[Reading and Sharing] "Atomic Habit" is free because of self-discipline

In the previous article, the key word of Atomic Habit was the reshaping of identity, and the key word shared today is the environment.

The book Atomic Habits emphasizes that the environment shapes behavior and that we are products of our environment. There is a common myth that disciplined people are naturally self-disciplined. In fact, disciplined people place themselves in a disciplined environment.

Therefore, we can make it easier for us to establish good habits and eliminate bad habits by modifying the environment. Humans are visual creatures, and we don't do something because we particularly want to do it, sometimes just because it's right in front of us. For example, if you are sitting on the sofa and see a can of Coke in front of the coffee table, you have a good chance of opening it and drinking it even if you are not thirsty, because it is readily available. So seeing or not seeing cues plays a key role in how we build or break our habits. Another human nature is that it is difficult to resist temptation and relatively easy to avoid it.

As mentioned above, the content of organizing mobile phones is often consciously or unconsciously indulged in social platforms. The accumulated time can be said to be amazing. If you spend your time elsewhere, you may be able to learn more life skills. Therefore, reducing the use of social platforms is also something I have always wanted to achieve. At present, I archive all the social platform apps in a file called noise. The home page only leaves useful programs such as task list, map, email, etc. to be done every day. I also make informational apps such as e-books and podcasts as widgets. Put it on a non-unlocked section, so when I'm bored, I can listen to podcasts instead of loop ig. This is the practice of creating a disciplined environment and reducing distractions. My colleague took a more thorough approach. He deleted the Facebook page of his mobile phone, so he had to log in to the web version every time he used it. The inconvenience made him less motivated to loop through Facebook, and he could focus more on his work. Hide reminders of bad habits and make bad habits difficult to follow. On the contrary, if you want to cultivate habits, you must put reminders in the eyes.

In addition to the transformation of the external space, the cultural environment is equally important. Humans' psychological need to seek a sense of belonging makes us tend to imitate groups. "Joining a group where we want to build good habits that are seen as normal and respected, and where the group shares common values with each other."

When I was studying Buddhism, I participated in the extensive discussion seminar of the Life Academy in my early years. I found that there were so many young Buddhist friends in Hong Kong who practiced the practice of caring for students in all aspects of life. The pursuit of the main theme is valuable, and I am not an outlier. This year, I finally brought up my heart to apply for a Buddhist course. Now, every Sunday there are fixed reading sessions, master-led reading of classics and lectures, and weekly study journals must be submitted every week. I have been unable to keep writing life records since I was a child. Yesterday, I handed in my weekly study journal for the eighth consecutive week. "Knowing that others are looking at you is a powerful motivation." Masters will read, which is the motivation for my writing. The same applies to articles written and shared on this platform. It’s been exactly one year since I wrote the first article, and the amount of reading and writing has increased significantly compared to before the social platform was established, so I am also grateful for those who took the time to read and those who persevered.

Because of self-discipline, I am free. This is my way of fighting against the external environment becoming unfree. I hope it can also help you.