Several fellow gym enthusiasts will agree with me that leg day is often the least favorite. The muscle pain and pressure always leave me walking like a duck, but the results are worth it.

Still, every leg day morning, the conversation in my head goes something like this: Why am I doing this to myself? What exactly am I training for? Am I even an athlete? I’m I training for the Olympics? But despite the resistance, I push through and head to the gym.

Recently, my colleague and friend Dr. Wathanga introduced me to James Clear’s Atomic Habits. I picked up a copy and, though I’m still working through it, I’ve been challenged by the truths it lays out. (Dr. Wathanga has an excellent review of the book you can check out here.)

Like leg day for me, many of the important things we must do in life aren’t always easy. If that’s you, this book is a must-read. Here are a few nuggets I’ve picked up so far: The book focuses on how tiny habits can lead to big change.

1. Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. Growth doesn’t happen overnight. Whether professional, social, or spiritual, you need to build habits in the areas you want to improve and be consistent. You get what you repeat
2. Small improvements add up.  James Clear talks about getting 1% better every day. The same applies in reverse: procrastinating on that report, funding proposal, or M&E framework once might seem harmless, but repeated, it builds a habit of always procrastinating the “hard” or demanding tasks eventually leading to frustration and high levels of stress. How many times have you had to work late on something that you had adequate time to do but you kept procrastinating?
3. True behavior change is identity change. The more you repeat a behavior, the more you reinforce the identity connected to it.
4. Identity is the North Star of habit change. In adopting healthy/good habits, it’s important to focus on who we want to become rather than what you would want to achieve.

Sometimes it sounds easier said than done but it starts with one small habit, repeating daily, until it reshapes your beliefs and identity.

So no, I won’t skip leg day. It’s not just about hitting the gym four times a week, it’s about building muscle strength that will serve me well into the future.

What’s the atomic habit you need to adopt?