How to Become Better than 99% of Students in 6 Months: Atomic Habits + Project 50
Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits
“Atomic Habits” is a self-help book (one of the very first I actually ever read) written by James Clear. One that taught me a simple and straight forward way of forming productive habits and breaking bad ones.
The concept of the book revolves around three core principles:
1. Small habits make a big difference: Why 1% Matters
It’s easy to underestimate the power of small changes, especially since it takes a while to see any real progress. Improving by just 1% every day can lead to significant growth over time (and declining 1% everyday can lead to drastic worsening over time as well).
It’s not about making drastic changes overnight, but about the compound effect of numerous small actions over a lifetime.
2. Focus on systems, not goals
Goals help us define what we want to achieve, but systems determine how we get there. By focusing on the process rather than the outcome, we can make consistent progress towards our goals.
In my opinion, it’s a good idea to set goals (especially 10X goals) to have something to aim at, and then form systems to help you reach your goals and possibly beyond those as well.
For example, you wish to improve your grades to A+ grades (goal) you may decide to spend more time reviewing material and watching videos on the topics every afternoon and evening, and then testing yourself through topical questions and past papers until the day of your final exam (system).
Although, it may be a good idea to forget goals entirely and focus on systems.
The purpose of setting goals is to win the game. The purpose of building systems is to keep playing the game — James Clear.
3. Identity Change: The North Star of Habit Change
Our actions are a reflection of our identity. By changing our self-perception, we can naturally gravitate towards habits that align with our desired identity.
This is about changing one’s self-identity to better integrate new habits into their daily routine (and break bad ones). By changing how you see yourself, you can easily change what you do. For example, if you think of yourself as one who works out regularly, you will know you go to the gym every XAM/PM.
If you see yourself as a writer, you know you write Y times a week at ZAM/PM every day.
James Clear then gives us a four-step practical framework of creating new habits and making them stick.
The 4 laws of behaviour change that we can use to create good habits and break the bad ones.
A single habit is made of a cue, craving, response, and reward.
Cue: This triggers the brain to perform an action.
Craving: Provides the motivational force.
Response: The action/habit we perform.
Reward: The end goal.
And these components are what form the 4 laws of behaviour change & forming new habits:
1. Make It Obvious (Cue)
If you want to start a habit of reading more books or learning a new skill, why not start by leaving some of the books you bought next to your desk? This way, your mind sees the books and remembers, “Oh. I wanted to do this today.”
2. Make it Attractive (Craving)
If the habit is unattractive, you will find it hard to keep said habit going, and it will fall off after one bad day. You need to find a way to make whatever habit you want to stick attractive to you. For example, if you find listening to audio books and going to the gym hard due to time constraints, you can listen to them whilst you work out. Now, you’ve paired going to the gym with a pleasurable activity you’ve always wanted to do, which makes going to the gym attractive.
3. Make it Easy (Response)
The habits need to be effortless to perform. They should require close to zero activation energy and have no friction. You can do this by changing up your environment as a start. For example, if you have a problem with going to the gym because your stuff is everywhere or can’t be found whenever you need them for some odd reason, why not pack your gym bag and leave it by your bed so it’s a lot easier to go after school?
4. Make it — immediately — Satisfying (Reward)
Once a habit is rewarding, the brain struggles to forget about it. Our brains have evolved to recognise immediate rewards over delayed rewards.
What is immediately rewarded is repeated, what is immediately punished is avoided — James Clear.
An example of this is scrolling through TikTok and Instagram. Our brains see colourful objects that excite them, releasing dopamine, hence we build and keep the bad habit.
We can use this understanding to help our better habits stick. Try to attach some immediate reward to the habit you are building as to trick your brain into associating “feeling good” with the habit you are trying to build.
An example of this can be allowing yourself around 20 minutes of free time to listen to music or watch an episode of a show you like after studying for 90–120 minutes at a time. This keeps the habit of studying alive and well, because your brain has associated it with an immediate reward at the end of it.
Of course, this part of the blog wouldn’t be complete without talking about to break bad habits. To break bad habits, all one needs to do is inverse the laws mentioned above.
This is all wonderful advice, but it took a while for me to truly understand what I was being told. And that’s because I had simply read the information, and not practically applied it. That’s when the idea of Project 50 found its way onto my YouTube recommendation page.
Project 50: How to Change Your Life in 50 Days
We don’t grow when things are easy. We grow when we face challenges — Joyce Meyer.
Project 50 is a challenge created by State of Mind designed to challenge the person physically and mentally.
It’s pretty simple. Follow seven rules for next 50 days. The only catch is, if you miss one rule, you have to restart your streak. It doesn’t matter if you were on day 49. If you miss one rule, you have to start from day 1 again.
The Rules
- Wake up before 8AM.
- Read 10 pages of a non-fiction book.
- Exercise for at least one hour.
- No junk food or alcohol.
- Dedicate one hour to learning a new skill.
- Do your morning routine.
- Journal your progress.
I saw this challenge as a great way to start developing good habits, even as a beginner.
Now, you may ask how all this applies to becoming a better student. It’s easy. By developing the habits that force you to evolve as student and making them stick, you will eventually transcend the majority of learners around you. I promise you, almost none of them are doing what you want to do.
Benefits of Project 50
My school always speaks of how being a good student isn’t only about books. About how it’s about being the best version of yourself you can be. And that includes physically and mentally, too.
Wake up before 8AM
This rule can help students establish a consistent sleep schedule, which is crucial for maintaining good health and optimizing cognitive function. It also allows you to start your day early, giving you more time to complete tasks.
Read 10 pages of a non-fiction book
Reading can improve memory, concentration, and stress. It also exposes students to new ideas and perspectives, fostering intellectual growth. It’s never a bad idea to learn something outside of school. You could pick up a book on finance, business or even read an autobiography.
Exercise for at least one hour
Regular exercise has numerous benefits for both mental and physical health. It can help students manage stress, improve mood, and enhance overall well-being, along with allowing one to be a lot more alert and focused in class.
No junk food or alcohol
A healthy diet is essential for maintaining good health and energy levels. It can also improve a student’s concentration and academic performance.
Dedicate one hour to learning a new skill
The habits/skills I would recommend forming to help aid your educational journey are learning how to manage your time, learning how to study and how to study religiously to help maintain the connections in your brain to the information you wish to retain. A few techniques one can use to study are spaced repetition and active recall. You can learn about how to use these on Ali Abdaal’s YouTube study playlist.
Do your morning routine with no distractions
Having a morning routine can be quite beneficial. It is an opportunity to have time to oneself before the responsibilities of the day begin. Some things students can do in a morning routine include meditation to clear the mind, drinking a cup of coffee or tea, reading, going for a quick jog or spending quality time with family or pets. Being a student is about being human too, you know?
Journal your progress
Journaling can help students reflect on their experiences, understand their feelings, and track their personal growth over time. It can help you understand who you are and what you want. More often than not, students go through the motions without understanding who they are. Talking to yourself (future and past) through journaling is a good way to understand yourself.
Fusing the lessons of “Atomic Habits” and “Project 50” will make you one of the best students (if not the best) in your entire school (and would look really good on your CV to universities & companies, too). Having both the physical and mental advantage puts you leagues above anyone else who may be gunning for your top spot. Start today.
