Clearly, ah, well… at least it's clear to me, I have James Clear to thank.
What a name!
It prompts thoughts of nominative determinism, a topic that, were I to return to university in search of a degree, would surely be the focus of my studies and the subject of my thesis.
Let's be clear though, James Clear's book Atomic Habits, is truly a potential life changer.
If there is anything you wish to accomplish, that is a significant challenge, that you feel might easily be out of reach, read Atomic Habits and turn the steps leading to the outcome you want into a series of habits.
Sounds like simplistic, oversimplified, and ultimately useless advice. Right?
That's because we mostly fail at creating new beneficial habits, like exercise, diet, reading, diligence...
That's how this book changes everything.
Simply put, James Clear shows how very small steps, what we often call baby steps, help to build the habits that will almost certainly guarantee success. This one sentence explanation doesn't even come close to James Clear's recipe for your success. It involves not baby steps, but steps so small and trivial that they might best measured in atoms. Atomic habits!
I bought Atomic Habits in October 2020. It's been five years. I now have a number of habits inspired by James Clear.
For instance, almost a year after that book began to change my life, I began tracking my daily habits. 1,483 days later I do that daily. 202 days ago, my doctor said "if you don't lose weight, I'll prescribe medication because you are borderline pre-diabetic". So I started to diet. I have now lost 23 pounds and my self-imposed target is only 9 pounds down the road.
Like most humans, I still stray, fail to walk a perfect straight line. My straggles are scribbled, so I can't pretend I'm not sliding, when I am. My goal is five 5-10 kilometre bike rides a week. I come close to a perfect score sometimes, not that often, but 1,420 days of tracking later I have ridden 4,020 kilometres.
A little over a month ago, in early September, I considered for the first time that my weekday routines might well be my rites. That means I should perhaps see them as my rituals, similar to the ceremonial aspects of many religions.
I am not at all a religious person. I abandoned the religion I was born into when it became deeply inconsistent with my being. I am surrounded by loved ones who share that history. I believe, very deeply, that religion is often the realm of too simple answers to complex, sometimes unfathomable realities. Much as many religions may seek to promote love, kindness, honesty, and integrity, they, like me, tend to stray. All too often they inflict pain, suffering, and indignity on others, often upon those who are not considered to be in their fold.
My rituals begin with contemplation and brief meditation, followed by a series of slow gentle movements inspired by Tai Chi and the many phases of my life, from birth, infancy, childhood, learning, career steps, and ending in the present moment. Those steps morph into exercises designed by my physiotherapist Andrew Kim to maintain an acceptable level of fitness.
Speaking of straying, from the time I began writing this post until I posted it, I strayed. I am confident I will be back on track shortly.
I blame my family physician. I was planning to do a blood test to see where I stood health-wise but only once I had hit my self-imposed weight target. My doctor, pleased with my weight loss so far, insisted on doing the testing. A week later I had a call with the doctor who was amazed at the results, with certain problematic markers having plummeted. I mean that’s good news, but the good news makes it very tempting to stray…. so I have been straying. Fortunately there is one habit I won’t stray from, and that is tracking my weight daily. So I know I am straying and I know precisely what the impact is. And that habit is what will re-instate the others that lead to a healthier life.
Thank you James Clear!
