4:40 - Good Heart's Law - 6:49 6:50 - You do not rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your system - 8:43 8:44 - How to make habits stick - 12:06 12:07 - Why are we mindless - 14:40 14:41 - Keystone habits 17:01 - Decisive moments - 19:07 19:08 - How many habits at a time 21:04 - How long does it take to form a habit
22:03 "Habits are not a finish line to cross they're a lifestyle to live" 1:13:50 "You have something inside of you that no one else has if you don't create that, the world will never get it again in any form. Your JOB is not to judge the work it's to create the work."
I’m a dental hygienist and I can’t tell you how difficult changing the habit of flossing is for individuals. One tip I find that I give my patients is to keep their floss by their remote control so that when they are watching TV they can floss. In this scenario they floss daily and they floss longer. The reality of it is that no one wants to stare into their bathroom mirror and floss. I’ve seen great changes with this change in habit.
I'll try this advice.. I struggle with controlling the floss, so I end up shoving it too deep and start bleeding :/ Some teeth are too tight and therefore hard to floss..
Thanks a lot Matt for the content loved this and James's book as well! NOTES Part1: 04:43 Goodheart's law - a measure seizes to be a good measure once it becomes the target 06:40 YOU WIN THE GAME BY FOCUSING ON THE GAME NOT THE SCOREBOARD THE SCORE TAKES CARE OF ITSELF 14:44 we're building habits anyway regardless if we want to or not - how can I develop the most optimum habits for myself? 14:59 keystone habits 18:43 decisive moments -> KS habits make it easier to make the right decision during a decisive moment 19:06 really only have to master Decisive moments then your day will be set to go a certain way! 20:04 a collection of your 1% daily habits compounding over time is what changes your life not necessarily just 1 habit! 21:58 have the 90 day approach - it takes 90 days to build a habit but a lifetime to maintain it! 24:17 instead of focusing on the results changing focus on the habits that cause the results to occur! Kinda like treating the symptoms without looking at the underlying cause 25:42 a goal provides a clear guidepost and direction for you to work in - like a Polaris star for you to aim for! 26:50 indecision is worse than making the wrong decision - reminds me of Ray Dalio: Pain + Reflection = Progress, regardless if you make mistakes or not taking action and pairing it with reflection is what allows progress to be made 27:59 your habits determine how much progress you make towards your goal/Polaris star 30:14 there's 7.7bn ppl in the world so regardless of what you choose there's always gonna be someone somewhere who is willing to drop everything and make their no.1 priority becoming the best at that one niche you've chosen --> its delusional to think that by just working smart you'll win - focus on working hard + smart but at the same time realise that this is a long term journey you're going on 33:38 think of your life in seasons - each season had a different definition of success - also the seasons paradigm is fractal so it can resemble what you focus on in a day/month/quarter/year/decade etc --> doing this will decrease the chances of you having regrets and not maximising all aspects of your life! 34:21 this season method allows you to be less distracted by things which are important and probably will help you a bit but are not priorities 1/2 on your list - so your excuse can be "it's just not the season for that" e.g. learning an instrument vs learning high income skill 35:24 Yeah I too have a lot of things I'm interested in I guess the best thing I could do is start thinking of life in seasons - so season for learning High income skill/ season for travelling + building experience + season to pursue art etc this will partition relevant time for relevant activities and decrease feeling burnt out 35:49 Matt advices to focus on 1 main key habit/skill to improve upon in the beginning will make better and more fulfilling progress this way 36:57 become world class at one discipline will open doors to entering and becoming great at others! e.g learn videography and scale YT channel --> able to grow network and meet high performers via YT channel! 37:13 but it's a bit like having golden handcuffs if you're not aware! - The more successful you are at something -> the more opportunities will come your way -> the more distractions you have -> the more you need to say no and FOCUS! 37:29 nothing destroys success like success...lol 39:25 is success inevitable if you just work hard enough? 