Who is James Clear?
James Clear is a popular author, speaker and productivity expert. He is one of the first experts I wrote about in my blog and someone who I saw speak here in Toronto. His New York Times bestseller book, ‘Atomic Habits’, focuses on habit formation and implementation, with the aim of continuous improvement. Clear’s work is rooted in behavioural psychology and he pulls on research from various fields. Essentially his work helps individuals understand how habits work and how to leverage them to achieve one’s goals.
“1% better each day”, leads to a compounding effect and “the aggregation of marginal gains”
Clear speaks about the concept of becoming “1% better every day.” He implores us to “start small” in terms of making minor changes, versus, the significant changes we so often seek, when we are inpatient or don’t think our lives is turning out how we expected. Clear explains that by, even becoming “1% better each day”, it leads to a compounding effect. He states that “the aggregation of marginal gains” is how to improve one’s life.
Clear said, “if you can improve habits by 1%, they will compound.” So for Clear, “excellence isn’t about radical change; it’s about continuous improvement.” Clear speaks about the power of habits: “habits can either build you up or tear you down.” He goes on to state: “if you have good habits, then time becomes your friend. Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.”
Atomic Habits: The Power of Tiny Changes
Clear argues that significant improvements in one’s life often result from making small, consistent changes in behaviour. He calls these small changes “atomic habits” because they are the fundamental units of larger habits.
By thinking of an end goal, ‘reverse engineering’ it and by breaking the goal down into smaller habits, we can ascertain, how to spend and maximize our time. When you develop this perspective, it helps to frame habits and helps you work in a much more positive light, as you do not have to stress about making drastic or overarching changes, but rather, through consistently and seeking constant small improvements, you can achieve vast long-term results.
The concept of marginal gains, is often attributed to Sir Dave Brailsford, the former performance director of British Cycling. Brailsford implemented this concept with the British Cycling team (‘Team Sky’). The idea played a pivotal role in the team’s remarkable success. Great Britain had only one gold medal in cycling from 1908 to 2008. However under Brailsford’s leadership, he implemented the concept of marginal gain, helping lead the British Cycling team to win multiple golds at the Olympics.
The core idea of marginal gains is that instead of trying to make one large, overarching change to achieve a major improvement, one should focus on making many small, almost imperceptible improvements across various areas of their life and habits. These tiny changes may seem insignificant on their own, argues Clear, but when they accumulate, they can lead to substantial progress. Clear uses the concept of marginal gains to emphasize the importance of focusing on the small, everyday habits and decisions that collectively shape your life and then focusing on improving those habits by 1%.
Implement a Compound Growth Mindset in Your Life, by Making Small Changes and Practicing the Power of Consistency
When a individual has a compound growth mindset, they naturally will hold a long-term perspective. Either through experience or their own wisdom, a person with this perspective understands that, through small habits throughout time, that there will be built up accumulation, which creates momentum towards our goals.
By thinking of an end goal, ‘reverse engineering’ it and by breaking the goal down into smaller habits, we can ascertain, how to spend and maximize our time. When you develop this perspective, it helps to frame habits and helps you work in a much more positive light, as you do not have to stress about making drastic or overarching changes, but rather, through consistently and seeking constant small improvements, you can achieve vast long-term results.