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Ep. 165 | Habits (with James Clear)

The Minimalists・107 minutes read

The Minimalist Podcast episode with guest James Clear discusses habit formation and the book "Atomic Habits," highlighting the importance of identity in habit change and the power of small atomic habits to lead to significant results. Clear's scientifically grounded advice and actionable tips make habit change achievable and impactful, emphasizing starting small, finding enjoyment in habits, and the importance of consistency and perseverance.

Insights

"Atomic Habits" simplifies habit formation with scientifically grounded advice, emphasizing the role of identity in shaping habits.
Starting small with habits, like the two-minute rule, leads to automated routines and gradual habit development, focusing on consistent actions over time.
Strategies like habit stacking and temptation bundling, along with removing distractions, aid in maintaining habits, emphasizing the importance of surrounding oneself with supportive individuals.

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Recent questions

How can habits be simplified for daily application?
By breaking habits into small, fundamental units.

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Summary

00:00

"Atomic Habits: Transform Your Life with Science"

The Minimalist Podcast, hosted by Joshua Fields Milburn and Ryan Nicodemus, features guest James Clear, author of "Atomic Habits."
Episode 165, released on New Year's Day, focuses on habits, a timely topic for reflection and change.
Clear discusses his journey into habit formation, inspired by his experiences in sports and writing about habits for six years.
The book "Atomic Habits" emphasizes scientifically grounded, actionable advice for building good habits and breaking bad ones.
Clear's book simplifies habit formation, making it accessible and easy to apply in daily life.
Identity plays a crucial role in habit change, with habits reflecting the type of person one wishes to become.
The term "atomic habits" signifies habits as small, fundamental units that, when layered, lead to powerful results.
Clear distinguishes habits as automatic behaviors and routines as repeated practices that may not be automatic.
The book's summaries at the end of each chapter enhance understanding and application of the concepts discussed.
Clear's emphasis on scientifically based, actionable advice sets his work apart from traditional self-help, making habit change achievable and impactful.

12:57

"Building Habits: Start Small, Stay Consistent"

Habits initiate routines, like answering emails daily for an hour.
Start building a new habit with the two-minute rule, scaling down the habit to just the first two minutes.
Habits act as an entrance ramp to routines, automating the start of an activity.
Overcoming roadblocks in forming habits involves simplifying rules and triggers, like waking up to start writing.
Developing a habit for writing involves starting small, like writing one sentence daily.
Building a new identity as a writer involves casting small votes for that identity through consistent actions.
Mastering the art of showing up is crucial in establishing habits before improving them.
Focus on the verb of writing rather than the noun of being a writer, emphasizing the act of writing.
Enjoying the process of writing can vary, with peaks of satisfaction and valleys of drudgery.
Selecting a form of habit that is enjoyable, like different types of exercise, can enhance the habit-building process.

25:41

"Embracing Boredom: Keys to Habit Success"

Matthew Vela, a director of the documentary "Minimalism," initially emulated others by starting a blog but later realized his passion lay in filmmaking.
The Minimalists, eight years ago, began with just a blog as one avenue for their message, avoiding overwhelming themselves with multiple projects.
Overcoming boredom in habits, like weightlifting, is crucial for progress, as many struggle to persist in repetitive tasks.
Falling in love with boredom is essential for sustained progress in habits, as many tend to seek new challenges when faced with monotony.
The Goldilocks rule suggests finding a balance in habit difficulty to stay engaged and avoid boredom, leading to a state of flow.
Graduating habits by incrementally increasing difficulty by one percent daily can maintain engagement and growth.
Breaking down complex habits, like eating healthy, into smaller manageable tasks can aid in habit formation and progress.
Starting small with habits, like putting on workout clothes, can lead to a chain reaction of positive actions, simplifying the process.
Developing habits gradually, like the 30-day minimalism game, can make decluttering more enjoyable through friendly competition and incremental challenges.
The 30-day minimalism game involves partnering up to declutter items daily, starting with one item on day one and increasing by one item each day, fostering momentum and progress in decluttering efforts.