40:09 genes play a role if you want to be GREAT! You can build up your skills to become good at something but you wont be as great as someone who already has the biases to be good or great at the certain skill e.g short vs tall basketball players 41:11 mentions big 5 psychoanalytical personality test and says that the 5 variables are actually tied to your genetics 42:11 design your environment so it's customised to your personality traits so that you're more biased to inducing the habits necessary to achieve your targets set and thus success 43:08 genes and personality traits dont remove the need for strategy they actually INFORM you on how your strategy should look! 43:20 having better understanding of your genetic makeup/personality traits allows you to design an env that works FOR you not against you! 44:13 gd point - Personality = The set of traits that follow you from environment to environment - the traits that stick basically 44:15 the traits that change are due to environmental influences! So you may be actually more introverted, consciousness etc than you think 45:33 James thinking of exploring the territory of aligning your env with your personalty kinda reminds me of Cal Newports building designs to maximise productivity! Also something I am really interested in and deffo want to experiment with! 45:51 you can get remarkable results when you're well trained at the skill + your env works with you to maximise action on the habits which get results! 46:54 the layering of skills is what induces options 47:27 With any individual trait or skill its harder to stand out with - but by layering them all together makes you a lot more unique and more valuable asset to the market - reminds me of Sam Ovens advice on becoming specialised in a specific niche first and mastering that before broadening your niche 49:29 In terms of risk - James Clear likes taking the Nasim Taleb approach - Limited downside but unlimited upside- so you're clear on what the investment and "loss" is but you cannot be certain of how high the potential will be "unbounded upside" 52:05 That's super interesting! Jame's Personal Brand is called JamesClear.com and not betterhabits.com or something like that - this name gives him much more freedom to be able to delve into a range of different topics! 53:08 You're going to be boxed by your audience regardless - it just makes things simpler - branding allows you to define that box however 53:56 damn they're discussing domain names and how they ended up just sticking with their own name at the end - I should keep this in mind 54:17 honestly at the end of the day branding isn't the most important thing - the content and the relationship with your audience is key - if you're smashing it with your content your audience will return and remember you regardless of your branding (within reason ofc lol) 54:53 THE WORK YOU DO IS YOUR BRAND! 56:58 the goal of any creative professional is to make your product soo amazing that ppl CANT NOT talk about it! e.g Elon Musk's Tesla + SpaceX 57:16 but its kinda like a balance - on the other side make sure you're also putting in work to attract audience - so maximising all the tools at your disposal to build your audience and deliver high value content!
Notes Part 2: 01:03:03 James gets sources of info from different industry's/markets and sees how he can apply it to the niche he is servicing - this way bringing in unique perspective to the problems his niche has to deal with - and thus better solutions 01:03:47 the most interesting ideas are often at the intersection of different areas - think of Venn diagrams stacked on-top of each other - right in the middle is the gold 01:03:55 checkout James's article on 1st principles thinking 01:04:31 its only by distilling down items to their fundamental parts you can recombine them and create something new and innovative! 01:05:01 Wow the Gutenberg press was actually made this way! 01:05:29 if you can draw from a range of different sources in different verticals then you can merge them to create something unique and of high value to your niche! Dont copy any thing word for word lol but draw inspiration from them and recombine! 01:05:37 dont try to be someone else - infuse your own style and your own experiences into what youre creating! 01:06:58 Crazy! The dead outnumber the living 15:1 can deffo learn and stand on the shoulders of giants! Its likely that someone has tried to solve what you're working on right now so learn from them and generate ideas on how to apply the knowledge to your problems now! 01:07:39 thats super interesting! So much has been learned over the existence of humanity (and so much will be) that if you think you're contributing something massive its like you're adding the next 1-2% of knowledge to humanity - we stand on the shoulders of giants before us and learn from then then apply what we have learnt to advance humanity even more so this cycle can be repeated! Kinda like evolution but for knowledge (The evolution of knowledge) 01:08:25 when matt first started out he was copying lot of people- process is similar to music production- copy others to build your skills until get to point where can combine skills to make more and more unique sound 01:08:43 making "shitty versions" of the ppl who inspire us is how we learn and grow - it's part of the process of improving and mastering any skill! 01:09:44 checkout the Helsinki bus story article on James blog 01:10:29 as long as you keep on creating and learning from different sources and combining knowledge into value for niche - it'll get to a point where your content is very unique and ppl havent seen it before just like a bus stopping at a stop in a rural area 01:11:02 suddenly the things that ppl didn't find as interesting before is suddenly a lot more interesting - DUE TO WHERE IT ALL LED YOU IN RETROSPECT! 01:12:48 107bn ppl have lived before only 7.7bn ppl living now! 01:14:41 Quick Qs rap up 01:15:17 How do you deal with doubt? Time + Feedback cycles (the more James has experienced doubt and overcome it the more reference points he has to be moore confident that he can overcome it) 01:15:50 If life doesn't challenge you you should challenge yourself! 01:15:59 Pain + Reflection = Progress 01:16:18 wow interesting! If you're not feeling and witnessing doubt then you're not in the right place - doubt is conducive to growth - it means you're in growth territory and have the opportunity to progress here! 01:17:47 Any habits important for content creators to do? - Fitness+Exercise, Reading = a meta habit that improves every area of your life - books are your council to navigate through life, 01:19:33 videos lead with entertainment then follow with education whilst books lead with education and follow with entertainment (non fiction) 01:22:08 what's the simplest advice but has most impact? focus on Result Producing Activities and habits - figure out what moves the needle and put in your reps!
I’d be very interested in seeing how these views transfer to a life with children. A lot of the ‘growth’ community seem to be single or without children and I find it incredibly difficult to build routine as a single father of two small boys.
This is very interesting. On the other hand I live alone/ no kids. I sometimes think that having other people/kids around would help me establish habits/ routines a bit better as they too would be stakeholders and raising the stakes would prompt me to stick to things for longer. I lived with my parents until I was 18 - they were masters of sticking to things. Routines ran flawlessly for them/us. Even till today. Living alone allows for a level of freedom and relaxation that can lead to procrastination.
It definitely adds a level of overwhelmed when you add a dependent or a few into the mix! Lol Single mother of 3 small kiddos. I think you just have to focus on your habits & give yourself grace & a lot of deep breathing helps me!!!!
A lot of great ideas here, been wanting to stop mindless scrolling on my phone so I set it to unlock with a password that I have to type every time. I pick up my phone, remember that it will take time to unlock and then say nevermind.
Eagle eyes!! You've got to love The Rock for posting that picture of his old self..he has a good sense of humor about himself. You've got to appreciate the host's sense of humor and perspective for putting that on his wall.
Great video man !! Just one suggestion - Have the name of your guest in the title of the video or podcast, like you have on your website. Makes it easier to browse and play what I'm interested in😊
This interview is pure gold. I've listened like 4 times in the past few weeks and everything just clicks with how I've wanted to improve my life. Thanks heaps Matt and James! Greetings from Brisbane.
It's interesting watching this after having read the book. He often reiterates the book nearly word-for-word, which goes to show how concrete his thoughts around these subjects are.
I love how on track this episode stayed. "Your job is not to judge the work, your job is to create the work" nicely ties back with "not looking at the scoreboard". And why are all your guests this cool? the atmosphere is always so soothing and motivating at the same time... ♥︎
Appreciate Video! Sorry for the intrusion, I would love your initial thoughts. Have you considered - Tanoah Dumbstruck Tip (probably on Google)? It is a smashing one of a kind product for use smalltalk to make simple sexual conversations with women minus the hard work. Ive heard some extraordinary things about it and my work colleague at very last got amazing results with it.
Jesus Rojas I really want that outcome, but it seems quite unrealistic to become my dream self overnight. How would it work with such a short term mindset?
Literally the most valuable video I have ever watched!! I am extremely scatterbrained when it comes to organizing my goals. I have struggled with changing my life, and making micro changes towards good habits seems to be the way! Thanks for this!
it doesnt work, i have my yoga mat in my room on the floor but i just walk by it. or the water example I have my water on my night table but some days i just meh
There are so many nuggets in this video and the book of his- and the amazing part- is, it all makes sense. I'm really glad that I got the chance to read his book and watch this podcast (Matt definitely asked good questions and was genuine throughout this video). Thanks Matt and James.
