#057 — Beyond Resolutions: Building Habits That Last
Shape your habits, shape your identity, shape your life.
Welcome in 2025!
Another year around the sun
Guess I’ve just been havin’ fun
Just another year around the sun
Making it through
As we step into the new year, the familiar chorus of “new year, new me” echoes around us. But in reality, how many of those goals last? And for how long?
Diving into 2025, let’s strive to build a life that reflects who we truly aspire to be.
So in this issue, we’re exploring the art of building better habits – not through dramatic declarations or sweeping changes, but through small, intentional actions that compound over time. We’ll explore why our environments shape our behaviors more than willpower ever could, and how tiny changes can lead to remarkable transformations.
We’ll also take a closer look at fascinating discoveries, from how green spaces might boost your gut health, to an innovative crystal that turns the world into pixel art, plus more. And if you’re a Coldplay fan, don’t miss Chris Martin’s candid reflections on authenticity and creativity.
As we begin 2025, we wish you not just growth and success, but the wisdom to appreciate the small steps that lead to lasting change. May this be a year of meaningful progress, however modest it might seem in the moment.
Here’s to a year filled with gratitude, growth, joy, and lasting habits!
Happy New Year! 🎉
Kacper & Adrian
DISCOVER NEW STUFF
Your dose of curiosity
✻ Want to make peace with your screen time? Forget about counting hours and think about your “digital diet” instead. Learn how to build a healthier relationship with your screen.
✻ There’s another reason to spend more time outdoors – it might also improve your gut health! Scientists have discovered that microbes found in green spaces can transfer into our bodies, making our immune systems stronger and more resilient.
✻ Ever wondered what it would be like to see the world as an 8-bit video game? A creative Japanese designer has made it possible with a magical crystal that transforms everything you see into pixel art. It’s like carrying a piece of retro gaming nostalgia in your pocket!
✻ In a beautifully honest interview, Chris Martin opens up about Coldplay’s journey and their mission to spread love through music. With their record-breaking tour reaching millions worldwide, he reveals how the band has become more authentic than ever before.
✻ Scientists in Israel have achieved something incredible – they’ve grown a mysterious tree from an over 1,000-year-old seed! Named Sheba, this unique specimen might be connected to the legendary balm of Gilead from biblical times.
✻ Standard Ebooks is reimagining classic literature for the digital age. This volunteer-driven project creates beautifully formatted, open-source editions that bring timeless works to modern devices with professional-grade typography.
“You could be good today. But instead you choose tomorrow.”
– Marcus Aurelius
GET INSPIRED
Building Better Habits: Your Guide to a Transformative 2025 and Beyond
The calendar turns to 2025. A fresh start beckons. Most of us start each new year with a list of resolutions, filled with ambitious goals and sweeping declarations of change. Yet, by February, these grand plans often fade into distant memories. Why? The answer lies not in our lack of motivation or willpower, but in our approach to change itself. As we step into 2025, it’s time to reimagine how we build lasting habits and create meaningful transformations in our lives.
As James Clear writes in “Atomic Habits”, cutting straight to the heart of the matter:
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
These words carry a profound truth that challenges everything we think we know about personal transformation. It’s not about setting bigger goals or making bolder promises to ourselves. It’s about understanding the quiet architecture of change that shapes our daily lives.
The Hidden Architecture of Change
Consider, for a moment, how your environment shapes your behavior – often without you even noticing. In his New Yorker article “How to Have a More Productive Year”, Cal Newport explores this fascinating dynamic of modern life and productivity. “The real tyranny,” he writes, “is being subjected to the whims of the most apparently urgent task, or of the loudest request in your in-box”. His words cut straight to the heart of why most habit-formation attempts fail: we’re fighting against our environment instead of making it work for us.
In our everyday reality, our surroundings whisper constant instructions to our subconscious mind:
That phone on your nightstand? It’s quietly suggesting that you check it first thing in the morning.
These running shoes hidden in your closet? They’re saying “out of sight, out of mind”.
The book buried under a pile of magazines? It’s telling you that reading isn’t really a priority.
The Science of Transformation
James Clear didn’t just theorize about habits; he broke them down to their essential components through meticulous research and observation. Every habit, he discovered, follows a four-step pattern that’s deeply embedded in our neurological architecture:
the cue that triggers us,
the craving that motivates us,
the response that becomes our actual behavior,
and the reward that satisfies our craving.
“A habit is a behavior that has been repeated enough times to become automatic.”
– James Clear
This observation suggests something revolutionary about mastery – it’s not about perfection or intensity, but about consistent repetition. The small actions we take every day, repeated over time, become the invisible architecture of our lives.
