Atomic Habits

“Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results” is a book by James Clear.

Repeated behaviours are Habits Habit loop -> Cue, Craving, Resposne & Reward Habit Scorecard - A list of current habits with score attached to it(+,-,=) Implementation Intention - Date, Time and place

Robert Plomin, a behavioral geneticist at King’s College in London says “It is now at the point where we have stopped testing to see if traits have a genetic component because we literally can’t find a single one that isn’t influenced by our genes.” Location 274

Your personality is the set of characteristics that is consistent from situation to situation. The most proven scientific analysis of personality traits is known as the “Big Five,” which breaks them down into five spectrums of behavior.

Openness to experience: from curious and inventive on one end to cautious and consistent on the other.

Conscientiousness: organized and efficient to easygoing and spontaneous.

Extroversion: outgoing and energetic to solitary and reserved (you likely know them as extroverts vs. introverts).

Agreeableness: friendly and compassionate to challenging and detached.

Neuroticism: anxious and sensitive to confident, calm, and stable.

In theory, you can enjoy almost anything. In practice, you are more likely to enjoy the things that come easily to you. People who are talented in a particular area tend to be more competent at that task and are then praised for doing a good job.

The Goldilocks Rule states that humans experience peak motivation when working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities. Not too hard. Not too easy. Just right. Also known as Yerkes–Dodson law, which describes the optimal level of arousal as the midpoint between boredom and anxiety.

To achieve a state of flow, a task must be roughly 4 percent beyond your current ability.

The only way to become excellent is to be endlessly fascinated by doing the same thing over and over. You have to fall in love with boredom. Professionals stick to the schedule; amateurs let life get in the way.

Habits + Deliberate Practice = Mastery.

A lack of self-awareness is poison. Reflection and review is the antidote.

List of References

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