Introduction:

James Clear is a bestselling author who has sold over 25 million copies of his book Atomic Habits, which has been translated into 20 different languages. He played as a starting pitcher for Denison University just a few years after suffering a life-changing injury and being cut from his high school team. He went from failing all of his classes to being awarded his university’s highest academic honor. How did he manage to go from rock bottom to becoming the top male athlete at his university in only six years? He credits his success to the small habits that allowed him to improve by 1% every day.

Atomic Habits:

So, what’s the big deal about improving by 1% every day? Why not aim for a 10% or even 25% improvement? If your goal is to enhance your cardio, you don’t start by running a marathon. That’s completely unrealistic, and you’ll quickly tire out. This is where most people go wrong—they do too much too soon and then quit because they don’t see any progress. Not everyone can be diligent enough to stick with a significant habit that takes up their entire day, but most people can manage small tasks that contribute to a larger goal. It’s about working smarter, not harder.

How Can I Use Atomic Habits to Reach My Goals?

Many areas of my life require constant development if I want to accomplish my goals. The problem is that I often try to reach my goals all at once, which leads to exhaustion. This can be counterproductive because instead of making progress, I end up going backward. However, if I take small steps toward my goals using smaller habits, I can stay focused and consistent without becoming overwhelmed. I have many habits, both good and bad. Although they differ significantly, they all have one thing in common: these small habits dictate how I go about my day. If I can improve the good ones and eliminate the bad ones, I can become the best version of myself.

What Habits Do I Want to Work On?

I want to reduce my excessive social media use. Whenever I have a free moment, I find myself scrolling through Instagram. While a few minutes at a time may not seem like much, it adds up by the end of the day. Instead of mindlessly scrolling, I will download an application that limits my access to certain apps like Snapchat and Instagram. This will allow me to be productive during my spare time.

What do I want to get out of this project?

In order to gain anything from this project, I must pay attention to the activities we do in class. I need to avoid zoning out, start taking notes, be proactive, and ask questions. These atomic habits will be essential if I want to achieve my goals and improve my current habits. This project is not just related to school; it is also very relevant to my life. I want to develop my habits in the classroom and then apply them to my life. Instead of trying to impress my teachers for a grade, I want to ensure that I extract as much value as possible from the learning we do.

How do my learning intentions relate to my vision, mission, and values?

In my vision, mission, and values, I stated that I wanted to “learn how to learn” and “develop learning strategies that I can carry into the rest of high school and university.” By applying these statements to this project, I can learn how to build small habits and grow from them. I acknowledge that I am likely to fail at some point during this project. However, in hindsight, this project will provide me with the opportunity to grow and develop atomic habits that I can take with me to university.