Tweet of the Week: @JamesClear

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How long does it take to build a habit? 21 days? 30 days? 66 days?

The honest answer is: forever. Because once you stop doing it, it is no longer a habit.

A habit is a lifestyle to be lived, not a finish line to be crossed. Make small, sustainable changes you can stick with.

— James Clear (@JamesClear) August 19, 2018

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I have mentioned being a fan of James Clear many times here on the TEM Blog. This tweet is a great example of why.

“A habit is a lifestyle to be lived, not a finish line to be crossed.”

I have framed a habit in my head as having a finish line many times. Maybe not explicitly, but that’s how I’ve approached them theoretically.

This is a call to action over the long haul. Sustainable change is what we are really looking for.

And as a bonus, here is a reply to the above tweet which also resonated with me:

Another protip: when creating a new habit, focus on frequency over intensity.

For example, do 1 pushup per day instead of 20 pushups every few days. It has to be so easy and small that you can't fail.

— Alex Badalyan (@alexbadalyan) August 19, 2018

Frequency over intensity! I have successfully created new habits in the practice room, as a writer, as a podcaster and as a small business owner using frequency as the engine so this is a good reminder!