Atomic perception
The other day, I was listening to a podcaster named Theo Lion, who has a series of videos discussing his entrepreneurial journey. He backs his thoughts with knowledge gained from books.
I am not a passionate book lover, but I understood why—I’ve never had the chance to read an interesting book. I realized this statement when I started reading Atomic Habits, which Theo Lion recommended. In this first blog post, I will discuss some elements that have helped me become a better person. Understanding key concepts of habits and contextualizing them with personal experiences is essential for becoming more efficient. Let’s dive into it.
“Atomic Habits” emphasizes the power of small changes leading to remarkable results. Similarly, “Atomic Perception” explores how tiny shifts in our mindset can reshape our understanding of the world, making complex ideas more accessible and actionable, that is why I wanted to share my vision with you here. Small lessons are easier to remember because shorter content is more relatable. Here are some quotes from the book, along with my thoughts on each one.
Winners and loosers have the same goal. Focus on the system.
In a football competition, both winners and losers share the same goal, but only one team achieves it. This shows that being goal-oriented alone isn’t enough to accomplish complex tasks. Setting a reminder on your phone that says, ‘Goal: become fit,’ is an example of focusing solely on the end goal. What’s more effective is improving the system you operate in—it’s the path to the goal that truly matters. By focusing on becoming a better football team through increased training, stronger cohesion, and overall improvement, your team is more likely to achieve its objectives.
Fix the inputs and the outputs will fix themselves.
This quote mirrors the previous one. It emphasizes that the most efficient way to achieve results is by analyzing the initial efforts, identifying their weaknesses, and addressing them. By doing so, the path to success becomes clearer (or at least less uncertain).
Would a healthy person order a burito or a salad ?
This may seem like a simple question, but it carries a deeper meaning. When you envision the person you want to become, ask yourself what they would do for every small decision in your life. Would they go to the gym or watch the latest Netflix show? They might do both, but they would likely choose to go to the gym first.
Stack your habits or give it a precise time and location.
The easiest way to implement a new habit in your life is to attach it to an already recurring one. The first habit acts as a trigger, reminding you to perform the second. For instance, if you want to do 10 push-ups each day, stack this habit after brushing your teeth or before taking a shower.
One experience I had was when I was motivated to go running. I set a daily reminder on my phone to remind me to run. However, that approach didn’t work well, and I quickly dropped the habit. Instead, it’s more effective to be specific: I will run at 5 PM near the beach. This creates a sense of commitment, and forgetting it feels like missing an important appointment.
One space, one use.
Space for work, space for study, space to eat, space to sleep. A simple sentence that applies to many aspects of life. Your brain associates behaviors with specific places. A study on insomniacs revealed that they were only allowed to enter their bedrooms when they felt truly tired. After a few weeks, they found it much easier to sleep compared to when they spent entire nights in bed.
Self control is a short term strategy, not a long term one.
I can’t clearly explain why, but I’ve always been very Cartesian. When something bad happens and I feel sad, I remind myself to view the future as something more meaningful and focus on what’s coming next; this usually helps me feel better. This demonstrates some resilience in how I handle negative emotions, but I couldn’t understand why not everyone reacted this way. I later learned in this book that self-control is effective for very small changes. If you don’t have many problems in life, this strategy is usually easy to apply, but it becomes increasingly complicated when you are facing many challenges.
It is the anticipation of a reward- not the fullfilment of it- that gets us to take action.
When a child orders Santa for a beautiful new toy, he experiences much more pleasure in the weeks leading up to Christmas than he does a few weeks after unpacking his presents. We often derive more joy from wanting something than from actually obtaining it. This happens to us everyday, having long term objectives fuels our desires and pleasures.
The reward of being accepted is often greater than the reward of winning an argument or finding the truth.
Social animals tend to prioritize being accepted by their peers over being right. There are genetic reasons for such behavior; it has been proven efficient for the long-term survival of the species. Chimpanzees exhibit similar behavior: if you teach one the most efficient way to break nuts and then return it to its peers, it will not insist on using the best solution. Instead, it will adapt and use the less effective methods employed by others to avoid standing out.
I believe it is important to recognize whether we are making conscious decisions or if our choices are driven by biological factors. This awareness requires a deep investigation into the nature of consciousness, but I will not delve into that topic here.
The most effective form of learning is practice, not planning.
As someone aspiring to become an entrepreneur, this sentence has never resonated more strongly. Sometimes, we are flooded with ideas and spend too much time wondering whether this shade of color should go here or how it will look in ten years. We become skilled procrastinators, but when it comes to actually creating things, building products, and acquiring our first customers, it gets complicated and messy, filled with excuses.
The rule number one is: build, do, act. A person who practices gains instant feedback and knowledge to progress, while someone who merely plans gains nothing in return.
The human brain evolved to prioritize immediate rewards over delayed rewards.
This quote relates to the discussion about biological factors. In the wild, reacting immediately to positive or negative feedback is essential for survival. However, as we became sedentary, education and long-term planning became more practical for leading a decent life.
There is a way to trick your brain and use this to your advantage. Don’t set goals that feel too distant. If you want to get in shape, do a few push-ups now and then take a shower afterward. There’s no need to push yourself to the limit; instead, take small steps and associate them with something enjoyable, like an instant reward. This approach will make your efforts feel more effortless.