Advantages of creating systems and not just setting goals | Peter Attia, M.D. with James Clear

This clip is from podcast # 183 - Building & Changing Habits with James Clear
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About:
The Peter Attia Drive is a weekly, ultra-deep-dive podcast focusing on maximizing health, longevity, critical thinking…and a few other things. With over 45 million episodes downloaded, it features topics including fasting, ketosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, mental health, and much more.
Peter is a physician focusing on the applied science of longevity. His practice deals extensively with nutritional interventions, exercise physiology, sleep physiology, emotional and mental health, and pharmacology to increase lifespan (delay the onset of chronic disease), while simultaneously improving healthspan (quality of life).
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[@altan65]

"Act in alignment with the person you're trying to be" love this one! Thanks for the great interview!

[@TheAlchemist1089]

Most basic concept in the law of attraction community

[@MelanieSakowski]

1. Make changes that are small and easy to do. 2. Layer them on top of each other (like units in a system or atoms in a molecule).

[@smileyspoon1]

I actually had the identity epiphany like this video recently. My son was born ten months ago and I promised my wife no side projects for a year. Things God hard for a while because I didn't feel like I was being the best at anything. I returned to my previous routine of waking up early, learning and doing side projects in the morning but just really scaled it back so it's not intrusive to family life. I felt like myself again and felt more relaxed when I am just chilling with the family. When your actions and your identity is not in alignment... Things get messy real quick.

[@gmaro]

This is one of the best videos I’ve ever seen on KZbin. 10/10 analysis.

[@at1withev1]

This reminds me of a time when my good friend smoked his last cigarette. He just randomly in the middle of the day said remember when I used to smoke? And then from then on referred to smoking in the past tense and refered to himself as not a smoker... The day of I thought he was insane, but he's not smoked a cigarette in 10 years so I guess he won

[@magueysunset]

“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.” I like this quote. The workbook called 30 Days to Reduce Stress by Harper Daniels goes great with Atomic Habits too.

[@thomashayes3783]

Identity versus outcome was how I finally managed to quit drinking after 15 years. Instead of "quitting drinking" I reframed it as "I'm not a drinker anymore." and it felt almost overnight, the mindset shift.

[@monsaemon]

I’ve always argued this with my bosses at work that if you focus more on process over result, once the process is ironed out the desired outcome will happen as a result of the process.

[@djackson4605]

Arguing with your bosses is a sub-optimal strategy. If you could shift that into suggesting things to your bosses, even the exact same content will be accepted a lot more readily.

[@monsaemon]

@@djackson4605 I mean fair. It was just a word choice for a KZbin comment. I usually go for conversation over argument. That gets way more accomplished. But I’ve always liked the phrase “old boss is a dick til you meet the new one” 😂

[@dwylhq874]

@monsaemon what industry/job are you in? And how old is the company you work for? More context would be very helpful. We love the way you think. ❤️

[@jimmason8502]

You must work in banking ;) I spent 12 years in banking and they favor results over process, but they don;t get that one produces the other.

[@stillwatersnightsky6533]

Omg I have been saying this forever at my workplace falls on deaf ears. They want the snazzy technology and tools, but won't focus on the process itself

[@operationacoustic9273]

Is it me or does James Clear have the exact same voice as Tim Ferriss? loll

[@diegonayalazo]

Yessss

[@diegonayalazo]

Amazing

[@Avarua59]

Maybe Tim has atomically changed his identity to James Clear?

[@operationacoustic9273]

@@Avarua59 Yes, and he definitely did it within 4 hours.

[@lisav6583]

Yes! And similar look!

[@hazezard2936]

I have practice what James Clear thought in his book "the Atomic Habits". I love the fact that we can improve our behavior base on small progress and setup the environment to help us progress even more. However there is one big flaw when we rely on the environment. When the environment change we lost the habits we accumulate. It happen to me during the pandemic. All my daily routine was disrupted when the movement restrictions order announced in my country. In my case i reverted to my lazy old self laying sofa watch phone all day. I found the best way to build habits is through believe system. This is because no matter what happen to the environment, we are still holding to the value we believe. We are still the same person with the same character. For me the best believe system is Islam.

[@jasonlee3218]

I changed overnight when my wife became ill. So an external driver. It made me refocus on my health and lifestyle.

[@armenalexanian]

This video sounds like it might be boring but the concept of developing a vision for your desired identity (as a healthy person or strong or sociable etc) is the most powerful mindset I can imagine. I used to eat like a powerlifter but I lifted weights like a hobbyist and I gained a bunch of fat. Now that I've adjusted my identity, I eat and lift like a hobbyist and my weight is where it should be. This video deserves 100x more emphasis and it's a shame it's just mixed in with millions of other videos. I also dig James' concept of vision -> strategy -> tactics. Huge fan of Dr. Attia.

