By Lisa S. Tarno

I’m reading a great book, “Atomic Habits” by James Clear and the information he presents is a new way to look at the things we achieve in our lives. Many of us know about goal setting and having action plans. This author talks more about the action plans or as he defines, “systems” as the measure of success rather than the actual goal.

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”~ James Clear

Our systems defined are the daily habits we either adjust or not in our lives that make for the result. The result can either be positive or negative depending on the corresponding habit. I have always said “The choices you make determine the path you take,” and this author is in alignment with my very sentiments. A big takeaway in this book to focus more on the little changes we can make versus the big picture. The big picture or overall goal can be daunting and even overwhelming. He brings it down to bite size portions. 

“Focusing on the overall system, rather than a single goal, is one of the core themes of this book. It is also one of the deeper meanings behind the word atomic…an atomic habit refers to a tiny change, a marginal gain, a 1 percent improvement. Just as atoms are the building blocks of molecules, atomic habits are the building blocks of remarkable results…Habits are like the atoms of our lives.”~ James Clear

Much of our lives is repetitive; Rinse, lather, repeat! Consistency is key. If we can focus more on doing the little things that actually lend to improving our lives, over time we will reap what we sow.

“Success is the product of daily habits…you get what you repeat.” ~James Clear What we make a habit of will grow. It’s an economic principle as well as a life principle.  Another good quote is, 

“Habits are the compound interest of self improvement.”~James Clear

I absolutely loved his illustration of the 1 degree difference of getting an ice cube to melt. 

“Complaining about not achieving success despite working hard is like complaining about an ice cube not melting when you heated it from twenty-five to thirty-one degrees. Your work is not wasted; it is just being stored. All the action happens at thirty-two degrees.” ~ James Clear

Isn’t it so much like us to become discouraged with not seeing immediate results? It takes patience with ourselves and committing to doing the do each day being assured that time will yield results. The cumulative effect will be amazing. He writes of how change can take years for something to happen…all at once. Examples of tectonic plates grinding against each other for millions of years while the tension slowly builds until an earthquake happens. Bamboo is hardly noticed within the first five years of its underground growth of root systems before it has an explosive entry above ground ninety feet within six weeks. 

All this to encourage us to keep doing the little things that will add up…just like that!