As we enter grade 10, our first project of the year is one that will help me grow as a person. This project gave me the opportunity to create a better workflow and habits for myself, and I’ll be sharing the journey to get there with you. We’ve been working on a project called “Atomic Habits,” where we look to answer the question, “How can small changes in my habits shape my success this year, and beyond?” To start, we read Atomic Habits by James Clear, a book I highly recommend if you haven’t read it—it’s one of the most informative books I’ve ever come across, helping me improve my everyday habits and life overall.

The first activity we did was learning James Clear’s habit-building framework: “Make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying.” These are the guides to creating a successful habit, but that’s not the only thing we’ve learned to help build lasting changes. 

Setting My Learning Intention

As part of the project, I had to create a learning intention. My goal as a learner this year is to establish a well-balanced work schedule, with a big focus on improving my sleep. I’ve noticed that a lack of rest has been affecting my school performance. To change this, I’m looking to create a better routine that allows me to work efficiently while still leaving time for relaxation and, most importantly, sleep. This means having a specific space for homework and study sessions to help me stay organized and focused.

I also want to minimize distractions—specifically from social media like YouTube, which tends to pull me off track. To help with this, I’ve decided to place my phone in another room while I’m working and set up my assignments right on my desk. My plan is to turn this into a habit: every day when I come home, I’ll unpack and put my work directly on my desk. This way, I can keep up with my studies and still have time for games and socializing, without letting distractions take over.

The Artifact Creation: Four Laws of Habit Formation

Once I defined my learning intention, it was time to create an artifact to put it into practice, following James Clear’s four laws of habit formation: Make it Obvious, Make it Attractive, Make it Easy, and Make it Satisfying. For my artifact, I decided to use two notebooks. I’ve always liked the idea of journaling, where I can jot down my thoughts and organize my day. The concept of improving just a bit every day to “move my life forward”—the idea of getting 1% better each day—really resonated with me.

My first experience with journaling goes back to 2022, when I bought a notebook at Granville Island with my cousin. While I used it occasionally to write down my thoughts and ideas, it wasn’t consistent or structured. As Clear puts it, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” Looking back, I didn’t have a clear system in place, and this book taught me that systems are key to reaching goals. 

So now, with this project, I’m using two notebooks—each with a purpose. One stays at home, and every night I write in it to reflect on my day and plan for the next one. This practice has helped me end each day on a thoughtful note and start the next one with intention.

The second notebook goes with me everywhere. Every morning, I write down four key tasks that will push me toward my long-term goals. To keep myself accountable, I’m using the 100-day system. This means if I miss a day, I have to start over, which really motivates me to stay consistent.

Why Notebooks?

You might wonder why I chose to use physical notebooks instead of a digital app. It’s easy—I find that using an app is often distracting, with notifications and other things pulling me away. Going analog, by contrast, makes me slow down and focus. It’s like listening to vinyl instead of streaming music or shooting film instead of snapping endless digital photos. There’s a slower, more deliberate process involved that helps me “de-noise” my work and focus on what really matters.

Reflecting on the Impact

It’s only been a few weeks since I started this habit, but I’m already noticing a big difference. My workflow feels clearer and more manageable. I love being able to sit down at my desk, pull out my notebook, and see all my thoughts organized in one place. I’m not just working through a chaotic mental to-do list; I’m calmly reflecting, planning, and setting myself up for success.

Of course, I’m just getting started. As Clear explains, it takes much longer than a few weeks to fully form a habit, and I’m excited to see how this practice will evolve over the next few years. Even so, the small change of writing things down has already transformed my life. I feel less overwhelmed, my goals are clearer, and I’m more prepared for each day.

My Final Thoughts

In the end, Atomic Habits showed me that small changes can have a massive impact when they’re built into a solid system. Through this project, I learned about self-discipline, accountability, and the power of organization. I’m excited to keep building on these skills and seeing where they take me.

Thank you for reading my journey with Atomic Habits and exploring how small actions can lead to big changes.