This was literally one of the best podcasts so far. James was incredibly insightful and well spoken - I even took out my pen and wrote down some of your conversation! If there ever comes a time where you invite back former guests (although there are so many wonderful people out there to speak to), I would adore listening to you guys chat again.
I've been struggling for such a long time with criticizing myself and being so harsh on myself. The illustration with the seed and growth simply opened my eyes. Thank you Matt for having James on the podcast, I am now better because of both of you. Keep up the good work!
I chuckled at how relatable his first line was. I also have spent a lot of time reading books and researching psychology topics, and recently been combining info in word docs by topic. Though I don’t plan to write a book haha >.
I believe you can do almost anything, but you might not like it. You gotta find what you're kinda good at, at the very least, and like/tolerate enough to do it consistently.
14 minutes in and this is one of my favorite episodes so far! Also right up the alley of the videos on my channel: organization and optimization 😄 Awesome episode!!
My goodness.. The best podcast that I have ever heard. I’m going to get his book and get my life in shape through good habits/ system and trust that it will yield results.
Outstanding talk, loved every minute of it! My favorite blogger and favorite youtuber together and it contains everything I could have hoped for and more. Just amazing
Daniel Ferreira he’s got a series of little bits that are all about his fan-love for The Rock and there’s a website and jingle all about getting him on his Podcast! It’s an “inside joke” that’s actually serious that’s been on going over his platform! 😂
Interesting! So, I implement systems and one saying is “clicks are currency” and doctors hate clicking through screens. To get them to adopt the new system and cease using the old, we put pop ups and extra clicks if they signed into the old system, to get them to the new one. It worked. Thank you for your video!
Damn, these last few podcasts have been insanely awesome, can't even put it down and listening to it in background - just end up watching it, without anything else going on at the same time.
This is a great interview. I 100% agree with decreasing friction between habits you want to adopt and increasing it between bad habits. That strategy helped me start flossing every day, meditating for over 1,100 days in a row, eliminating my phone and TV habit, and teaching myself how to DJ. It’s such a simple strategy but works for everything.
30:22 wow !! What astute observation ! 36:30 wow again ! 40:26 context determines gene usage 1:00:00 he doesn't subscribe to other newsletter 😆 1:04:00 Gutenberg got idea of mass printing from winery 1:09:22 bus theory , persevere till u get ur own bus track 1:20:20 dont run after the 2% without getting 98% done
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 KJV, Jesus Christ is the only way.............
I remember watching this when it came out, it had a lot of great info but it felt like just another episode. Here I am 2 years later, quarantined in nyc for three months and extremely depressed, listening to it again because someone on reddit told me to. funny how with self help stuff, it's more about when you hear it than if you hear it. cheers ✌️
Wow. Matt and James, Thank you for a great conversation. There were so many nuggets of knowledge packed into this episode. I used to really dislike using the term, "habit" because I felt the definition wasn't congruent with how I personally felt about them but, I can definitely support how James talks about habits. Once again, thank you.
Just get better floss. I hated it before but got a sample of oral-B pro glide pro health cool mint floss and I'll never go back to the disposable flossers I'd break all the time. Usually have a cavity or two bi-yearly and after consistently flossing with real floss.. The dentist said.. All is good see you in 7 months!
I'm at 49:43 in this video and while pausing to write notes, I just wanted to say without any hyperbole: for me, in my current situation in life, this podcast is actually life changing! Thank you to both of you. edit: The T.K Coleman episode is also great and definitely worth a listen if you like this episode.
Today I was feeling really bad, so I wanted to go for a walk, which turned into a jog up and down the street. I felt really good afterward and it lead me to this. I've sorta watched your channel for a while but never had the focus to watch a podcast but now I'm watching 17 minutes in and on going!
You both have great content and insight on this topic! Thanks for sharing, very helpful for my thought process during this time of my life for the habits and decisions I’m trying to make now!
