Habits That Shape Us: The Science, Systems, and Shifts That Stick
Habits are more than what we do—they are who we are. In times of change or uncertainty, the small, repeated actions we take each day become the foundation that keeps us grounded. With an upcoming move across the world, I’ve been reflecting deeply on why and how habits hold us steady—and how healthcare leaders can leverage them for resilience and impact.
Why Habits Matter
Charles Duhigg, in The Power of Habit, writes, “Most of the choices we make each day may feel like the products of well-considered decision making, but they’re not. They’re habits.” Research suggests that up to 45% of our daily actions are habitual—done with little conscious thought. That’s powerful. Because if our habits are automatic, they’re either helping or hindering us, without us even noticing.
Identity-Driven Habits
James Clear (Atomic Habits) reframes the question from “What do I want to achieve?” to “Who do I want to become?” Your habits are votes for the person you believe yourself to be. Want to be a confident, compassionate leader? Your daily habits must reflect that through how you listen, delegate, respond to stress, and support others.
Gretchen Rubin (Better Than Before) urges us to know ourselves before we build habits. Her Four Tendencies framework (Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, Rebel) helps explain why some strategies work better for certain people. If you’ve struggled with habits in the past, maybe you just haven’t built them in a way that suits you.
Systems Over Motivation
Habits work best when we stop relying on motivation and start building systems. That’s where James Clear’s two-minute rule comes in: Start with a version so easy it’s almost laughable. “Want to build a habit of cycling 30 minutes a day? Start with 1 minute.” I did—and it changed everything.
Building a daily habit to save my knees!
Healthcare Leadership and Habits
In healthcare, we often rush from task to task, forgetting that daily actions shape culture. A habit as simple as thanking a team member for something specific every day can transform engagement and morale. Miss a day? It slips. Miss two? It fades. Don’t break the chain.
Key Takeaways
Identity first: Who do you want to be? What’s the type of leader you want to be known as?
What habits would that type of leader have?
Start small: What’s the one-minute version of the habit?
How can you make it easy?
Build systems: Environment, visual cues, and tracking help.
Consistency over perfection: One minute counts. Don’t break the chain.
