529: James Clear - Becoming an Optimist, Building Better Habits, Creating Your System, & Setting Up Your Future Self (Atomic Habits)

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Full show notes at www.LearningLeader.com

James Clear is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Atomic Habits, which has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. His newsletter, 3-2-1 is shipped to more than 2 million people every Thursday.

Notes:

• "The key, if you want to build habits that last, is to join a group where the desired behavior is the normal behavior."
• We should champion good ideas. You need to bet on something. Bet on a business. Bet on a relationship. Bet on something. You may have less risk being a pessimist or not going all in on something, but you also limit your upside. It's worth being a champion of good ideas.
  • A Chilean saying: "Criticizing a musician is easy, but it is more difficult when you have a guitar in your hand." -- Don't criticize someone else unless you're willing to do the work.
• Quantity and Quality – The parable of the pottery class – The University of Florida film photography professor, Jerry Uelsmann, divided his class into two groups. What happened with that experiment? We have to get going to get good. Quantity leads to quality. Be consistent. Show up, and do the work.
• Priorities – We all should ask ourselves this question: If someone could only see my actions and not hear my words, what would they say my priorities are?
• Steven Pressfield says the difference between an amateur and a professional is in their habits. An amateur has amateur habits. A professional has professional habits.
• 3 things that help luck:
  • Deconstructing your craft, so you know what good opportunities look like.
  • Remaining vigilant, so you notice when lucky breaks come your way.
  • Acting quickly, so you are more likely to seize luck when it arrives.
• "You do not rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems."
• "Habits are like the atoms of our lives, each one is a fundamental unit that contributes to your overall improvement."
• "Outcomes are about what you get. Processes are about what you do. Identity is about what you believe."
• "The goal is not to read a book, the goal is to become a reader."
• "Your identity emerges out of your habits."
• Why We Should Write – "Many people assume they are bad at writing because it is hard. This is like assuming you are bad at weightlifting because the weight is heavy."
  • Writing is useful because it is hard. It's the effort that goes into writing a clear sentence that leads to better thinking.
• Get Going to Get Good – Many situations in life are similar to going on a hike: the view changes once you start walking. You don't need all the answers right now. New paths will reveal themselves if you have the courage to get started.
• "The most practical way to change who you are is to change what you do." 
• "Building habits in the present allows you to do more of what you want in the future."