The Power of Tiny Changes
Derek Sivers, in his book “Hell Yeah or No”, captures this idea perfectly:
“When we think about what’s worth doing, we usually think of big things. But when you hear the stories of how people got successful, they usually start with one little action.”
He later elaborates further:
“Having taken that one step, you start to think of yourself as brave, or an achiever, or a bit of an expert on a subject. You do one thing that makes you feel generous, so you start to act generous, so you become generous.”
Think about reading. The difference between someone who reads fifty books a year and someone who reads none isn’t usually motivation or intelligence. Often, it’s as simple as having a book visible on your nightstand instead of a phone. The reader doesn’t need to conjure enormous willpower each night to read; they’ve simply created an environment where reading is the path of least resistance. This is all you really need to amplify your daily actions into long-term achievements.
Here are some tips for building better and stronger habits:
Start Small:
The brain loves consistency. Starting with tiny, manageable actions builds the neural pathways needed for larger successes. Want to meditate? Begin with just one minute. Over time, increase the duration as the habit becomes second nature.Stack Your Habits:
Pair a new habit with an existing one. For example:After brushing your teeth, spend 2 minutes journaling about your day.
While waiting for your coffee to brew, stretch for 30 seconds.
Tie mindfulness to mundane activities, like focusing on your breath during your morning commute.
Reinforce with Rewards:
Positive reinforcement cements behavior. Celebrate small wins, whether it’s with a mental pat on the back or a tangible treat, like indulging in your favorite tea after completing a workout. The reward becomes a cue for continued success.Design Your Environment:
Reduce friction by making good habits easier and bad habits harder. Keep healthy snacks visible and junk food out of reach. Declutter your workspace to enhance focus. Surround yourself with reminders of what you value – like leaving a book on your bedside table to encourage nightly reading.
Identity and Transformation
James Clear, introducing perhaps the most powerful concept in modern habit formation, stated:
“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”
This isn’t just poetic language – it’s a fundamental truth about how humans change and grow. Your habits aren’t just things you do; they’re expressions of who you are becoming.
As the Wired article on habit formation emphasizes, “reduce friction wherever you can... It’s easier to work out every day if you’ve prepped everything beforehand”. This practical advice shows, again, how the environment we create can either support or hinder our desired identity changes.
The Two-Minute Revolution
One of the most powerful concepts James Clear introduces is the Two-Minute Rule. The idea is to make any new habit take less than two minutes to do. Want to read more? Start with reading one page. Want to write more? Write one sentence. Want to run? Put on your running shoes and step outside.
This might seem too easy, but that’s exactly the point. The art of building habits is about showing up consistently. Once you’ve mastered showing up, you can master the art of staying longer.
This idea aligns perfectly with what Derek Sivers describes in “Hell Yeah or No”:
“You won’t act differently until you think of yourself differently. So start by taking one small action that will change your self-identity.”
This might seem too easy to be effective, but that’s precisely why it works. As Clear explains: “The more you ritualize the beginning of a process, the more likely it becomes that you can slip into the state of deep focus that is required to do great things”. The two-minute start is like a doorway – once you step through it, continuing the activity becomes much easier.
Even simple actions can ripple into identity shifts. The two-minute rule – starting with an action so small it feels too easy – lays the groundwork. Meditate for a minute. Write two sentences. These micro-habits reduce the inertia of starting. Over time, they grow strong roots.
The Long View of Change
“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years”, writes Sivers, capturing a crucial truth about habit formation and personal change.
Think about this in the context of your own life. Those small daily actions – reading one page, writing one sentence, doing one push-up – might seem insignificant in the moment. But when viewed through the lens of time, these tiny actions compound into remarkable transformations.
As you stand at the threshold of this new year, remember that your habits are not just behaviors – they’re statements about who you are becoming. Each choice you make today is a vote for your future self. The small actions you take, repeated consistently over time, become the invisible architecture of your life.
Start with something small – so small it seems almost insignificant. Give it time to take root. Watch how it grows and changes you. Trust in the power of tiny changes to create remarkable transformations. Because in the end, we are what we repeatedly do. And excellence, as Aristotle reminded us, is not an act, but a habit.
This year, start small but stay steady. Create an environment that nurtures your aspirations, build systems that work for you, and watch as 2025 becomes the foundation for your best self. As James Clear writes: “Time will multiply whatever you feed it”. So feed it good habits, consistent actions, and patient persistence. The results might surprise you.
Let us know your thoughts and resolutions for the year ahead in the comments below. Share your goals and inspire others to join the journey of intentional living. What strategies have worked for you in creating habits, and which ones didn’t?
Here’s to building healthy and strong habits that last in 2025 and beyond!
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Great values guys. As always. 🙌🏻