Do you know what's harder than taking on a difficult task? Having to do it alone.
Let's say you want to make running a habit. The first few weeks are easy to stick to (putting the soreness aside) because motivation is high. But life inevitably throws a monkey wrench your way and progress gets derailed. At that point, it's solely up to you to gather up the will to continue. Most end up failing.
James Clear, author of the highest-selling book on habits in the world, has a solution to this problem.
He suggests joining a community of people who are already doing the behavior you're trying to adopt.
In the case of the example above, you would join a run club. If your goal is to grow your business, join a mastermind group of accomplished entrepreneurs. Want to be a writer? Join a cohort-based online course for writers. You get the idea.
There's power in communities.
Humans are hard-wired to be part of a tribe. We're extremely social creatures who have evolved to mimic the behaviors of our group. We can use this to our advantage when trying to build a new habit or tackle a difficult project.
When we do something alone, it's easy to let ourselves off the hook when the going gets tough. A group holds us accountable. You're less likely to miss your run when you've got ten other people expecting you to show up.
Crossfit has done a phenomenal job at using tribalism to keep members engaged. There's even a joke about it. How do you know someone does Crossfit? Don't worry, they'll tell you right away.
Their members sweat together. They bond over attempting to hit PRs (personal records). They all eat Paleo. They hang out outside of the gym.
In essence, they mimic the behaviors of their fellow tribespeople because they want to belong.
In my own fitness studio, we leverage community when we do our annual fitness challenges. It's amazing to see how many people clean up their diets and level up their training because everyone else in the group is doing it. We have a Whatsapp chat where participants keep each other accountable, post tips, and encourage one another. It works wonders for building camaraderie and accelerating results.
Use this tribe phenomenon to your advantage. Seek out communities of people who are doing the thing you want to do.
Sometimes the difference between success and failure comes down to putting yourself in the right environment.
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