[@atl3630]

So true.

[@jthancock]

This type of discussion on identity shifting is fascinating to me. If anyone is interested in pursuing this topic further, a couple books I would recommend are "The As-If Principle" and "Psycho-Cybernetics", although James did sum it up pretty succinctly in this video.

[@jaegertier6352]

It was nice of Tim Ferris to stand in for James here. Well rounded guy

[@justinkompf]

Great work discussing identity. Research actually is coming out on this. We focus on it for exercise promotion. Our next study is going to look at it in relationship to resistance training participation. Strength training I think is great for identity promotion because you can become more technically skilled and you can increase the weight you lift. Skill improvement -> identity revision -> continued adherence. There’s some interesting work on social media posting as it relates to identity for exercise too because self expression is one way to show that a behavior is a part of who you are. Anyways, done rambling, love this is a discussion!

[@Bysisa]

I really enjoy reading Atomic Habit's. Thanks James

[@nataliesoutlet]

Great episode ✨

[@quengmingmeow]

I took a speech/persuasion class in college years ago. We explored this idea-nameless at the time, but an idea--and this idea was this: how can you most effectively get someone to make a lasting change? Is it by convincing them (identity) so their behavior changes or is it getting them to do behaviors (fake it til you make it) so their identity changes to match actions? There was no clear answer, but almost 30 years later with more life experience, I fall squarely into the identity camp, although I have seen people “turn into” people they weren’t by doing bad behaviors. Maybe if the behavior is “easy to do” (like many things making someone a worse person), then identity isn’t supreme. But attempting to change by doing harder things (improving one’s self) I believe is supremely identity.

[@edu.monstrik]

I´ve seen this clip twice and the part with the smoker answers example was really enlightning (8:04). Well done here!

[@napez4126]

Small habits based on positive emotion is sustainable and creates systems

[@AnnTsungMD]

How to start a new habit: think small. How to create a system: do small habits. ☺

[@celwise]

Peter is such a great interviewer... Love James' message too.. FTA for the algo

[@manolopapas]

As David Goggins said you have to reinvent yourself

[@jewelofdasouth96]

Powerful conversation. Absolutely loved it. ❤

[@tammyfulkerson2164]

Needed these reminders! Thank you....long recovery from 2 big injuries and could NOT work out....im trying now to just be who I was( a person who works out)...after a 3 month NO WORKOUT....you've helped with the mindset I need to revive. I'm fortunate as I have loved being a workout person...

[@lenkavolnhals7197]

You are someone! Thank you. I love habits and I am staying with them. Goodnight.

[@dreamleaf6784]

Thank you and thanks James clear. I'm just finishing up your book. Life changing!

[@filmawayvlad]

I find this conversation really important! Great English! Greek wisdom combined with the ambivalence of the post-modernistic semantics is great too!

[@user-tb8ro5ik7w]

Dr. Attia, that shirt is incredible

[@gnarlyDUCK]

My life is full of coincidence... or is it. I just finished this book! Its a great follow up from Gabor Mate's In Realm of Hungry Ghosts which I highly recommend for everyone.

[@OnkarShrma]

Watch from 6:00 . You will still understand everything from this video.

[@drewzcutz1]

Great video! The sound quality is so crisp, can you please shave what set up you are using…. Thanks

[@barbbrazes869]

Great interview!

[@jaylav2373]

High Quality Episode, thanks friend.

[@barbarosozturk]

Great episode!

[@bluecheckmiya]

This was a fantastic breakdown

[@loganmanagh2268]

Nice convo thanks!

[@SF_Native]

Just finished Atomc Habits this morning. Really great read!

[@VictorElGreco]

I believe it was Aristotle who said that “virtue is a habit”, that who we *are* stems from what we habitually *do* in our daily life.

[@conservativemovement]

Now my goal is to create systems.

[@sumaiyaqureshiofficial]

Great episode ❤

[@5hydroxyT]

there is a very big difference between someone who wants to change because they don’t accept themselves, and someone who HAS to change because the path they are on is unsustainable and putting their whole existence in jeopardy. In the latter case change can happen due to an epiphany, since that is often the only option

[@COLL3CTO]

This is very true and overlooked, I had an epiphany in my 20s and unfortunately I was correct and many of my peers are dead to due drugs and different lifestyle choices. If I did not change I would be dead

[@franklinbruce7121]

The cigarette analogy was AWESOME

[@diegonayalazo]

Thanks for sharing. James has a similar voice to Tim Ferris.

[@donspradley6912]

Agreed! I think that every time I hear him speak.

