Secret to building habit
I read 40+ books a year.
The crazy thing is I never read a full book until I was 19 because I hated reading! Why spend hours sitting and reading when I can do other important things? This is what I used to believe.
So how did I go from reading 1 book a year to 40+ books a year?
The first is to recognize that you can’t build the habit of reading if you don’t enjoy reading. And you won’t enjoy reading if you don’t build a habit of reading.
Replace reading with any habit you want to cultivate. i.e. You can’t build the habit of eating healthy if you don’t enjoy eating healthy. And you won’t enjoy eating healthy if you don’t build the habit of eating healthy.
Welcome to the habit paradox. This paradox traps many into never building the habit they want. This paradox can’t be solved internally or externally. It must be transcended.
The secret to transcending the habit paradox is: forming a new identity for yourself.
Forming a new identity is what I did to go from reading 1 book to 40+ books a year.
Once I understood what I loved, what I was curious about, and formed a new identity around it, reading become a pleasure. I couldn’t wait to read, I had to stop myself from reading many times, I started scheduling times so I didn’t overread.
And I've applied this to all areas of life: relationships, work, business, martial arts, and hobbies. It’s a continual evolution of transcendence where ultimately an alignment of your heart's desire and what is right become one.
If you’re struggling with building a new habit, start with forming a new identity for yourself.
Here are a few questions to help you get started:
Why do I want to build this habit?
What kind of man/woman inspires me? And do I want to emulate them?
Are my motivations for this habit external or internal?
What am I willing to forgo because of this habit?
About me
I’m IJ. I’m a martial artist, product designer, and philosopher.
Why am I doing this? To share my learnings on living an action-oriented life. Want to read more? Follow me on Twitter and subscribe to my newsletter here.
Have a question about this post or interested in working together? Email me at jeitthew @ gmail.com