What's on Your Bookshelf?

This week Denise and Sam discuss Chapter 16: How to Stick with Good Habits Every Day from the book, Atomic Habits by James Clear.

Tracking progress is one of the most rewarding experiences in life. One easy way to achieve this is by using a habit tracker, which could be as simple as marking an X on a calendar. By doing so, you can keep track of your habits and avoid breaking the chain.
Visual forms of measurement, such as habit trackers, can make the process of building habits more satisfying by providing clear evidence of your progress. It is recommended to automate measurement whenever possible and reserve manual tracking only for your most important habits. Also, it's important to record each measurement immediately after the habit occurs.

The formula for habit stacking and habit tracking is: "After I complete [CURRENT HABIT], I will [TRACK MY HABIT]." For instance: After completing each set at the gym, I will record it in my workout journal. After placing my plate in the dishwasher, I will write down what I ate.  Make sure to maintain your habit streak.

Life may interrupt you at some point, but remind yourself of a simple rule: always check twice. If you miss a day, try to get back on track as soon as possible. Show up even on the busiest or most challenging days. Failed days harm you more than successful days help you, so doing something, even ten squats or one push-up, is significant. Don't put up a zero, and don't let losses erode your compounding. Measurement is only useful when it guides and provides context to a bigger picture, not when it consumes you. Each number is simply one piece of input in the overall system. Just because you can measure something doesn't mean it's the most important thing.

Additional Resources

All Roads Lead To Something: Tips For Effective Decision-Making by Denise Russo

The Passion Planner
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Denise Russo's Website
www.schoolofthoughts.net

Denise Russo's Forbes Articles
Forbes Article Link

Samantha Powell's Website and Blog
Lead The Game

Connect with us on LinkedIn:
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Andy Hughes
Samantha Powell
School of Thoughts

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What if you could unravel the secrets of leadership from the movie Braveheart, or learn profound life lessons from King Solomon’s wisdom? Join Denise Russo and Scott Miller  as we cap off our 12 Days series. We journey through cherished narratives, revealing the transformative power of music via the Pied Piper, and decode the allegoric final verse of "The Twelve Days of Christmas". 

If you've ever questioned the importance of investing in yourself and your dreams, this episode is certainly for you. As we traverse through the teachings of King Solomon, we find ourselves contemplating the transient nature of life, the quintessence of relationships with God, and the pursuit of joy, purpose, and meaning. We also discuss the impact profoundly inspirational voices can have, such as Steve Jobs' insightful wisdom shared on his deathbed.

We've got a surprise for you! As we wind down, let us guide you through the interesting interpretation of 11 Pipers Piping and 12 Drummers Drumming, the sounds that should fill your home this holiday season, and the riveting role of the street busker. Did you ever wonder about the purpose of drums beyond their musical contribution, or the complexity behind creating a crescendo in a song? We've got you covered! We also share our favorite looping artists for your auditory pleasure. As we bid farewell to this extraordinary series, we extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who accompanied us on this journey. Here's wishing you a Merry Christmas and an exceptionally prosperous New Year!

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Behavior is repeated when the experience is satisfying. For habits to stick, you need to feel immediately successful – even if it’s in a small way.

Habits produce outcomes across time that often need to be more aligned. The costs of your good habits are in the present. The costs of your bad habits are in the future.

The Cardinal Rule of Behavior Change: “What is immediately rewarded is repeated. What is immediately punished is avoided.”

Add a little bit of immediate pleasure to the habits that pay off in the long run and immediate pain to ones that don’t.

In the beginning, make the ending of your habit satisfying so you stay on track. Use reinforcement with an immediate reward to increase the rate of the behavior.

Select short-term rewards that reinforce your identity rather than ones that conflict with it.

For example, rewarding exercise with ice cream is conflicting. Reward yourself with a massage, a luxury, and a vote toward taking care of your body.

You can also make avoidance visible. Open a savings account for something you want – like a “Leather Jacket.” The immediate reward of seeing yourself save money toward the jacket feels better than being deprived. You are making it satisfying to do nothing.

