Category: Atomic Habits

A New Year of Small Changes

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A year ago this month, I launched a non-fiction Book Club asking my Facebook friends to join me as we read James Clear’s, Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results. The response was greater than I anticipated and I think the reason is that change hits home! We all want change but it is HARD. We started the New Year with an 8-week journey into the world of making small changes in our daily lives so that we would see larger growth over time. People wanted to change many different aspects of their lives from weight loss to exercising more, from making time for self-care to volunteering more, from changing careers to entering the workforce after being home childrearing. While the types of changes varied, the sentiment was the same…we’ve been wanting to do this, and NOW is the time. But the key difference for much of the success of the people in this group was changing our mindset to making ONE SMALL change at a time. With progress and small successes, confidence and motivation grew. Big changes did occur as time went on, even after our Book Club finished the book. I, for one, started volunteering at a local inner-city Catholic school which turned into an academic interventionist position and I’m loving it! I also realized that I thoroughly enjoyed guiding a book club with questions, quotes and inspiration and started a FB community aptly titled, Simply Better Yourself. Inspiring others to think of small ways they can better themselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually has been very fulfilling. Now, I’m not perfect at always taking care of myself but I think that’s what’s important about our group’s support…we aim for progress, not perfection!

With 2023 beginning, I couldn’t help but purchase my two teenagers their own copies of Atomic Habits. While my children may not always listen to what I say, I thought if they read about the importance and high success rate of making small changes in their lives, maybe they would actually try it (ie. making their beds each morning, staying on top of laundry, planning their homework/project schedule, staying fit during sports’ off-season, studying for SATs). My list could be endless for them but that’s what I want to change…taking me out of the picture as they develop more responsibility for their own future. I believe my goal is to get them ready to be on their own in this world when they leave for college. Yes, I’ll be there for them always, but I want them equipped to handle life. I do think this gift of small changes can enable them to think about ways to improve that will bring greater rewards. When you refocus challenges in manageable bits, anything seems possible.

So, when everyone else is waiting in line to join a gym, I’m lacing up my sneakers to take a walk with my family and dog, with the plan of taking part in our town’s Feaster 5 on Thanksgiving…starting small ❤︎

Small & Simple: Creating New Habits for your Family

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Exploring Tulips in Bloom @ Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens, North Andover

I LOVE summer! Who doesn’t? It’s a season of more relaxation, less business. A time to try new things, explore new places, make new foods. I always start the summer with a dream list of things I want to accomplish for myself and for my family…workout in the early mornings, go for a hike once a week, spend less time on personal devices. Unfortunately, my best intentions typically never amount to anything but a good thought. However, this summer will be different! Why? Well, I have been inspired by James Clear’s Atomic Habits, An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. I started a Book Club earlier this year and this was the first book we read. The response was unanimous…it’s AMAZING!! Thought provoking yet practical. If you don’t have it, run to your local bookstore and read ASAP so you can use the summer to establish all those routines, hopes and dreams you’ve had for your family and finally implement them! Here’s how:

  1. Start small. Atomic means an extremely small amount so this is your mantra…simple & small. Yes, you have grandiose ideas of what you want to accomplish, where you want to end up. But pause, reflect and think about where you can start. Think of the process of creating new habits as walking along a winding path in the woods. Visualize where the path leads and what it will look like at the end. Now prepare for your journey with incremental steps, knowing where you want to go. Establish new habits so that you will succeed in your endgame.
  2. Make it Obvious. No guessing allowed-clear and concise goals, habits. Create an intention to implement your new habit. Pair your new, desired habit with a current one. This habit stacking is powerful and easy.
    • I want to go on more hikes with my family. After we finish dinner on Tuesdays (current habit), we go for a hike (new habit).
    • Take time to plan and setup your environment so that you will succeed. A family backpack is ready to go by the door with bug spray, sunblock, map, and trail mix for our hike.
  3. Make it Attractive. New habits should be enticing!
    • Washing/vacuuming the car…family ice cream party!
    • Surround your family with others who have the habits you are trying to create. When summer arrives, attending Church every Sunday gets tough for us. How about inviting another family over for a BBQ after services?
  4. Make it easy. What can you easily accomplish first along your path? Set your family up to succeed! This should be a painless, even joyful approach to making positive changes.
    • I want my family members to load their dirty dishes straight into the dishwasher instead of piling them up in the sink. I empty the dishwasher first thing in the morning so it’s ready. A a post-it note saying, “I’m ready to be filled!” greets them as a friendly reminder. The more they do this, the less they need my sign as it becomes automatic.
  5. Make it Satisfying. Happiness=Repetition. If your family enjoys the new routine, they’ll be more apt to continue.
    • Cleaning up after dinner becomes a dance party with music!
  6. Track your progress and celebrate accomplishments. Everyone loves to be rewarded for a job well done. Use a calendar to track your new habits and decide on a reward once you keep up with your habits for one week, two weeks, one month, etc.
    • A dog-walking schedule was created and after 1 week of no reminders of whose turn it was, the kids got to choose a new toy for our dog. Win-win, especially for our pup!
  7. Remember, you are striving for Progress not Perfection, my favorite quote of the book! This is SO true not just for habits, but for raising our families. Use summer vacation to slowly and simply establish new habits, create new routines to essentially have more happiness together. ❤︎

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones