Summer leadership book club: Atomic Habits
Today we're reading the chapter "Law One: Make It Obvious"
Welcome back to the Lead with Intention summer leadership book club! As a quick recap, we are reading Atomic Habits by James Clear this summer, so I’ll be recapping the chapters here, as well as giving you coaching prompts as you start to implement the lessons from the book and develop good habits and start to break bad ones.
There’s also an open discussion thread if people want to share their habits/goals for the summer and ask for gentle accountability and support!
Here’s the previous chapter breakdown and coaching prompts, so you can catch up.
This is free for all my subscribers - call it a summer bonus! (And if you also want a coaching session in your pocket every week from me, then you can upgrade here, I promise it’s worth the cost of a large coffee every month!)
Today we’re talking about the chapter “Make it Obvious” (and if you can’t tell, the building in the photo is making itself rather obvious!) - part of Clear’s Four “Laws” of atomic habits.
Remember, if you want some accountability, you can join in the discussion thread here.
Understanding the 1st Law: The Principle of Making It Obvious
The core idea here is that our environment plays a significant role in shaping our behaviours, and that when we have good visual cues around us for habit forming, it becomes easier to adopt and maintain them.
This really speaks to me. I’ve recently been learning about the power of visual cues as I do more reading and study on ADHD and it struck such a chord with me. I am an “out of sight, out of mind” girl. If my shoe collection is hidden away, I will just wear the same two pairs on rotation. If I can’t see the jar of mayonnaise in the fridge, I buy another one (I don’t think to check the cupboard!) And I noticed this with my habits too, particularly around health and fitness.
If I lay my fitness clothes out the night before, have a smoothie ready to go, and pre-book a yoga class, I’m much more likely to follow through than if I don’t.
If my fridge is stocked full of healthy food, I’ll grab that, as it’s what I can see and what’s nearest, easiest and most “obvious”.
There is some science behind this!
Clear explains that our brains are wired to respond to cues in our environment. These cues trigger our habits, which are the automatic responses we've developed over time. By strategically placing visual cues in our surroundings, we can guide our behaviours more effectively.
The Habit Scorecard
Clear also suggests using a Habit Scorecard to become aware of your current habits. This tool involves writing down your daily activities and labeling them as positive, negative, or neutral. This awareness helps in identifying which habits need to be changed or reinforced. Self-awareness is a huge help when it comes to making more informed decisions about your habits (and it’s at the crux of the coaching relationship for this reason!)
I use my habit scorecard to help me make better decisions about my nutrition during the day. How would you use yours?
Designing Your Environment for Success
Clear goes on to emphasise the importance of designing your environment to make good habits more obvious. This involves altering your physical space to support the behaviours you want to encourage and is a sister tip to having visual cues. For example, I’ve designed my living space to have room for a yoga mat, so that it takes no time at all to roll it out and do some practice, even if I have just 5 minutes.
And crucially for Clear (and for me!) he talks about how important it is to have clear “intentions” for your habits. This is, after all, the Lead with Intention substack and I’m a huge believer in designing and navigating your career with purpose and intention. That applies to my habits too.
Why is this habit so important to me? What does it look like and feel like? Exactly how will I implement it?
Be clear and specific on your habit intentions.
Overcoming Inertia with the Two-Minute Rule
The Two-Minute Rule was a complete game changer for me! Simply put, this means starting a habit with two minutes. If you want to start yoga, start with two minutes.
This really helped me get over my psychological barriers around habits that I desperately wanted to form, but couldn’t make stick. I’m a busy person and I know you are too, so finding two minutes is a LOT easier than starting with a full 90 minute guided Ashtanga yoga class!
You always have two minutes. So make them count.
Reframing Your Identity
The chapter also discusses the importance of seeing yourself as the type of person who practices the habit you want to adopt. This identity shift can significantly impact your commitment to the habit and again, really helps me.
For example, instead of saying “I want to be a confident public speaker”, say instead “I am a confident public speaker” and use this to shift your identity and reinforce the behaviour you want to adopt. One of my favourite coaching prompts is that your beliefs shape your behaviours and this is a great example of that.
Habit stacking - one of the most helpful things you can do
Habit stacking - you may have heard a lot about this on social media, as it’s become so popular and for good reason. It works.
Think about a new habit you want to cultivate. And instead of adding it on its own, add it to a habit you have already successfully established. Like a positive piggyback!
For me, this looks like having a healthy, protein-rich breakfast, AFTER my morning drink of a pro-biotic. My pro-biotic has to be taken on an empty stomach first thing, so I have established a good habit of doing that. Much easier, once I’m already in the “health zone” every morning, to focus on a breakfast that will fuel me, instead of one that will derail my energy and focus. Before I may have gone for a quick piece of toast, but my morning pro-biotic is a positive and established habit I can “stack” others onto.
Tracking Your Progress and Leading by Example
Finally in this chapter, Clear sets out how important it is to monitor your progress. This involves keeping track of your habit performance and celebrating small wins.
For example, by using a habit tracker app or a simple journal to mark each day you successfully perform your desired habit. Celebrate your consistency and you are more likely to see it continue.
And as a leader, your habits set the tone for your team. By making your positive habits obvious and consistent, you inspire your team to follow suit.
Coaching Questions for Reflection on “Make it Obvious”
What are the most obvious cues in your environment that trigger your current habits? Are they helping or hindering your goals?
How can you redesign your environment to make the visual cues for your desired habits more apparent?
What specific intentions can you set for your new habits? When and where will you perform them?
What small, two-minute version of your desired habit can you start today?
How can you reframe your identity to align with the habits you want to adopt?
What current habit can you “stack” your new one onto?
What system will you use to track your progress and celebrate small wins?
As a leader, what habit do you want to model for your team, and how will you make it obvious?
Thanks for joining me as we explore this chapter. And let me know your feedback and observations over on the discussion thread.
Next Time: The 2nd Law: Make It Attractive – How to Enhance Motivation and Desire!