Eventually, intrinsic rewards (better mood, more energy, etc.) kick in, and you’ll be less concerned with chasing the secondary reward. You do it because it’s who you are. Identity sustains a habit.

Additional Resources

All Roads Lead To Something: Tips For Effective Decision-Making by Denise Russo

The Passion Planner
Passion Planner discount code: RWRD.IO/EFWYE73?C

Denise Russo's Website
www.schoolofthoughts.net

Denise Russo's Forbes Articles
Forbes Article Link

Samantha Powell's Website and Blog
Lead The Game

Connect with us on LinkedIn:
Denise Russo
Andy Hughes
Samantha Powell
School of Thoughts

Where you can subscribe and listen:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Amazon Music
Podcast Index
Podcast Addict

Support the show

Connect with us on our LinkedIn page School of Thoughts . We also value your reviews, subscribing, and sharing our podcast "What's On Your Bookshelf?" on Apple and Spotify.

Subscribe to our new YouTube channel.

In this episode of What's on Your Bookshelf, Denise and Scott talk about Chapters 9 and 10, Nine Ladies Dancing and Ten Lords a-Leaping.

If you would like to download the 12 Days playlist from Spotify, the link is available here.

If you would like to purchase your copy of 12 Days, use this link to order for your Kindle, soft cover, or hard cover. 

Support the show

Connect with us on our LinkedIn page School of Thoughts . We also value your reviews, subscribing, and sharing our podcast "What's On Your Bookshelf?" on Apple and Spotify.

Subscribe to our new YouTube channel.

On this episode of What's on Your Bookshelf, Denise and Sam discuss Chapter 14: How to Make Good Habits Inevitable and Bad Habits Impossible from James Clear's book, Atomic Habits.

Success can depend on more than just making good habits easy. It can also rely on making bad habits harder to maintain. Commitment Devices are choices made in the present that ensure better behavior in the future. For instance, if you tend to overeat, purchasing food in individual packages instead of bulk size can be a helpful device. Likewise, if you want to get in shape, scheduling a yoga session and paying ahead of time can help.

Commitment devices are beneficial because they help you take advantage of your good intentions before you can fall victim to temptation. By making bad habits difficult in the present, they increase the likelihood that you will do the right thing in the future.

The best way to break a bad habit is to make it impractical. The most effective way to lock in future behavior is to automate your future habits. Making one-time choices - like buying a better mattress or enrolling in an automatic savings plan - can increase returns over time. By using technology to automate your habits, you can guarantee the right behavior in the most reliable and effective way.

Additional Resources

All Roads Lead To Something: Tips For Effective Decision-Making by Denise Russo

The Passion Planner
Passion Planner discount code: RWRD.IO/EFWYE73?C

Denise Russo's Website
www.schoolofthoughts.net

Denise Russo's Forbes Articles
Forbes Article Link

Samantha Powell's Website and Blog
Lead The Game

Connect with us on LinkedIn:
Denise Russo
Andy Hughes
Samantha Powell
School of Thoughts

Where you can subscribe and listen:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Amazon Music
Podcast Index
Podcast Addict

Support the show

Connect with us on our LinkedIn page School of Thoughts . We also value your reviews, subscribing, and sharing our podcast "What's On Your Bookshelf?" on Apple and Spotify.

Subscribe to our new YouTube channel.

In this episode of What's on Your Bookshelf, Denise and Scott talk about Chapters 7 and 8, Seven Swans a-Swimming and Eight Maids a-Milking.

If you would like to download the 12 Days playlist from Spotify, the link is available here.

If you would like to purchase your copy of 12 Days, use this link to order for your Kindle, soft cover, or hard cover. 

Support the show

Connect with us on our LinkedIn page School of Thoughts . We also value your reviews, subscribing, and sharing our podcast "What's On Your Bookshelf?" on Apple and Spotify.

Subscribe to our new YouTube channel.

In this episode, Denise and Sam discuss Chapter 13, How to Stop Procrastinating by Using the Two-Minute Rule. 

Your goal might be to run a marathon, but your gateway habit is to put on your running shoes. 

