"You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” - James Clear, Atomic Habits
Today marks one week of writing and publishing on #LearningLeadership365. I’m building a writing habit. Today’s a good day to reflect on the system that's supporting the habit.
James Clear in Atomic Habits writes of the four steps involved with building a habit, (and the four levers to create a good habit).
The Problem Phase:
Cue (Make it obvious.)
Craving (Make it attractive.)
The Solution Phase:
Response: The solution phase (Make it easy.)
Reward (Make it satisfying.)
Our brains run through this four-step feedback loop every time, and in order. In an effective system, one step triggers the next, and so forth. This automates a habit.
How do I make it obvious?
I will write each morning at the kitchen table, while my coffee is brewing. After I open the blogging platform on my computer, I will get my coffee and return to the table to write.
How do I make it attractive?
The location where I write daily is one I associate with focus and productivity. Free of distractions, I can focus for sustained time periods.
How do I make it easy?
The platform I use is easy to access and navigate. It’s also visually appealing. The platform requires limited clicks and doesn’t interfere with the writing habit that I’m focused on building.
How do I make it satisfying?
The reward is in the process of writing and publishing. Actions connected to the system that I’m creating directly contribute to the satisfaction I get from publishing a completed post.
Right now, I am more focused on the habit I am building than I am the quality of the posts I am publishing each day. As my writing habit progresses, I will focus on making improvements, based on the feedback offered by the community reading my work. And while I’ve got ideas on where I’d like to take this, I will let the process drive the outcomes.
Check out this week’s posts by visiting LearningLeadership365.