Principles from James Clear, the Guru of Habits
Be 1% better everyday
Estimated reading time (5 minutes)
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"In many cases, what you want to "buy" isn't being "sold." The best homes usually aren't for sale. The best employees usually aren't looking. People tend to hold onto the great things in life. They are rarely easily available. If you want to get them, you need enough courage to ask and enough salesmanship to convince them."— James Clear
James Clear, renowned for his #1 New York Times bestseller "Atomic Habits," a global phenomenon with over 15 million copies sold and translations in 50 languages, is also the curator of the beloved 3-2-1 newsletter, boasting a readership exceeding 2 million subscribers.
In the realm of habit formation, Clear shares an illuminating story from the world of competitive cycling. Around 2001, the British Cycling team found themselves in dire straits. Despite having all the resources, determination, right training regimens, and top-tier coaching, they were underperforming. Their salvation came in the form of a new performance coach, Sir Dave Brailsford. At the time, British cycling had a woeful track record, boasting just one gold medal over a staggering 76-year history.
What set Brailsford apart was his unwavering dedication to Kaizen and other process-improvement methodologies. His epiphany was a shift from thinking big to thinking small, embracing a philosophy of achieving greatness through the accumulation of marginal gains. This entailed starting with the seemingly minor aspects, such as switching to lighter tires and ergonomically superior seats. They explored innovations like different massage seating gels to optimize recovery and even had a surgeon educate the riders on proper hand hygiene to stave off infections. They left no stone unturned, evaluating various pillows for the most restful sleep during tours.
Brailsford's proclamation was clear: If we can consistently improve on these small things, we have a shot at winning the Tour de France in five years. To everyone's astonishment, they clinched victory in just three years and then repeated the feat with a different rider in the fourth year. Their triumph extended to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where they secured seven gold medals in track cycling, a feat they matched at the London Olympics four years later.
The crux of their achievement lay in this concept of getting 1% better each day. Elite success isn't about dramatic overhauls; it's about the consistent, sustainable, and modest improvements made over an extended period. It's about that relentless commitment to the daily grind.
The San Antonio Spurs, under the leadership of Coach Gregg Popovich, a five-time NBA champion, display an insightful quote in their locker room attributed to Jacob Riis:
"When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow, it will split in two, and I know it was not that last blow that did it, but all that had gone before."
The message is crystal clear. To secure the best employees, land significant clients, build thriving businesses, or find your ideal partner, you must master the art of perseverance. It's about showing up, consistently and courageously. Keep hammering away at that metaphorical rock, day in and day out, for it's the cumulative effort that yields the breakthrough. Cast perfection aside; your focus should be unwaveringly on progression and compounding those incremental improvements.
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Question to Ponder
Do you think Greatness is Consistency or Consistency is Greatness?
Call to Action
"When you dream, think big; when you execute, think small." This mantra, inspired by James Clear, offers profound wisdom. Here are three principles to help you achieve your goals:
Set a System, Not Just Goals: Goals represent desired outcomes, but systems are the collection of daily habits that, when consistently practiced, lead to goal attainment. Think in terms of systems, and your goals will naturally materialize. A prime example is the Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Walsh's philosophy, "The score takes care of itself." To create a system:
Identify your desired goals.
Break these goals into manageable, daily habits.
Cultivate these habits consistently over time to establish a self-fulfilling system.
Consistency Over Perfection: Sir Dave Brailsford's approach emphasizes small, incremental improvements over striving for immediate perfection. Recognize that you don't have to be flawless from the outset. Focus on steady, manageable enhancements in various aspects of your life or work. Perfection often leads to burnout, while consistency allows you to develop sustainable habits and routines. Celebrate minor victories, learn from failures, and persist in your journey forward.
Harness the Diderot Effect: The Diderot Effect reveals that obtaining a new possession often initiates a cycle of consumption, compelling you to acquire more. This behavior results in purchasing items that your previous self never needed for happiness or fulfillment. Life functions on momentum. Starting with small habits and achieving wins sets in motion a momentum of success, with small victories leading to more significant ones. Leverage the Diderot Effect to create a beneficial spiral of small wins that ultimately result in success.
In essence, remember that grand dreams are achieved through systematic consistency, embracing imperfection, and skillfully utilizing the momentum of small wins.
Video of the Week
“The secret to permanently breaking any bad habit is to love something greater than the habit.”
If you want to learn more principles, I interview founders on my podcast, The First 100, where they share how they acquired their first 100 paying customers. This week:
Episode 108 - The First 100 with James Evans is the Co-Founder of CommandBar
Episode 109 - The First 100 with Kyle Hanslovan, the Founder of Huntress
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