“Most people overestimate what they can do in a day, and underestimate what they can do in a month. We overestimate what we can do in a year, and underestimate what we can accomplish in a decade.” – Matthew Kelly
I start each year with good intentions. I picture a year that is productive and radically transformative. This picture then leads to me creating an annual ‘wish list’ of habits I know I should be doing to improve my life. Whether it’s improving my diet, exercising more or spending less time on digital media. As a result, I outline a list of 5 big habits which I know would be revolutionary in my life if I were to stick to them. But here’s the catch. I never do.
Perhaps a slower approach to habit building?
Cal Newport, a computer science professor and author, often emphasises the idea of slow productivity. In particular, Cal argues that we should shift the scale at which we view our work and life. See, we often get caught up in this fantasy of being a productivity machine that is capable of completing anything we set our focus on. Regardless of internal and external obstacles which always inevitably find their way to us. As a result, we often work within the scale of days and weeks. We expect great things to happen in very little time. However, this does not reflect the real nature of our existence and the ways that consistent progress changes the trajectory of our lives. It would, therefore, be wise to stop fooling ourselves about what is possible within the next week, and instead take a step back and look at progress from a more realistic scale.
Instead of approaching what is most important to us from the level of days and weeks, Cal Newport argues we should instead begin thinking from the level of months and years. Such a perspective is much more human. It’s more forgiving of any bumps along the road. It emphasises that we don’t need to save the world by the end of January. Most importantly, it’s the approach that is most likely to stick long term. Because what is the point of having a perfectly optimised month where we follow all possible fitness protocols if then we can’t sustain it? Decades down the line, any positive impacts of that month are most likely going to be negligible. Whereas a slower approach which did not accomplish within that same first month will still be paying dividends decades down the line.
The radical shift to a slower approach to habit formation
I have taken the approach of fooling myself that ‘this time will be different’ too many times. Each year that I tried this led to the same unfortunate outcomes. And I don’t have limitless years ahead of me. Therefore, this year I am taking a radically different approach. I will be only working on a single habit. Namely, meditation. Meditation is the habit which I believe will pay me the highest dividends in the future. And as everything compounds over time, I wish to begin sooner rather than later.
This approach isn’t sexy or flashy. It won’t result in my face becoming recognisable internationally. But I believe this is much more likely to stick not only until the end of this year but also for the rest of my life. And doing something small consistently every day will likely lead me to a much better place at the tail-end of my life.
What small habit will you solidify for life by the end of this year?
Leave a Reply