When the pandemic hit, our busy day-to-day lives came to a crashing halt, and we were all forced to slow down. As our daily routines changed overnight, for many, it became an opportunity to stop and re-evaluate.

Over a year later, we are seeing the light as case numbers come down and the percentage of the population that’s vaccinated goes up. The feeling of optimism is palpable, and in many ways, this spring and summer feels like a fresh start. As we come out of the metaphorical woods, have you thought about who you want to become?

If the past year has motivated you to improve any aspects of your life, we suggest picking up a copy of Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear, recommended by Abigail Davis, a Loan Administrative Executive Assistant here at Southern First.

Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, states, “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you want to become,” and “too often, we convince ourselves that massive success requires massive action.”

Clear’s methods center around the impact of small, repeatable actions over time - using daily habits to drive real change, rather than setting lofty, big-picture goals.

To get started, consider his four basic laws:

1. Make it obvious.
2. Make it attractive.
3. Make it easy.
4. Make it satisfying.

This system draws from proven ideas in biology, psychology, and neuroscience to give you new strategies to transform your habits, whatever they may be. Whether attempting to reduce your stress or to redefine an industry, Clear believes in breaking down goals into simple, actionable behaviors that are easy to commit to.

When we asked Abigail what her biggest takeaway was, she said, “I loved this book because it was like my own all-in-one cheerleader and coach to fulfill my potential. In a ‘now’ world, this book is an unusual reminder of the impact of small daily things over the long haul. But Clear doesn't leave us there, he shows us how to move from the who we are to who we want to become. By using the four laws, Clear demonstrates how we can escape the popular pit of goal setting and create systems that activate real change. It's simpler than you think--for example, people we consider self-disciplined have often just chosen not to put themselves in compromising situations. It’s not rocket science!”

Tell us in the comments: What good habits are you looking to build?