It's terribly hard to keep that instant gratification monkey inside our brains in check to consistently follow through on those good habits we desperately need for our long term success. For some, this may manifest into a bulging midriff due to lack of exercise and for some others it may be the writers block that's preventing them from penning and sharing their thoughts on a regular basis. Trust me, been there done (/doing) that!

James Clear in his book Atomic Habits suggests some really useful tips to keep that instant gratification monkey at bay and pick up those habits that will help you reach that desired future version of yourself. Here are some of the key takeaways from the book that are worth calling out:

STARTING THE CYCLE OF CHANGE

• The power of 1% - Don't underestimate the compounding power of small changes or improvements over time.
• Focus on the systems not the goals, set the right systems or steps that will help you get closer to the goal and then keep at them.
• Who do you want to be? Asking yourself this question is a good starting point whenever you are struggling to take the first step or tending to fall off the wagon. Do you want to be that unfit (fat) middle aged person or do you want to see yourself as a much more healthier and fitter version? What's the self image you identify with and which one you don't.

DEVELOPING NEW HABITS

• Watch for the cues, there are small cues that lead you down the path of the habits you desire or want to avoid, pointing and calling out the actions help reinforce (or mitigate) the cues.
• Another method one can use is habit stacking, this means that we associate the new habit with an existing one and call out this new association to ourselves. For instance, I will write and complete the summary of a book I read recently every Sunday post my morning shower.
• The company you keep or your environment matters when developing or letting go of habits. So make those adjustments if you are really serious about adopting the new habit or shaking away the old one.
• Remove friction to build new habits and add small frictions to let go of bad habits. For instance, if you feel you are spending too much time on your phone, start keeping it in a room other than the one where you usually sit or spend your leisure time, now every time an urge presents itself you are forced to go through the (minor) discomfort of having to trudge to the other room.
• The 2 min rule, break down the habit into phases of small steps and move through them one by one. Doing a small thing is better than not doing anything.
• Associate positive outcomes to the negative emotions associated with the habits you want to adopt. For instance, convince yourself that the anxiety that comes with a public speaking opportunity is helping me prepare better and showcase my talent. So, embrace it and use it to your advantage.

SUSTAINING NEW HABITS

• Make it satisfying - associate small rewards or punishments with the habits you want to adopt or discard. For instance, I can watch the next web series if I have written and shared atleast 1 article/post the previous week.
• Don't drop the ball on a repeated basis, that occasional slip is ok, just ensure that it doesn't you don't miss the loop more than once.
• Identify the next level once you have imbibed a habit, take it to the next level by taking on smaller but more challenging goals. This keeps the habit alive and helps you move closer to that desired self image.
• Identify the right measure, we optimise for what we measure and when we measure the wrong thing then we are very likely to miss the final goal. When a measure becomes a target then it ceases to be a good measure. For example, losing 10 kgs is not the goal, the goal is to become a healthier and leaner version of yourself. Just because you can measure something doesn't mean it all important and just because you can't measure something doesn't mean it is unimportant.

If you've gotten this far then I sincerely hope you found this useful, for more tips and tricks on good habits visit https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits or just read the book. :-)