How to Make Lasting Change at Home with Atomic Habits

Perhaps you use your 1% effort each day to improve the way your chest of drawers looks in the bedroom. Imagine what that would look like.

We all want to make meaningful and lasting changes in our lives, but it's easy to get stuck in the cycle of setting goals and then not following through on them. Have you ever found yourself saying "I'm going to do XYZ," only to find that a week or two later, nothing has changed? If so, you're not alone! But what if there was a better way? What if you could make minor changes each day that would accumulate over time into major changes? That's where Atomic Habits comes in.

Atomic Habits is a concept developed by James Clear, author of the book of the same name. The idea behind Atomic Habits is that small changes lead to big results over time. Instead of setting lofty goals and trying to reach them overnight, focus on making small 1% changes daily. Say you want to improve your bathroom. Each day, choose one simple task. Perhaps, rearranging your toothbrushes in an attractive vessel, grouping all medicines together neatly and securely in a locked cabinet, or buying new towels to freshen things up—small, achievable tasks like these add up quickly. The key is consistency; even if you don't see immediate results, keep at it and eventually the positive effects will start to show!

Or…what if you used your 1% today to find a piece of art to make your bedroom feel more complete?

Atomic Habits encourages us to focus on our actions rather than outcomes—in other words, don't worry about how far away your goal is; just focus on doing one thing each day that will help you get closer to it. This way we can focus on process rather than outcome and set ourselves up for long-term success.