To be fair, if you want to accomplish your goals very easily, the easiest way is just to set very easy goals. But, that’s not really the point. Goals that are too easily accomplished probably aren’t that worthwhile. Your goals should challenge you, pushing you beyond your comfort zone. The goals that deliver the most satisfaction are the ones you fought the hardest to achieve.
Clearly defined goals are good, but they can also open you up to a “now what?” situation. With that in mind, you’ll notice that my goals for 2020 really aren’t about an end destination. Most of them aren’t of “one and done” variety. Instead, my goals are much more about establishing positive habits. Put another way, I can accomplish my goals if I am able to start and maintain good habits.
The core framework of Atomic Habits by James Clear breaks down this process of building good habits (and breaking bad ones) into four key aspects: make it obvious, make attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying. Let’s look at each of these components a little more closely.
1. Make It Obvious
If you see it, you’re more likely to do it. Conversely, if you don’t see it, you’re less likely to do it. Kicking the junk food habit is a terrific example of this. If all you see is junk food when you open your kitchen cabinet, chances are that you’re going to snack on junk food more often. But, if all you see are healthy snacks with nary any junk food in sight, you’re probably not going to eat as much junk food.
For much the same reason, I printed out a copy of my goals for 2020 and placed this on my desk. I see it every time I sit down. And it’s staring right back at me all day. Every time I glance down for whatever reason, there it is as a constant reminder of what I want to accomplish this year. Make it obvious.
This is the exact same idea behind “vision boards” and “inspiration boards.” Want to save money? Draw up one of those fundraising thermometer graphics and fill it in to track your progress.
2. Make It Attractive
If your goal is obvious, but it’s not something you actually want to do, you’re not going to do it. Using the junk food example above, filling your cupboard with rice cakes isn’t helpful if you hate eating rice cakes. While I don’t have any intention to go vegan any time soon, I don’t miss the meat when I have the great nasi goreng from Hawker’s Delight on Main Street. It’s super attractive in its own right.
When thinking about your good habits and how to accomplish your goals, frame them in such a way that you want to do them. Now and over the long haul.
For instance, I want to hit my daily step goal 250 times this year. Thankfully, I live within walking distance of a couple park trails. It’s appealing for me to get away from traffic and back “into nature” for a stroll. The simple act of getting away from my computer and into the fresh air is motivating, even when the weather isn’t that great. Both my mental and physical health benefit as a result. Going for a walk isn’t a chore; it’s a treat.
3. Make It Easy
A big reason why I was able to read to 30 books last year was because I made it easy for myself. I’m continuing much of that same strategy for this year. For starters, I’m pretty relaxed on the definition of “reading.” Several of the books that I “read” are actually audiobooks, and I listen to these while on my walks. Double-whammy!
I also make it easy for myself by giving myself multiple options, all of which are always obvious and satisfying too. I keep both my Kindle and a physical book by my bedside. This keeps the stories fresh, because I’ll have up to three on the go. It’s the same reason why we like to follow multiple TV shows at the same time. Having them bedside also serves as a reminder (make it obvious) to read before bed.
And it’s easy because I don’t have to “get up” to go find my Kindle or book elsewhere in the house.
4. Make It Satisfying
When you want to build good habits to accomplish your goals, the actions you take must be satisfying. When you’ve done the thing for today, you should feel pretty good about it. Using my daily steps as an example, my Fitbit vibrates and plays this fancy little animation thing when I hit my step goal for the day. That’s a nice little hit of dopamine. That’s operant conditioning at work.
I also have a physical calendar on my desk. It’s a single sheet that shows the whole year, and it’s pretty satisfying when I can mark off the days I hit my step goal. This adds an obviously visual confirmation of my progress, something that I don’t really get unless I dig into the Fitbit app on my phone. Similarly, it feels good when I finish a book and I can see the progress on my 2020 reading challenge. Gold star!
Success Is a Habit (and a Mindset)
When your habits are obvious, attractive, easy and satisfying, accomplishing your goals is much more within reach. And you don’t have to work as hard to achieve them. Also, you might think that you’ll be happier when you’re (more) successful. But, that’s got it backwards. As ironic as it may sound, you’ll be more successful when you’re happier in the first place. And it’s easier to be happier when you’ve made it easy to build and maintain good habits.
For a deeper dive into this framework for building good habits, I encourage you to read Atomic Habits. After all, reading more is a “good habit” that so many of us want to build, right?
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