The weeks have been fulfilling for me.
What great joy to see yourself progressing and at the end of the day, you feel productive because of how organized you have been all through the week.
Since I started reading this interesting novel by James Clear titled Atomic Habits, things have changed for me and those things I have viewed from the wrong perspective were corrected immediately.
I have been a fan of James Clear for over a year now because I subscribed to his Newsletter with my email and I keep getting lovely quotes and advice every Thursday. It's been long I read from him until I stumbled on his novel two weeks ago.
Since then, I have made it a habit of reading before my morning devotion starts by 6 am and most times after my devotion. This means I devote 20-30 mins each morning to reading this novel before starting the day's work.
I understand that environment plays a major role in an individual and if you happen to stay in an unproductive environment, things will go wrong with you. But my mindset changed immediately after I read that chapter in the novel.
According to James, he said our behaviour is a function of how we relate to the environment. He said we cannot always be a victim of our environment but an architect of it. This means instead of letting the environment consume us, we can build the world around us.
I felt a sharp feeling in my mind and I started thinking of how I have viewed myself and blaming the environment when I could just make the best out of it.
I am so happy to find this novel as I have been wanting to read it for a long time. I searched everywhere for the hard copy because I needed to feel the book. I could have downloaded the PDF on my phone but I just didn't want to.
I bought the book when I followed a friend to withdraw some cash from the school and found this book in a bookstore. I felt so happy and my friend was looking at me and wondering how a book could make me feel so excited. I explained to her how I have searched everywhere for this book.
She didn't believe a book can change one if you are addicted and make it a habitual reading for you. She is not a book lover just like me and I wouldn't blame her.
Throughout last week and this week, I have been positive and stayed all day with a smiling face. I noticed I finished my task quickly and had time to sleep and even watch movies. Before now, it takes me more than a week to watch a movie because of how tight my schedule is all the time but since I started reading this book, there is a kind of feeling in me and it keeps me focused each day I wake up.
I understand the importance and benefits of reading books. You will discover that when you read books, it feels as if you are in a different world. You feel that ideas are coming in and your level of dopamine increases which makes you crave to keep opening each chapter and seeing things differently.
Just yesterday, I finished all my tasks before 4 pm, and then I prepared my food. I took time to sit outside while taking the fresh air in my body. Different discussions with people were so funny and I felt so fulfilled at that moment.
This is what I have been missing for a long while because I wasn't fond of reading novels at all. Most times I can just read a few chapters and that is it with the novel. End of the book!
The day I read a novel titled "The Richest Man in Babylon" last year December, my perspective changed. I decided to start reading books starting in the new year. The first book I read this year 2023 was "How to win friends and influence people" by Dale Carnegie and it brought great insight into how to communicate with friends.
I felt so excited when I laid my hand on a hard copy of Atomic Habits. I couldn't control my emotion that day and it made my friend confused and asked what do I see in this. I said to her that finishing school does not mean I should stop reading because according to her, she was not ready to even read what was written on a signboard once she graduate because to her, no more reading again. Well, we are different and I wouldn't want to force anyone. But I hope her belief in that word changes soon.
I can't wait to see how things turn out next week for me because I believe it would be on a positive note for me. I am so happy these days especially when I have laid my hands on books to read.
There is another novel I bought too titled "The Confident Woman" by Joyce Meyer. I can't wait to finish Atomic Habits so I can jump on this one.