Mastery: The Secret To Creating Habits That Last

Issue No. 14 | April 3rd, 2023 | Read Time: 3 Minutes

Happy Monday Everyone!

I believe everyone can relate to this problem: You decide to create a positive habit of working out or reading and you start off strong, but eventually life gets in the way and you miss a couple days. 

Those days remind you of the comfort outside of those habits and you eventually succumb to falling out of your newfound behavior that you were once so excited to achieve.

But understand that you're not failing in your habits because you're lazy, you just don't have a system in place for being

consistent

. 

If you relate to this problem, then there is one rule you need to adopt in order to solidify your habits and create a lifestyle you're in complete control over.

It's known as the

Two Day Rule

.

Originated by James Clear in his book

Atomic Habits

, Clear talks about how it's normal for life to get in the way and to accidentally miss a day. 

But understand that once we miss two days in a row, that's when we begin to fall out of our habits. Because missing once is an accident, but missing twice is intentional.

Whether you're sick or simply just don't feel like going to the gym, then feel free to take a day off. But make sure you get back up tomorrow and continue to persevere.

James Clear says that the bad workouts are often the most important ones because they're the ones keeping your streak alive. So regardless of how you feel on that second day, don't give in to your rationalization because that's the very moment you begin to let your habit die.

If you want to take control over your life, then don't give in to the lies your body is feeding you. Seneca, an ancient Stoic Philosopher says that it's our body, not our minds that is ill. That even though we may feel weak, it's ultimately our minds that gives our body instructions on how to act. 

"It is your body, not your mind, that is in the grip of ill health. Hence it may slow the feet of a runner and make the hands of a smith or cobbler less efficient, but if your mind is by habit of an active turn you may still give instruction and advice." — Seneca

Follow Seneca's wisdom and don't listen to your body, but listen to your mind and realize that despite the quality of your work, you can still get up and take action to keep your habit alive. All you have to do is just show up. That's already half the game, and no matter what happens don't miss two days in a row so you can keep that streak alive and claim the life of discipline you've been striving for. 

Until next time,

Isaiah Taylor

Dive Deeper

What I'm Currently Reading -

I'm reading something a little different this time around being the 1887 novel in Arthur Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes series titled

A Study in Scarlet

.

• If you'd like to see my notes pertaining to any of the other books I have previously read, then check out my websiteisaiahctaylor.comto view my entire library of notes and summaries.

Quote Of The Week

• "If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward." — Martin Luther King Jr.