According to the author, the fourth law of behavior change is to make it satisfying which will increase the odds that a behavior will be repeated the next time (Clear, 2018). This completes the habit loop. As humans, we are more likely to repeat a behavior if the experience is satisfying. A “good” work habit that I find unsatisfying is getting my work done ahead of time. It would be very helpful if I was able to get ahead of my school work instead of waiting until the last minute. By waiting until the last minute, I add additional stress on top of completing the assignment. It is unsatisfying to get ahead sometimes because I’d rather enjoy my time instead of working on school work. Usually, when I am at Longwood University, I am in the “school mood” if I am in a certain environment such as the library or the classroom. By being in this environment, it pushes me to focus on my assignments so I can reward myself by spending time with friends. However, by being at home, I am less motivated to get my work done early. I would make the habit of getting my work done early more satisfying by realizing that if I get my work done early, I will be able to spend more time with my family on the weekends instead of being in my room doing homework. I will also make it more satisfying by rewarding myself with opportunities to spend time with my friends after I have completed an assignment just as if I was back at Longwood. I have decided to implement this good work habit by completing this book club post a week early!
Within the book, Clear discusses the importance of “don’t miss twice.” To summarize, it means that one slip-up can happen but it is important to not miss twice on engaging in the desired good habit because it can set you back on your progress that you have already made (Clear, 2018). However, sometimes we slip up and make mistakes. It is important to not dwell on the mistakes but make up for it the next day. In regards to working with my clients, I can tell them how it is okay for us to slip up but it is important not to dwell on our mistakes. By missing two habits, it is the start of a new bad habit (Clear, 2018). Lastly, I will tell my clients that they are not defined by their mistakes that they have recently made. Clear stated that when tracking a habit, it is crucial to “not break the chain.” This means that don’t skip a day without doing your desired habit (Clear, 2018). I believe I can apply this idea to working with future clients to helping them improve their quality of life by telling them the importance of how by doing that small desired habit can greatly impact their progress. For example, if a client struggles with self-esteem, a goal they can work on is to give themselves two positive affirmations every day when they wake up. By not skipping a day, this will help the person to continue the routine of positive affirmations which will increase their overall quality of life by increasing their self-esteem in the process.
Reference:
Clear, James. (2018). Atomic Habits: An easy & proven way to build good habits and break bad ones. New York, NY: Penguin Random House LLC.
Criteria for Success:
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Learning Outcome: Completed Blog Post The student completed a reflective writing blog post according to the assignment description to include replying to all questions in a narrative (paragraph) format.
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Learning Outcome: Attendance & Participation The student was on time to the book club meeting, attended the entire session, and participated actively and independently in the discussion/activities presented.
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