👋 Hey friends
If you want to know what kind of person someone is, inquire about their habits. Habits never lie.
Humans are creatures of pattern, and the majority of the time we spend in our lives is often in mundane and repetitive habits, some of which we have consciously acquired and others that we’ve been conditioned with by culture, our environment and society.
In short, there’s no statement more valid than – change your habits, change your life.
But in my opinion, all habits are not created equal. Some habits can help you develop other habits – what James Clear calls “Keystone Habits“. If you want to make the most out of your limited time (like most of us), these are the ones you want to focus on. These are the 20% of habits that will give you 80% of results.
For instance, working out is a keystone habit for me. Every time I’ve made it a priority to complete my scheduled workouts for the week, I experience several positive downstream effects for other habits I want to develop, such as:
- I’m more conscious about what I’m eating
- I’m tired, so I sleep earlier and better
- I’m more disciplined and productive because I have lesser time to get things done
- I’m calmer and more patient
Whenever I feel stuck in a rut or like life is not going my way, knowing that I’m one heart-pounding workout away from being back on track is a very liberating feeling.
Another keystone habit I’m working on is risk-taking and being courageous. I’m finding the path there incredibly gratifying and the implications on my life even more profound.
What’s your keystone habit?
To better habits 💪
Tanmay
😍 My Favourite Links
📃 Article – In this thought-provoking and fun read, Lawrence Rao (whose blog is quickly becoming one of my favourites) talks about how many of us make the mistake of running after material success, only to realize its inherent “nothingness”. He also offers one introspective question you should ask yourself before making your next money-hungry decision, another one you’ll regret on your deathbed.
🎥 Video – In this one, Acharya Prashant answers what factors are most important when choosing a career and why money, security and even interest or passion are poor foundations for a fulfilling career and life.
🎤 Podcast – I learned a lot about the realities and sacrifices involved in bootstrapping a successful business from this one on the Deep Dive podcast with Ali Abdaal and Oliver Cookson (the founder of MyProtein). Highly recommend this for entrepreneurial-minded folk like myself.
📃 Article – Another one from Lawrence Yao, but this one talks about one of my favourite topics – pointless jobs and unactualized lives. He talks about how many of the jobs in today’s economy are “bullshit jobs” – ones that don’t add any value to the economy and are often a source of workplace dissatisfaction. He offered his “cup theory” as a potential model to think about this problem and live a more enjoyable and fulfilling life which I resonated with quite a bit.
💭 Quote of The Week
“Success is something you attract by the person you become.”
— Jim Rohn
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