# 12 The Power of Tiny Habits: Why Small Changes Lead to Big Results

In Episode 12 of the Jeweler's View, we kick off an exciting mini-series inspired by James Clear's "Atomic Habits." Join us as we explore how small, consistent actions can lead to big results in both your creative business and personal life. Learn why systems matter more than goals, discover four common traps that hinder progress, and get a sneak peek into upcoming episodes focusing on habit stacking and breaking bad habits. Tune in for actionable takeaways on building better habits and insights on why tiny daily improvements can make a massive difference over time. Plus, get the latest updates on our YouTube channel and exciting workshop offers!

Transcript

Episode 12: The Power of Tiny Habits: Why Small Changes Lead to Big Results

[00:00:00] Hey friends, welcome back to the Jeweler's View. Today, I'm kicking off an exciting new mini series inspired by Atomic Habits by James Clear. This book was really a game changer for me and if you don't have it, I'd say time to take a look at an audiobook or however you like to digest information.

I like to read a good old fashioned hardback, but it's up to you. Grab a copy if you don't have it. Game changer, go chapter by chapter and implement these strategies that he's presenting,, daily, if you can, or weekly this series is going to be all about harnessing the power of small changes.

To build the creative business and life you've been dreaming of. I wanted to mention, I'm now loading all my episodes to YouTube and those are available now at the Jewelers View . I really like this platform. I can actually join you in person. I could be there in your studio with you. . I'm currently loading them all to YouTube, including last week's episode with Melissa Muir, which was amazing conversation we [00:01:00] had on creative endeavors . So I highly suggest checking that out.

If you haven't already, she's a dynamo. We'll start today with a question. What if I told you that your success isn't about big leaps, but about small, consistent actions every single day? Today I want to break down why systems matter more than goals, and sharing four common traps that keep creatives like us from making progress.

 Plus, I'm going to introduce some ideas we'll expand on in the next two episodes. So stay tuned. This is too much for one episode, so I thought, let's do three, kind of like a little mini workshop which I'll also be announcing some workshop offers that I'll have coming up soon. This is a little taste of what that might be like to work with me in that platform.

So stay tuned for that as well. So many exciting things coming up. So excited to be pulled in this direction to work with you more on building the creative business of your dreams and balancing it with life and all the other things that come into play. Okay. So let's dive in this part. One of, this three part series is why [00:02:00] systems are better than goals.

So what are systems and why do they matter? I'll tell you in a second, a personal story about systems and how long it took me to embrace this idea of creating systems for myself. So what are systems and why do they matter? Goals are great for setting direction, but systems are the engine that actually gets you there.

Think of goals as the destination and systems as the car that drives you there. For example, say your goal is to build a thriving creative business. That's why we're all here, right? That's awesome. But what does that look like day to day? Your system could be as simple as spending 20 minutes every morning connecting with your audience or dedicating time weekly to designing new pieces.

When I launched my jewelry school, I was overwhelmed by the size of my goals, huge goals, reaching students, filling classes, creating curriculum that really hit home and was comfortable and easy to digest. What worked was breaking it down into daily habits. I didn't [00:03:00] realize I was doing this until hindsight.

That's when we learn. how things have worked and how they haven't. Sending,, three emails to potential students per day, refining one class plan a week, and posting consistently online, and sharing, and having people spread the word. Those small little systems added up to something big. A huge school that changed so many lives and made a huge impact.

So I was going to tell you a little story. My first assistant was Selena Zisman. She's an amazing go getter woman. She's doing great things in the arts these days. She was my very first staff member. Way back in the very beginning of creative side, well, five years in when I was able to start hiring and she started drilling this into me early.

 I didn't get it. I did not want to hear it. I did not want to live my life by systems. I didn't like the word, I didn't like the sound of it. But what she was trying to teach me was, if you're doing anything repeatedly, it really needs to have a system meaning anything. [00:04:00] If you're sending a same kind of email out to a client, copy and paste it into a Google doc, create a little system for yourself 

I'll tell you one of my favorite new systems that I just put in place was something I didn't think I needed. Professional. Links, you know how we have link tree and we've got now I've got so many freaking links I can't keep up. So I made a document and I added every link Instagram Facebook now YouTube you can watch at the jewelers view So I added that link and I added , the website next to it in an Excel sheet.

I use this every freaking day. I had no idea how much I need to access links to my platforms such as Buzzsprout, such as Apple Podcasts, right? So I have them all in a document and I can literally just keep it open on my desktop and go back and copy and paste it. So that's just one idea. Systems don't have to be big.

