How Successful Writers and World-Class Athletes Stick To A Regimen
When it’s so easy to quit
We all have lofty hopes for ourselves, and yet so many of our goals fade away. New Year’s Resolutions end up on the junk pile of half-baked wishes within weeks of making promises to ourselves.
One way to make sure you reach your goals is to develop the habits that lead to success. According to James Clear in Atomic Habits, one reason we have so much trouble sticking to a regimen is what he calls the Goldilocks Rule.
When the challenge is too easy, we lose interest. When the challenge is too hard, we throw up our hands and quit. But when we are working just a bit out of our comfort zone, our attention is more focused. We are motivated to keep going by having a continuous stretch that’s just right.
Slightly challenging activity keeps us engaged and driven. It’s the key to staying in a state of flow, where we are so delighted with what we are doing, that time melts away.
Well, guess what? Constant daily practice isn’t like that. It’s repetitive. You can’t be in a state of flow all the time. But without that continuous practice and development, no one becomes a world-class athlete or a successful writer.
