The tallest oak tree began as a tiniest acorn. That simple statement is the concept behind incorporating Atomic Habits into your life.
The idea behind Atomic Habit is simple: from small things, big changes can happen. Start small. Over time, those micro habits will flourish, larger habits will take root and big changes will result. Many times, we tend to set unrealistic goal for ourselves. Maybe we want to lose 50 pounds, so we try to make drastic changes: we try to work out like mad, our diet gets completely overhauled, we sacrifice and often, it is too difficult to maintain. So, we then abandon all our efforts and feel defeated. Atomic Habits suggest the opposite approach. What if, instead, we start small. Maybe we will just cut one thing out of our diet- that Sunday morning donut, or the bag of chips with lunch. Instead of going to the gym every day we commit to some form of physical exercise for 30 minutes three times a week. By starting with “doable” tweaks, we will slowly begin to create new, obtainable habits that lead us in the direction of our eventual goal. It may take longer, but there is a much greater likelihood for success.
A few years ago, I tried to put this concept to the test. Blessed (or maybe cursed) with a sweet tooth, I wanted to reduce my overall sugar consumption. I knew sugar wasn’t good for me, but I enjoyed sweet treats and the idea of cutting them all out of my diet seemed like a mountain that was much too steep for me to climb. So, I started small. The first thing to go was sugar in my morning cup of coffee. I love my morning coffee and for years I preferred it with two teaspoons of sugar. The first step was to gradually begin to reduce the amount of sugar I would scoop onto each of the two teaspoons. From there, I moved from two reduced teaspoons to one. Then, after I got used to the taste of one teaspoon of sugar, I began to make the amount I would stir in gradually less and less until I eliminated the sugar completely from my drink. I eased into the transition, and it was worked! Next came soda- one can at a time! Now, many years later, I still enjoy my occasional sweet treat- after all who doesn’t want a slice of pie on a holiday, cake on a birthday or a homemade cookie now and again, but my overall sugar consumption has been reduced drastically. And with that small, gradual change came all the benefits that encouraged me to stay on the path- healthier teeth, weight loss, better overall health, and more energy.
It is completely possible to make huge changes in your life. But maybe it is more practical to start small. After all, we are human beings all here trying to the best we can. Forgive yourself. Be gradual. You don’t need to sacrifice things you love to reach goals you desire. Just by incorporating small changes, you are putting yourself on the path to success with allowances for small setbacks along the way. After all, slow and steady wins the race.