37:35

"Atomic habits, habit contract, and accountability"

The atomic approach involves making daily small improvements and having accountability.
Brian Harris, an entrepreneur, created a habit contract to lose weight and get in shape.
The habit contract detailed his goals, habits, and consequences for not following through.
Consequences included wearing an Alabama hat or dressing up in a suit if he failed.
Signing the contract made it real and helped him stick to his habits.
Falling in love with the process of good habits involves immediate satisfaction and delayed gratification.
Good habits provide long-term benefits despite immediate unfavorable outcomes.
Finding alternative ways to be satisfied in the moment helps stick to habits in the long run.
Habit stacking involves adding a new habit on top of an existing one, while temptation bundling pairs a desired activity with a necessary one.
Removing distractions like TV, internet, and phone can help build routine habits and confront boredom.

50:14

"Building Healthy Habits for Long-Term Success"

Lightning round where questions from social media are answered in short, shareable responses
Herb seeks advice on implementing researched healthy habits for a healthier life
Tips include using the two-minute rule, focusing on one habit at a time, and clarifying when and where habits will occur
Rob Bell's example of creating a dedicated writing space for focused habit development
Pointing and calling technique from Tokyo's train system enhances awareness and prevents mistakes
Listing current habits and categorizing them as positive, negative, or neutral aids in habit evaluation
Verbally acknowledging habits, like unhealthy eating choices, can lead to behavior change
Consistent habit adherence, even in challenging times, is crucial for long-term success
Even small actions, like doing five push-ups after a long day, contribute significantly to overall progress
The importance of maintaining habits, even in difficult circumstances, builds a strong foundation for long-term success.

01:02:45

"Overcoming Challenges, Building Habits, Finding Support"

The speaker had a challenging workout day, struggling with lower performance and feeling unwell.
Despite the workout difficulties, the speaker emphasizes the importance of showing up and trying, even if it results in failure.
The discussion shifts to breaking the habit of always saying yes, highlighting the need to prioritize important tasks over unimportant ones.
Saying yes to unimportant matters leads to neglecting crucial aspects, emphasizing the significance of learning to say no.
The concept of seasons in life is introduced, suggesting that habits and priorities shift based on the current life phase.
The importance of surrounding oneself with supportive individuals to empower positive habits is stressed.
Strategies to associate immediate discomfort with bad habits and long-term rewards with good habits are recommended.
The speaker expresses interest in discussing building habits with children and foundational habits for overall habit improvement.
Dealing with frustration when breaking a habitual streak or giving up on a habit is addressed, emphasizing resilience and perseverance.
The audience is encouraged to listen to additional podcast episodes on Patreon for more in-depth discussions on habits and personal development.

01:16:03

Influence of Environment on Habits and Well-being

The podcast creators do not earn any money from their podcast, relying on Patreon support.
Parents have a significant influence on their children's habits, especially through the environment and peers they expose them to.
The swimming team at the speaker's college had the highest GPAs, emphasizing the impact of the environment on habits.
The speaker discusses the best albums of 2018, including Phoebe Bridgers and Ruston Kelly.
The speaker recommends watching Game of Thrones with someone who hasn't seen it to experience their reactions.
The speaker shares the benefits of experiencing childhood emotions through their child's belief in Santa Claus.
The speaker recommends Chrome extensions like Facebook Newsfeed Eradicator and Distraction for YouTube to reduce distractions.
The podcast creators engage in Screenless Saturdays, where they disconnect from screens and explore their city.
The creators emphasize the importance of pausing and reflecting on the impact of screenless days on their well-being.
The creators spent a Saturday searching for a payphone, highlighting the rarity of such devices in today's digital age.

01:29:15

"Screen-less Saturdays: Finding Payphones and Purpose"

Payphones are no longer common, but the speaker found one that was just a shell without a phone.
The search for a payphone led to Franklin Canyon Park, where a Super 8 camera was used to film a video about screen-less Saturdays.
The Super 8 camera can film for nine minutes at 18 frames per second, and an old cassette tape recorder was used for sound recording.
After spending the day filming, an actual payphone was found in Beverly Hills, allowing a call to be made.
The video about screen-less Saturdays emphasizes stepping back from technology to use it more deliberately.
The speaker encourages supporting the building of a grocery store in Dayton, Ohio, to address the food desert issue.
Listeners are urged to donate to help build the grocery store, with the speaker and Ryan contributing $25,000 and seeking additional support.

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