How to build habits by changing our environment | #86

How to build habits with a small change

Sep 01, 2023

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I was reading Atomic Habits and James Clear, the author of the book, shared an interesting way to build and break a habit. It’s about changing your habits by changing your environment.

James Clear shares a story about a group of researchers from Harvard who went to Massachusetts General Hospital with an interesting question: The researchers wondered, "Could they change people's behaviour without talking to them at all?"

There were multiple refrigerators containing soda (pink-shaded ones contained soda) and Water (black-shaded ones contained Water)

In the experiment, the researchers didn't remove any soda, they simply added water as an option inside the pink-shaded refrigerators.

Over the next 6 months, people drank more water and reduced the consumption of soda.

This was one example of how our surroundings have a huge impact on the choices that we make, good or bad.

“You don’t have to be the victim of your environment, you can be the architect of it.”
— James Clear

You have to decide, how to change your environment to have better habits for yourself. Here are a few of the changes I made:

I wanted to remember more

Current Status: I kept forgetting simple tasks. Sometimes I wanted to do a task in the evening, but later I used to forget it.

Simple Change: So what I did was, whenever I remembered or got a task, I immediately noted it in my Notion and then blocked it in my calendar. It helped me forget that thought and spend no energy in remembering it.

I used a notebook to get less distracted

Current Status: Whenever I was doing important work, I used to get thoughts that I had to send a message to someone, do a task, make a ppt, etc. All the tasks that I had to do were not related to the current task. I used to remember it and later, I forgot half the thoughts

Simple Change: I kept a small notebook with me while working, so whenever I got a random thought, I noted it down. Later, when I finished the current work, I would add the task my to do list and calendar and I would do the next task in the calendar. A physical notebook is the best because we tend to get distracted when we start using our phone to take notes

I wanted to exercise more

Current Status: I have been an early bird since childhood. So I like waking up early and exercising and doing important tasks like meditation, reading, etc. in the morning. But I used to procrastinate playing badminton or gym or running, as it felt like a big task to get ready and go. So many times, I didn’t go to exercise.

Simple Change: I kept all my equipment ready last night. My clothes, badminton kit and shoes are ready by my table so that I get ready quickly and move out

So remove the chocolates from your box and replace them with fruits or dry fruits be the architect of your environment and change your habits.

Picture of the week

It’s been 2 weeks that I am studying at Masters’ Union and it’s been amazing. I am learning a lot. Here’s a glimpse of it

masters.union

A post shared by @masters.union

In this together,

Pranav ✌️

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