[@abracadabra324]

Tim's recent podcast really confuses me hahha

[@oolala53]

I made another comment here that did have a critique in it, but basically, I very much resonate more with his idea of establishing systems that a person inspires to, or that they think it’s going to have benefit, but not making a particular result like a certain number of pounds be the reward Because the statistics show that getting to a certain weight is not enough of a pay off to people. Even the admiration of other people can end up backfiring if you’re depending on it. I think the same is true, if you depend on the scale, which he inferred. If you’re only doing the habits, because you want to wait a certain amount, and then you don’t lose that weight, that part of you that made it easy to gain. The weight is going to start making some very convincing arguments for why it’s not worth it. but if you can find the reasons you don’t like your over eating habits rather than you don’t like your overweight body, it’s gonna be a lot easier to stick with behaviors that combat what you don’t like about your eating. If you actually terrifically enjoy over eating, you haven’t found any problems with it, you’re gonna have a much harder time.

[@ErinLAnderson]

Thx. Definitely motivated to read Atomic Habits.

[@suziehartwright]

Thank you. 😉

[@clifcody]

So good

[@Jameswilliamsod]

Does it bother anyone that for cinematic effect you see a slice of a blurry Peter's head? I can't stop looking at it 😳

[@choicea535]

All this will evaporate on a hot day. Remember that.

[@lloydhinshelwood]

I 100% agree

[@dirtbagseth]

Great discussion. Hard to stop looking at your head in the corner though 😂

[@kevinkan1]

Scott Adams, the original Systems over Goals OG

[@Unnecessary-Depth]

For some reason this makes me remember being taught to use the question WWJD (What would Jesus Do). of course this presumes you want to strive to be like Jesus.

[@abhipatil4844]

Awesome

[@xiomanaxoxoxo3212]

Wow . My brain just exploded

[@cynenergy]

one for my books!@

[@runemartinguldberg9056]

This is Scott Adams theory.

[@belgravedave]

What earbuds are you wearing Peter?

[@levmarkelov]

What about people with ADHD? Those who struggle with keeping up with systems because we crave novelty and find sticking to one thing difficult. What tips are there for keeping consistent with a system as someone with adult ADHD?

[@michaelplace]

Build a new identity that excites you and fall in love with him every single day until you decide to become someone new. Then repeat the process all over again and fall in love with your life.

[@funkymystic]

What is your closing credit music? So funky!

[@logan9920]

Did he credit Scott Adams with systems over goals?

[@CharlieShaughnessy]

Systems over goals, as pioneered by Scott Adams.

[@WideAwakeHuman]

And someone before him and someone before him, etc… so what

[@captaintosen23]

The part where he mentioned identity change is essentially the same idea as the book Psycho Cybernetics.

[@MarkoSkace]

Actually, Atomic can mean that you can't break a thing down further, which would've been a more suitable explanation for the title Atomic habits.

[@sistertujuana4834]

To the point of identity: the Bible says “for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Prov 23:7

[@FirstLast-il5gt]

Yes! And to the point of evidence, the Bible says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

[@oolala53]

I think there is a missing piece here. It’s not just making a habit change, but having bad habit, feel like it’s worth the effort. I am not a naturally tidy person, but I do make my bed. And that’s because I discovered that for the time and effort, commitment, which is about 90 seconds, it was very reinforcing. Every time I walk through my bedroom, which I have to do to use my bathroom, the way the bed looked reinforced my efforts. However, I have not been able to make myself keep my dishes cleaned up. The effort and time involved because I do like to cook, and that ends up making messes Feels much different from making the bed. I do not like to have my food cool down so I do not do all of the dishes to prep the meal before I eat and even though it is nice to have a clean sink later in the day, the amount of time it takes, and the effort after the meal to clean everything Feels like way more of a burden to me than it does to make my bed. So it Hass to feel like that identity is worth it, if you are dealing with a habit that does not come naturally. I was able to make changes regarding my binging habit, because I got to the point where I could not stand the idea that I was going to binge for the last few decades of my life. That was way more important to me than losing weight I’ve ever been. I did end up eventually losing 40 pounds, but it took a long time, and I actually never got discouraged about my habit because of the weight or lack of loss of weight. I was not going to go back to binging whether I never lost a pound or not. I feel more ambivalent about the necessity of being a tidy person. It would be more convenient, and it would make some things easier in my life, but from my side, it feels like a great deal of effort.

[@dirtbagseth]

Clean while you cook 💨

[@oolala53]

@@dirtbagsethIf you find the burden of that worth it, or you don’t find it a burden, we are two different people. But you wash on! 🙂

[@dirtbagseth]

@@oolala53 it's all just practice and habit forming. You can do whatever you set that brilliant mind of yours to…...

[@oolala53]

@@dirtbagseth You haven't disproved my point. Please tell me a habit that you have adopted that continues to feel difficult and onerous but that you still do.

[@Arthur-uz2zm]

@@oolala53 I mean, have you read the book? James Clear talks about this. He talks about making habits that are obvious, attractive, easy and rewarding.

