Transforming your life through small changes: Key Takeaways from James Clear Live Event

Author James Clear speaks at the ICC in Darling Harbour, Sydney

Photo Source: Instagram @growth_faculty

Last week I had the privilege to attend a live event by James Clear, the renowned author of the #1 New York Times bestseller “Atomic Habits”, at the ICC in Sydney.  

This event attracted thousands of eager attendees from across Sydney. 

The day was a treasure trove of valuable insights and learning. Clear talked about the laws of behaviour change and highlighted how small daily changes can transform our lives and pave the way to success.  

Here are my top three takeaways from this transformational event: 

1. Prime your environment for success. 

Our environment is an overlooked driver of our behaviour, Clear said. By simply redesigning our living and working spaces, we can create surroundings that either support or limit the development of desired habits. 

“Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behaviour.”  

– James Clear

He challenged us to ask ourselves, “What behaviours does my environment encourage?”  and “How can I design my environment to support my goals?” 

2. Overcome procrastination with the Two-Minute Rule. 

A habit must be established before it can be improved. 

The Two-Minute Rule suggests breaking down a desired habit into a task that takes two minutes or less to complete. And once it’s anchored in a routine, gradually increase the intensity and difficulty over time.  

3. Never miss twice. 

When it comes to habit formation, repetition is the key.  

In his groundbreaking book, “Atomic Habits”, Clear urges us to frame habits not in terms of time but rather by repetition. The more a habit is repeated, the more automated it becomes. 

He shared his philosophy of never breaking the chain when cultivating a habit, and if you do falter for any reason, never miss twice.

Our habits are the blocks upon which we build our lives. And we are the culmination of the habits we practise every day. Our habits can either work for us, or against us.  

As playwright and poet John Dryden so eloquently said, “We first make our habits, then our habits make us.” 

For a better life, we must cultivate better habits. 

If you haven’t read Atomic Habits yet, I highly recommend you do. It’s nothing short of life-changing!