The RNDM: Longform

Hello and welcome to The RNDM: Longform, a weekly newsletter which consists of articles written by the RNDM team.

Each week we'll aim to share more in-depth articles written by our team on the same interesting topics as we cover in our usual newsletter.

Please let us know what you think of this new format. Did you like it? Would you change anything? Feedback is a gift so let us know by replying to the email or leave a comment below.

The Power of Clarity in Habit Formation and Productivity

Have you ever noticed that the less you know about something, the more your brain resists doing it?

It's because your brain hates vagueness and likes to know what needs to be done. In other words, clarity is key to making your brain willing and able to do something.

This is particularly important for habit formation, as James Clear explains in his book Atomic Habits. Clear suggests using implementation intentions to make it easier to form new habits.

Implementation intentions are statements that define a clear time and location of when you will do the new habit. By turning your feelings and thoughts into an actual plan of action, implementation intentions move you from waiting for a spark of motivation to just following the plan.

For example, instead of thinking "I need to walk more," you can use an implementation intention and say "I will walk on the treadmill for 15 minutes before work every morning."

Clarity is also essential for productivity. When you have a clear idea of "what done looks like," it reduces cognitive load and allows you to focus on the task at hand. Breaking a task down into smaller, more manageable steps helps you build momentum and work through your to-do list more effectively.

Simplicity is also crucial for managing your workload. The simpler you make it to get started, the easier it is to work through your task list. By starting with the most obvious action, you can build momentum and move on to the next obvious action, eventually leading to completing the task effectively with less effort.

Clarity is a powerful tool for habit formation and productivity. By using implementation intentions, breaking tasks down into smaller steps, and focusing on the most obvious action, you can improve your clarity, reduce cognitive load, and manage your workload more effectively.

So next time you're struggling to form a new habit or tackle a task, remember the power of clarity and make it clear what needs to be done.

Friction and Momentum

The alarm started blaring, I had to jump out of bed and turn it off or face an angry wife being woken up early.

It seemed like a simple idea. Move the phone charger away from the bed and start your day the right way. But i underestimated the effect it would have. I'd read about the idea in a post by systemsunday and figured i'd try it out.

one month later and this simple change has improved my mood, health, and productivity. How? well, i think it stems from two priniciples; friction and momentum.

Friction is the ease or effort required to start. As James Clear says in his bestseller, Atomic Habits;

Momentum is the energy you build as you move from one action to the next. The more you progress from action to action, the easier it is to move onto the next one.

Think of it as a snowball rolling down a hill. Energy is needed to move the ball initially, but as it moves down the hill, the energy needed to keep rolling reduces and it starts to pick up speed.

Moving the phone charger or the alarm away from the bed forces me to get out of bed, giving me the initial push to start rolling the ball. Once I'm up and the alarm is off (and the wife hasn't been woken, phew!), I find it easier to get started with my morning routine. From here one action can lead into the next allowing me to start my day in the best way, setting a good foundation to build upon through my day.

Of course, It helps to plan the morning the night before so I waste less time in the morning and reduce thinking time. This is where intention comes in, but thats a post for another day.

Friction is definitely a lever that can be used to help make it easier for you do an action or more difficult to do a bad action and will have a great impact on your life and achieving your goals.

Are there areas in your life that may benefit from increasing or decreasing friction?

Let me know in the comments.

Take a moment now and do a few things for us,

1. If this hit your Promotions inbox, click and drag it to Primary

2. If you found something interesting this week, send us it and we'll feature it in the next issue.

3. If you're looking for help with productivity then chek out our free productivity planner .

P.S. If you're feeling generous (and a little smarter) why not share with a friend.

Thanks again for your support and see you again next week.