[@christopherlouie1671]

Tony Robbins was saying back in the 80s

[@technuts]

The more I hear from the new age motivational speakers the more I realize how much of it is already taught in Hindu Mythology...Lord Krishna says, put in the work, don't worry about the results...and that's exactly what is being stated here, build the system and don't worry about the goal.

[@nativeinyou]

The identity thing was much better covered in Psychocybernetics by Maxwell Maltz.

[@jz5005]

Do you two have the same stylist?

[@CarComparos]

Daym, even my Activa ain't so efficient!

[@joshstromer5640]

If the world is saved, it will not be saved by old minds with new programs but by new minds with no programs at all.

[@mukundan101]

12:15

[@amorestperpe]

Maybe it's because I'm a chemist, but I never thought atomic habits meant huge. I thought it was micro

[@belwynne1386]

Or sub-atomic…

[@tenr01]

@11:20 i am taking a vote to become a programmer

[@MitchellGlucroft]

Gotta fake it to make it.

[@vincentcorso1688]

Wow I wonder how this plays with alcoholic anonymous and gamblers anonymous They make you say hi I am an alcoholic/compulsive gambler Wonder if the results would be better if they said I don’t drink alcohol or I am not a gambler

[@timmothyburke]

I wonder if the mechanism in the brain that makes people regain weight can be tricked by some kind unconscious self image mechanism. So if you can find a way to talk to your unconscious mind you can somehow add a new regulation system to the existing system. It's coincidentally something that I was thinking about a few days ago.

[@conlawmeateater8792]

What do you mean by that?

[@ashleytaylor994]

The concept of self identity was popularized by psycho cybernetics Maxwell maltz

[@lailadillsi8902]

100% same voice

[@RoidfreeSenior]

Yeah, discipline is all about building good habits and losing not so good ones, right?

[@d.mariecampbell7443]

I agree with everything up until you made of fun of “Fake it till you make it”… what we tell our selves matters… And if you keep telling yourself something you start to believe it… that’s why we should never say bad things about ourselves…

[@ashleytaylor994]

Guy sounds just like Tim Ferris’s

[@ikbenmarko]

It indeed bothers me to not workout, #addicted identity?

[@timmothyburke]

It reminds me of the "What would Jesus do" fad.

[@nickwilsonxc]

Sounds like a more easily digestible version of Jean-Paul Sartre’s philosophy.

[@heathhamby]

I see they have the same barber

[@LostInStates]

AKA fake 'til ya make it

[@icebox_Intruder]

Interesting. Sounds nothing like "manifestation."

[@dhruvpatel4948]

Why is he wearing AirPods while seating in front of him😂

[@TribalGlobe]

No "fake it till you make it" does not mean you have to believe a delusion. It says "fake it" implying that you know it is a non-genuine action... until it becomes genuine. It's the same meaning as what you are talking about you just interpreted it wrong.

[@mariusgildenhuys3731]

Easy to do, easy not to do...

[@DrewIsHungry]

This fake eyeline thing is making me uncomfortable. They’re not in the same room together. There’s nothing wrong with that. No need to use weird and unsuccessful editing tricks to pretend they are

[@joscelinbrown9187]

Didn’t notice it until I read this comment😂

[@vincedgarvlogs]

Lol the system is based on goals

[@sohammookherjee9405]

Bald is best 😂😂😂

[@DarkMuj]

These guys are bald!

[@straycat1115]

Seems like baldness promotes credibility

[@SonnyDarvishzadeh]

They're overthinkers

[@Mexicobeanpole]

Uhhh ok. You’re soooo observant.

[@aryangod2003]

Please have Nobel Laureates in Medicine not self help gurus. Thank you.

[@nl3712]

Read the book. All assertions made are supported by peer-reviewed research. See index for details.

[@aryangod2003]

@@aaayyy1953 Then why bother with Phds universities like STanford and MIT and decades of research and expertise and awards? Sure occasionally there are geniuses who are experts without those, but Peter usually has At least doctors with noted contributions to their fields and even one Nobel Laureate (cancer physican) on the show. This seemed to be an exception

[@matbob7249]

It’s easy to lose and keep weight down- you guys casted uneducated thesis. We humans thrive on paleo diet or lifestyle to be correct. Get rid of carbs industrial seed oils grains and run machine on pastured animal products healthy fats - never be hungry and never gain weight… and it’s super delicious. Great behavioral info but please do not mislead with nutritional stereotypical fads low fat healthy whole grains calories in out b.s.

[@otg1433]

Needless senseless chatter.. human never stop talking. We are born and then die( the body that is)the short span of time in between is what we term life so why fill it with all this analysis and noise ...nothing is that relevant or important ..silence wow that's something worth experiencing.

[@l_3216]

the advantages of being bald

[@lionroaring7021]

Stop😂