Small Changes & Big Ones

I’ve had a problem being on time for most of my adult life. I’m never dramatically late—it’s usually less than three minutes for meetings and less than 10 minutes if I’m going out with friends. But it’s annoying to those who frequently end up waiting for me.

Over the years, I’ve thought a lot about why I’m habitually tardy, and came up with plenty of reasons, yet knowing yourself is not the same as changing yourself. The problem persisted in spite of my best efforts. 

Then I read a book by James Clear called “Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones.” Virtually overnight I changed a behavior that has plagued me for decades. 

I’m sharing this with you because it’s the beginning of a new year, a time when people often assess who they are and how that stacks up against who they want to become.

I highly recommend “Atomic Habits” if there are any aspects of your behaviors you would like to change in 2021. 

The premise behind “Atomic Habits” is that you can’t change any behavior without a strong system. With that in mind, rather than analyzing why we engage in habits that are bad for us (like that bowl of mint chip ice cream before bed) Clear provides user-friendly templates that create change.  

Small, intentional changes to shift habits

Clear uses the word “atomic” because one of his premises—an idea I found particularly useful—is that “atomic sized” changes can create big results. Tiny changes are easy. They don’t feel intimidating. 

When it comes to meetings, my atomic change is to get on the video call one minute before the meeting is set to start. To do this, I engage in what Clear calls an “implementation intention,” which means “When X situation arises, I will perform response Y.” Remember, these are tiny changes, the idea isn’t to try to rework your entire life with one atomic habit. In my case, the implementation intention was, “When the alarm for my meeting goes off, I immediately join the call.” It’s astonishing how well it works. 

I highly recommend “Atomic Habits” if there are any aspects of your behaviors you would like to change in 2021. 

Pro Remodeler partners with the National Association of Home Builders

On another note, there’s a change coming to Pro Remodeler this year as well, and it’s much bigger than any small adjustment I’ve been advocating. I’m excited to announce that we are now the official remodeling publication of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The partnership taps into the strengths of both organizations, and will mean a wealth of fresh, highly relevant content on issues such as the labor shortage, the remodeling market, business management strategies and much more. 

You can also expect to see important messages and data from NAHB officials that directly pertain to our industry. The new partnership applies to the rest of SGC Horizon’s residential construction brands, and allows all of us—Pro Remodeler’s audience of 90,000 as well as the 140,000 members of NAHB—to benefit from shared knowledge, a wider reach, and more efficient communication. You may notice these exciting changes in our website, magazine, and social media. It’s a big benefit to us all.

Read the full announcement on the new partnership here.