Hope everyone is staying warm in these freezing conditions!
My topic today continues with the pursuit of becoming a better version of ourselves. As I continue to observe myself and others in this process, the research in the book Atomic Habits is proving to be true. I see where I, and others walking with me, have missed the path to success in the past with attempts to effect change.
We may set our vision correctly, but the failures come with taking on too much too soon. We fail so many times we end up quitting without actually doing the habit for long enough.
Our modern-day culture continues to push the topics of hustle and a “no pain-no gain” attitude with Navy Seals all over the leadership pages. We do not have to look very far to see this played out in extreme measures– from crazy work outs, to never ending messages of “death to feelings- just do it!”. In contrast, what I am seeing that is proving to be effective is making the path more attractive, more achievable, and sustainable, with less friction and more accountability.
Starting small, creating wins, and measuring and charting those wins with others—this is what works. Every step in the right direction is a vote for the person we are becoming-building tremendous feelings of accomplishment and momentum.
Imagine with me: a baby that wants to walk as its goal. With the way most of us set goals our first behavior would be to be take one step, when really the first behavior should be to practice pulling from kneeling to standing with a prop- like a table. The first strategy would be setting the child up for failure and they would feel defeated repeatedly. With this set up comes the confirmation of the belief that you can’t do it and then you give up. It is too much too soon.
The best avenue for growth is setting ourselves up with small, actionable, and specific steps, then practicing, seeing what works, what does not and problem-solving from there. This practice teaches us so much about ourselves if we really lean into it. As we continue to learn and get our behaviors small enough to win consistently, we are more motivated to build from there. Progress is the key and if we do not give up, we win!
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