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“This is the meaning of the phrase atomic habits—a regular practice or routine that is not only small and easy to do, but also the source of incredible power; a component of the system of compound growth.” – James Clear (link here)
This concept is so powerful. I have alluded to it in several of my posts, but if you have not read Atomic Habits, by James Clear, I very highly recommend it! As is explained in the quotation above, James Clear discusses how small changes and habits in our daily routines can help us build the lives we dream of. I truly believe that incorporating his ideas into our homeschooling routines and daily lives as we learn to build better habits will help us discover incredible results in the long run.
Here is a link to the book I am referencing in this post:
I listened to it as an audio book and honestly think I probably need to listen to it again from start to finish. Now that we have that covered, how do we get started with building better, more effective habits?
In this post, I would like to take a look at several different elements of habits along with a few key points from the book regarding how and why we should be striving to build better habits in every area of our lives both personally and in our homeschooling.
1. Making the best use of our time.
“The costs of your good habits are in the present. The costs of your bad habits are in the future.” – James Clear (link here)
I get it. It can be so easy to let each day slip by without making any kind of progress towards building better systems and habits in our lives because, truth is, building good habits in our personal lives or our homeschooling comes with “costs,” as James Clear said. But, with that said, we must choose whether we wish to pay the price now in order to see results or pay them later in the form of consequences. It is our choice!
In his book, he also makes the following statements that I think are so profound:
Time magnifies the margin between success and failure…Good habits make time your ally; bad habits make time your enemy. – James Clear in Atomic Habits
Is that not incredibly intriguing?
Every individual and every homeschooler is given 24 hours in a day with the ability and freedom to choose how they wish to fill it. Some will put more emphasis on science while others will consider writing to be the most crucial subject. Some homeschooling families will put a priority on having electives every year while others will consider those electives to be unnecessary and choose to simply study the classic subjects. We are all given the ability to choose how we wish to use our daily allotment of time.
With all of that said, how do we make the most of the time we are given?
2. James Clear’s idea of habit stacking.
This point is so good! James Clear talks about the importance and power of “habit stacking” which he explains through the following quotation:
Identify a current habit you already do each day and then stack your new behavior on top. – James Clear (link here)
So, here is the idea with this concept. If I want to start putting lotion on every night before bed, and I already wash my face every night at the sink in our bathroom, then I could simply put my lotion beside my facewash to remind me to put it on right after I wash my face. It is all about linking a new habit with another one you already accomplish each day.
The point of habit stacking is forming a routine that you do not even have to think about. For example, if I wake up every morning, take a shower, wash my face, put on my face creams/moisturizers, and do my makeup, I can be almost through with the routine before I realize that I have been half awake for nearly the entire routine. My mind knows what is coming next in the “habit stack,” as James Clear discusses in his book.
In a homeschooling routine, habit stacking may look like eating breakfast as a family each morning, finishing morning chores, tackling a morning basket with each of its activities, and starting the individual students’ Bible classes. As these become habits within your homeschooling, they will also become second nature and help mornings go more smoothly.
3. Keep it simple and consistent.
Do not overcomplicate adding new habits to your routines. If you try to add 16 new steps in your habit stack, chances are you will feel overwhelmed after the first two days and decide to give up altogether. On the other hand, if you decide to add two steps to your skin care routine and one to your wind-down routine at night, you will be more likely to make that habit a part of your subconscious routines.
Not only is it crucial for you to keep this habit stack building simple, but you must also be consistent. James Clear says,
“If you can get 1 percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done. Conversely, if you get 1 percent worse each day for one year, you’ll decline nearly down to zero. What starts as a small win or a minor setback accumulates into something much more.” – James Clear (link here)
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In conclusion, I wanted to leave you with this final thought from James Clear’s book:
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” – James Clear (link here)
Having big goals is wonderful. I am a dreamer through and through, but I also realize that those dreams will never become a reality without some old-fashioned hard work and real action. Goals will not in themselves help you or your children achieve great things. You must have systems, habits, and routines in place that set you up to reach those amazing goals you have set. We must teach our children the power of consistency and habits in our lives, both for good and evil. Additionally, we need to teach them and show them how to build good homeschooling habits and along with habits in other areas of their lives.
For some, this post will be encouraging as you realize that you are on the path that leads to success with the habits you already have in place. For others, it will illuminate all the areas in our lives that could stand some improvement.
Whether you need new habits in your homeschooling, in your spiritual life, or in your personal routines, I hope and pray that this post has encouraged and inspired you to take action and put into practice a few small habits that will make all the difference in years to come.
What are some of your homeschooling habits?
Are there any new homeschooling habits you wish to add to your routines?
I would love to hear from you in the comments below!
Until next time
