here’s the homework:
Step 1 – Take a few moments to think about WHO you want to be. This is your desired identity. Long term change must be driven by identity change, not outcomes. It must begin with the WHO; the WHAT and HOW are the next step.
Step 2 – Prove your identity to yourself with small wins through daily habits. What would a person like the one you want to become, do on a daily basis? Get up early or snooze the alarm? Take a walk or sit on the couch? Read the book or turn on the TV? This is the act of BECOMING the person you want to BE.
There is so much more I would have loved to unpack from this section, but this is what stood out to me most: You are what you repeatedly do. Your identity determines your actions and your actions determine your identity. We must be very intentional with WHO we believe we are and WHAT we do every day.
What was your biggest takeaway? Share it with me on Instagram or Facebook! Book Clubs are about sharing ideas and growing together, don’t be shy, share your thoughts!
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