The point is to master the habit of showing up. You can’t improve a habit that doesn’t exist. Make it easy to start and the rest will follow.

The more you ritualize the beginning of a process, the more likely it becomes that you can slip into the state of deep focus that is required to do great things. Standardize before you optimize.

The rule also reinforces the identity you want to build. You’re taking the smallest action that confirms the type of person you want to be. One minute of reading is better than never picking up a book. It’s better to do less than you hoped than to do nothing at all.

Once you’ve mastered showing up, scale your habit back up toward your ultimate goal with habit shaping.

Additional Resources

All Roads Lead To Something: Tips For Effective Decision-Making by Denise Russo

The Passion Planner
Passion Planner discount code: RWRD.IO/EFWYE73?C

Denise Russo's Website
www.schoolofthoughts.net

Denise Russo's Forbes Articles
Forbes Article Link

Samantha Powell's Website and Blog
Lead The Game

Connect with us on LinkedIn:
Denise Russo
Andy Hughes
Samantha Powell
School of Thoughts

Where you can subscribe and listen:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Amazon Music
Podcast Index
Podcast Addict

Support the show

Connect with us on our LinkedIn page School of Thoughts . We also value your reviews, subscribing, and sharing our podcast "What's On Your Bookshelf?" on Apple and Spotify.

Subscribe to our new YouTube channel.

In this episode of What's on Your Bookshelf, Denise and Scott talk about Chapters 5 and 6, Five Gold Rings and Six Geese a-Laying.

If you would like to download the 12 Days playlist from Spotify, the link is available here.

If you would like to purchase your copy of 12 Days, use this link to order for your Kindle, soft cover, or hard cover. 

Support the show

Connect with us on our LinkedIn page School of Thoughts . We also value your reviews, subscribing, and sharing our podcast "What's On Your Bookshelf?" on Apple and Spotify.

Subscribe to our new YouTube channel.

It's a fact that the Law of Least Effort governs human behavior. Our natural tendency is to choose the option that requires the minimum amount of work. Therefore, one should make their habits so easy that they can be carried out even when they don't feel it's essential. It's important to create an environment that makes doing the right thing as easy as possible. Instead of trying to fight against obstacles, one should aim to reduce the friction associated with good behaviors. When there is minimum conflict, habits become effortless. Optimizing your environment is a great way to make actions simpler. If you want to develop a new habit, choose a place that is already part of your daily routine. Habits are easier to form when they fit into the flow of your life. Another way to make future actions easier is to prime your environment. On the other hand, to break bad habits, it's essential to increase the friction associated with destructive behaviors. When there is more conflict, it will be harder to maintain negative patterns.Human behavior follows the Law of Least Effort. We naturally gravitate toward the option that requires the least amount of work.
You are making your habits so easy that you’ll do them even when you don’t feel it is crucial. 
Create an environment where doing the right thing is as easy as possible. 
Rather than trying to overcome friction, reduce the friction associated with good behaviors. When conflict is low, habits are easy. 
Optimize your environment to make actions easier. To practice a new habit, choose a place that is already along the path of your daily routine. Habits are more accessible to build when they fit into the flow of your life. 
Another way is to prime your environment to make future actions easier. 
To break bad habits, increase the friction associated with destructive behaviors. When conflict is high, patterns are difficult. 

Support the show

Connect with us on our LinkedIn page School of Thoughts . We also value your reviews, subscribing, and sharing our podcast "What's On Your Bookshelf?" on Apple and Spotify.

Subscribe to our new YouTube channel.

In this episode of What's on Your Bookshelf, Denise and Scott talk about Chapters 3 and 4, Three French Hens and Four Calling Birds from her book, 12 Days.

If you would like to download the 12 Days playlist from Spotify, the link is available here.

If you would like to purchase your copy of 12 Days, use this link to order for your Kindle, soft cover, or hard cover. 

Support the show

Connect with us on our LinkedIn page School of Thoughts . We also value your reviews, subscribing, and sharing our podcast "What's On Your Bookshelf?" on Apple and Spotify.

Subscribe to our new YouTube channel.