How Genes and Talents Can Inform Habits

MARY ABIODUN
3 min readJun 4, 2024

--

Photo by Eric Ward on Unsplash

One way to reduce bad habits is to attach consequences to them.

Habit contract & accountability partners

Habit contract means is a formal contract you use to hold yourself accountable to your habits.

It’s used when there is an accountability partner or partners.

At the end of the contract, there’ll be a place to sign your signature and that of your partner(s).

Within the contract, state the punishment that is expected or a fine to be paid if you default on your habit(s).

You won’t like to disappoint those that are holding you accountable. When you have a contract, you can follow through on goals with accountability partners.

How to go from being merely good to being truly great

Does your gene or personality derived genes influence your habits? How can you use it to your advantage?

Look at the things that come easily to you, the things you probably do better than others, the things that you can consider your talent.

What are the things you do that time just passes by and you won’t have an idea that you’ve been doing it for a long time?

If you’re able to build a habit around those things, there is a high tendency that you are going to follow through on them.

There’s also a high tendency that you would keep that habit constant because it’s something you already love and something you already do.

Some questions you can ask yourself:

  • What feels like fun to me, but work to others?
  • What makes me lose track of time?
  • Where do I get greater returns than the average person?
  • What comes naturally to me? What makes me feel alive?

Don’t try to second guess or criticize yourself.

Think about the times where you’ve had feelings of engagement and enjoyment over anything that makes you feel authentic and genuine.

That would show you that you are headed in the right direction.

Habits and specialization

Specialization is great, especially when you have found what you want to do and want to double down on it.

But there are times when you can choose to create your own game.

In creating your own game, you can find two things that you know you can do, but maybe you’re not very good at them.

Now combine these two things to create something new. That will be your own niche.

If you’re someone who could draw and someone who could tell jokes, but then you are not the best of jokers, neither are you the best of artists, it’s something you can combine.

Form a new niche for yourself that other people are not doing.

The real secret to maximizing your odds of success is to choose the right field of competition, where you can really shine.

You should also pick the right habits to accompany this field that you have chosen. This is the way to make your progress easy.

If you pick the wrong habit your life will be a struggle but if you pick the right habit your life will be easier and your progress will be easy.

Habits are easier when you align them with your natural abilities. Play to your strengths. Fit into an area that favors you.

And if there’s nothing like this, you can create one for yourself.

Even though genes can show you where you have natural abilities, it does not eliminate the need to work hard.

Until you work hard as those you admire, don’t explain away their success as luck.

If you’ve followed this far, I hope you’re having a great time?

2 more days to go.

Subscribe here to get the next summary in your inbox.

Share this with everyone who haven’t gotten a chance to read Atomic Habits but would be interested in a book summary.

Catch you in the next one.

I plan to do this as a 13-day series. So, in 13 days, you can learn all about the book like you read it yourself.

This is Day 11.

Make your comments, ask your questions and let’s start a conversation in the comments section.

--

--

MARY ABIODUN

Techie. Writer. Mentor. Teacher. Editor. Entrepreneur. Growth Marketing