Chapter 1: Atomic Habits

 Atomic Habits 

The Plateau of Latent Potential, System and Goal 

We talked about chapter 1 and everything it has to do with the 1% improvements. Now we are talking about the System of Habits and the process that takes us to our goals. 

1. The Plateau of Latent Potential: 

Sometimes we often expect progress to come at us linearly, but life is full of surprises and sometimes our hopes are never met in reality: they are often delayed. We see that the work we put in, doesn't give the kind of result we want, and this is when we meet the valley of disappointment. We feel discouraged, and we stop. But what James says and what I believe too is, we shouldn't. Yeah, if you're really committed, don't stop. When you think that your efforts are not giving in, they're actually being stored and waiting for the right moment. 

Okay, okay that says so much. Here's another: 
If you have an exam, and before that, your teacher carries numerous mini-tests. Suppose you study every day yet can't score well on the first few tests. You'll probably think, "Dude, this isn't going anywhere. Let's leave. I won't get that score." Blah, blah, blah.
But you know if you keep practicing and studying every day, you'll get THAT score on the exam day. 
This is what the Plateau of Latent Potential is. 

2. Focus on the system: 

Now James says if you build a good system and in the process of building a system, you forget about your goal. You Will Still Achieve The Goal! 

Yep, that's true. Systems are about the processes that lead us to those results. People often think that the only way to receive success is by setting Good Goals, however, if you just keep focusing on the steps you'll ultimately reach your goal, without even noticing that you actually reached it. 

Bill Walsh, three-time Super Bowl winner says, "The score takes care of itself." This is what I say, this is what James says: Focus on the System Instead. 
By the way, if you all don't know why I keep calling a mysterious someone— James. Honey, he's the Author of Atomic Habits. 

However, it doesn't mean you go grounded when coming to your goals. Goals are there to help you get a direction, and systems get you there. So, don't spend toooo much time thinking about your goals (honestly, we get obsessed) design your systems instead. 

3. Goals: 

1. Do you think that it is your goal that differentiates you from others? If you thought so, Nah! 

You can have the same set of goals just like others. You can have the same set of goals as your neighbor. You and them can wish to go to the same school, wish to get the same scores, be the topper of your class, or wish to go to the same Ivy League School.  

Then What is it that differs? Do I even have to say that? It is your system. 
Goal setting suffers from a serious case of survivorship bias. While they and you wish to go to the same University, your system behind achieving behind reaching your goal differs. 

Let's say you have an amazing set of ECs, your application profile was well-prepared before the deadline and you did great research before applying.
But, they didn't put in much effort and started their applications right before the deadline.

Who do you think will get in? Well, I am not a member of the Admission Committee, any one of you can get in based on your activities and other things. 
But the odds of getting in are greater for you because you were able to build a good system and focused on making a bit-by-bit refinement to your application profile every day. 

This is what James says: goals don't differ between a winner and a loser, it is the implementation of the system of small improvements that makes a winner achieve a different outcome than a loser. 

2. Achieving a goal only changes your life for a moment. It is Temporary!

Imagine you had a room to clean, a sudden burst of motivation seeps into your bones and you decide to tidy up. What would happen? Your room becomes clean, and as tidy as the white marble of the Taj Mahal. 
But if you don't maintain the same habit? The white spark will again have that layer of messy condition and you will have to wait for the motivation to kick in, again. 
So, now you know you gotta clean your room every day, or right after you feel that something is not okay. 

When you solve problems at the result level, you only solve them temporarily. To improve for the good, you need to solve them at the result level. This brings us back to building a Good System.

Fix the inputs and the outputs will fix themselves. 

3. Goals create an 'either-or' thought.
Either you achieve that goal and be happy, or fail to achieve that or cry about it. Often goals restrict your happiness. 
It makes no sense to restrict your satisfaction to one scenario of success. 

Hence, when you fall in love with the system instead, you don't have to wait for that moment to come when you see your goals being achieved to be happy. 

4. Goals are at odds with the long-term progress. 
When all you have to focus on a particular goal, you are likely to hunt for it after you have achieved it. 
If you get a 100 on your Maths test, you might stop studying afterward considering that you have met your goal. And this is where you know goals create a 'yo-yo' effect. 
People tend to recede back to their old habits when they reach their goals once. 

But if you were a system lover? If fell in love with maintaining a healthy diet while you were on your 'weight-loss journey', now that you have achieved your dream weight, you still maintain those healthy diet habits. You are more benefitted than just eating healthy during the journey. 

The purpose of building a system is to continue playing the game. True long-term thinking is goal-less thinking. The cycle of endless refinement and continuous improvement! 

That brings us to the end of our chapter 1 lessons. But remember: 

You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. 

If you are having trouble changing your habits, that is probably because of your system. Bad habits don't repeat themselves because you don't want to change them but because you don't have an effective system to change your habits. 
Focusing on the overall system and bringing that 1% improvement every day, rather than a single goal is one of the core themes if your life that you need to inculcate.