At around 21:00 they talk about how long it takes to build a habit. I would personally say that as long as it takes to not think much at all about it, ever. Take drinking water: I have the habit of drinking 90% just water (10% coffee, usually) due to my habits of having a filtered water bottle and not spending money on drinks to save money and reduce waste. Also just love a fresh cool glass of water. I don't even think about it unless someone points it out or I'm checking in on my health. For others, their habit is to drink something flavored and most likely sweet as a reward for being thirsty and tired. They are the opposite of me, 10% water, 90% other drinks. They marvel at a habit I think almost nothing about because they can't imagine a life where they are not rewarded with flavor and/or sugar when they're thirsty. My habit is mindless, and you won't get there until it is.
Hi Matt. Ive been watching your vids ever since I stumbled upon your channel. Everything is so interesting. It's great to see someone tackling about life and how to unshit everything. Learning a lot from you man! keep it up. PS. the wires on your table when youre doing your podcast are very annoying. do something about it. Regards, Jeff
Truly awesome, passionate creative people sharing actionable valuable content. If the internet had mor Matts we would live in a better world! Thanks gentlemen.
This was really refreshing. I listened to it while practicing my craft on a Sunday afternoon, getting ready for Monday implementation. Very insightful and informative. Thank you Matt.
I just finished listening to this podcast on Spotify and this is the first time I do that while driving. I will start listening to your podcasts while commuting. Came home and ordered James' book from Amazon.
This one is a beautiful piece of knowledge and education. It's so dense that is certainly one of those videos one watches whenever needs some direction in life. Amazing! I hope getting a copy Clear's book soon. Great work, Matt.
It's funny he talked about floss and habits, I'm pretty careful with what I consume but ultimately I use the pre-made floss picks cuz it's the only way I floss consistently, sometimes a few times a day! I have it in a little miscellaneous pretty gold gray in my coffee table along with random nick nacks. It's a bit odd to have there but I've taken out any resistance to doing it
Didn't read the book yet, been meaning to - listening to this podcast it becomes mandatory! Thanks for sharing, enjoyed the positive and chill vibe, felt like home.
This was honest and refreshing ... I love James Clear and I also bought Atomic Habits ... but there is a feeling of James standing by every word he says that’s reassuring that his not just on to sales . thanks Matt
First youtube comment, ever, because this is probably one of the best youtube videos / substantive interviews, ever. (I know timing and relevancy are part of it, but still.) -- I think I've found my #goals spirit animal.
Mastery is about learning to love the journey not looking forward to the finish line.There is no clear finish line in mastery, if you feel like you've achieved mastery you haven't understood the concept of mastery. Habits are the tools of obtaining mastery but how you see the world is where it all starts. “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.” - Stephen R. Covey.
This was great! Increasing the friction (taking out batteries of TV remote) and changing the environment design (turning the TV to face the wall) was a great idea. Also, putting the floss right next to the tooth brush to reduce friction for flossing is what I do daily, so kudos! Thanks for the conversation fellas!
Was listening to the minimalists religiously for ages.. but gotten so busy and watchin youtube more recently until i stumbled on your channel and of course recognise that youre a minimalist i heard about you on their podcast but gosh you have such a good point of view its so refreshing. And your views are about more than minimalism
Hello, I recently read The Compound Effect. Table of contents of Atomic Habits looks very similar. Dear internet friend, do you think I'll get something more from this new book?
Absolutely love this podcast! James is so articulate in conveying these key insights and love all the probing questions from Matt! Best podcast I've heard all year
i just realized that the person talking was ACTUALLY JAMES CLEAR, in the minute 53, yes i was only listening but come ooooooon Matt should have put his name on the tittle bro!!!!!
I am one of those people who likes to do a lot of activities and learn many skills and I want to be excellent at ALL of it (programming, web design, photography, videography, etc...). Just like what you said, this makes it difficult to pick just ONE skill and focus on mastering it because it is impossible to be excellent at everything. This video encouraged me to at least take a closer look at those skills to find what I am truly passionate about and work towards improving that. So, thanks for that! I really enjoy your videos!
Hey Mat, as a picky audio engineer I think the voices were a bit too simbilant. That was distracting to me while I tried to watch the video. That said, thanks for the podcast, I really enjoyed and look forward to seeing more interesting interviews like this one.
