Mindset: Atomic Habits

The Atomic Habits mindset is developed from material written by James Clear, is a great way for us to consider the way we need to do things differently and gives us a nice framework for that.

Outcome Based Habits

Normally what we have is Outcome Based Habits – we want to lose 10kg so we change our habits, go to the gym everyday and this becomes harder so either we are going to give up and not get to that outcome or we are going to get to that outcome and go back to being the identity we were before. Which is maybe someone that before didn’t go to the gym everyday.

Equally a outcome based habit might be that we want to generate 2% or 3% growth in sales this year but we don’t change the habits that we have got around that and we don’t do anything differently and we certainly don’t change our identity so it is very difficult to get the outcome that we want without changing our habits. So a better framework would be to use is Identity-Based Habits.

Identity Based Habits

If we look at our gym analogy from above, if we identify as a fit and healthy person to start with then the habits that we have will naturally be affecting our outcomes. So when we are thinking about our business right now, we need to think about who we identify as and what is our core purpose. What are the things that we should be doing now that are consistent with that identify what habits we have that we need to carry on. It starts with the identity either as an individual or as a business rather than with the outcome. So we need to establish those habits based around that identity and the outcomes will follow.

We want to have identity based habits rather than outcome based habits., that is all about who so you need to be to deliver those outcomes.

‘Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.’

James Clear, Atomic Habits

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