---
---

**Source:** (https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2021/11/02/habits-vs-projects/?utm_source=pocket_mylist)
**Author:** Scott H. Young
**Type:** #litnote 
**Topics:** [[Habits]]

----
- People make little progress in anything when they attempt to do everything that interests them.
- **Habit causes a behaviour to be automatic.** fundamental principle of the mind
- **If effort is the primary barrier to action, and repeated, rewarded actions become more automatic, then building better habits is an essential tool.**
- Projects and habits not same
- **Not all behaviours can be habits, but they can be routines**
- Such as writiing for example, you can build the habit of sitting down to write but you can't build a habit of writing down itself.
- **If it requires complex thinking and planning, it can't be a habit.**
- You can make writing easier and more automatic but never transform into a mindless routine with zero effort
- Writing a book depends not merely on typing words, but editing, getting feedback, doing research, and obsessing a little too much about a topic that you think is important
- Project require more complex system and thinking to complete. It is a thoughtful, and planned action that can never be fully automatic.
- **Deep thinking and planning can't be simpy be automated.** **you can set a time to sit down and write. But you can't make the process of writing effortless**
- Even if you could use every minute of the day productively, you might still not have enough time to do everything you’d like to.
- There are three different resources that you invest in a pursuit: time, effort, and attention.
- **Exercise tends to work well as a habit.** Although the time remains constant and the effort rarely goes to zero (fun sports are often an exception), the attention needed really can go to zero. Exercise enough, and you can think about other projects while working out.
- Writing articles works well as a habit, provided my goal is consistency. I’ve written [over 1500 articles](https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/articles/) during the last decade and a half.
- To make a leap in writing you still have to put a ton of effort
- You have to blend habits and projects

[[Other/Obsidian Starter Vault(Second Brain)/🍀Permanent Notes/Why is it so hard to build a writing habit]]