This is one little thing that you do. More than twice, right? It needs a system. So I want you to think of it this way. It took me years to embrace this. Game changer. [00:05:00] It's gonna save you tons of time and heartache of having to just go back and forth and search these things each time.

So, just start noticing where am I finding myself doing the same thing over and over? Time to think about a system. Okay, so,

a little scientific backing. Dopamine is released during the process of pursuing goals, not just achieving them. This is from Nature and Neuroscience as a reference. When you focus on the system, you create a constant stream of motivation.

 Next week, I'm going to dive in about dopamine. How to build these systems step by step through habit stacking. But first, we need to talk about the traps that hold us back. The four problems, and these are identified, again, in Atomic Habits. I'm holding up a copy on YouTube here for you guys by James Clear.

I love how concise he is with the information, he breaks it down, and it's very layman. I can't digest heavy scientific information. I don't know about you. It's not my strength, I like the way he breaks it down. I actually started reading this book by [00:06:00] implementing a habit. I wasn't a big reader at the time.

And , I decided, I need to learn more. I want to start learning and growing my, my skills. You know, personal growth reasons, as well as making me a better coach for you and a better podcast host. So I'm more clear on these topics that I'd like to dive into deeper, right? So every day I try to get up.

This is a habit and I meditate for five to 10 minutes. That's one habit I added in. I'll tell you, that's a game changer. You might think about this, just a little gratitude practice in the beginning of the day set some intentions for the day, what you'd like to accomplish, 

and then with my tea. Just a chapter takes about 20 minutes, maybe 15. If you only have five, go for it again, whatever you can fit in. . And I actually read atomic habits while I was building the habit of reading a personal growth book. It worked really well. I got through the entire book.

Many times we put it down halfway through. I didn't do that this time. And now I really have a pattern going, a habit of reading one chapter and then putting it down. No more, no less. , so , [00:07:00] problem number one, he identifies four main problems that we have that keep us stuck from being able to move forward and to build better habits in our daily systems, focusing on outcomes instead of processes.

So what does this mean? We focus too much on results. For example, I want a hundred new customers and we don't focus enough on the daily actions that lead us there. We focus too much on results. So the solution shift your focus to systems instead of goals, instead of the outcome, focus on the system. So Instead of stressing about selling out your next collection, commit to a daily practice of posting one behind the scenes photo or reaching out to a potential new customer. The system, right? The actual process of getting to the goal.

In episode two, again, we're going to talk about habit stacking and we're going to get you to automate these daily actions without feeling overwhelmed. So more on that next week. Problem number two, failing to see small changes. [00:08:00] Add up. They add up, right? And I talk about this a lot in the podcast, how little tiny efforts can really make big change.

So what does this mean? We underestimate the power of small improvements because we want instant results. Another scientific backing for this, a 1 percent daily improvement leads to being 37 times better over a year. For example, think about filing and polishing a piece of jewelry. Each small action makes a big difference.

If you skip one, it doesn't come out the same, even if you can't see it right away. Habits work the same way. When I started sketching for 10 minutes a day, it didn't seem like much. But after a few months, I had an entire collection ready to share. Implementing these little habits into your daily system.

You're going to reach your goals. You're going to get there. I promise. You just got to show up consistently, so problem number three is neglecting identity based habits. This one was really interesting. I want to dig deeper into this myself. What does it [00:09:00] mean? People focus on what they want to achieve, not what they want to become.

 , for example, instead of saying, I want to sell more jewelry, try saying, I am a jeweler who connects with clients daily. That subtle shift makes a huge difference. In episode three of this little series, we're going to touch on identity and we'll dig a little deeper when we talk about breaking bad habits later on.

So hang tight. Problem number four. Relying on motivation instead of systems. I want to repeat that one. Relying on motivation instead of systems. Motivation is unreliable. It comes and it goes. It ebbs and it flows. Systems keep you consistent. Willpower is a limited resource, according to Stanford University.

But systems eliminate decision fatigue. For example, I used to wait for the perfect moment to write an email or plan a workshop. Now I have set blocks of time each week. And , it's become automatic. There's no motivation needed. It's just built in as a [00:10:00] system of how I operate. Doing that allows you to, be more organized, to get more done, and the biggest one for me is to keep it interesting.

I don't necessarily want to sit down and do the same thing every day, every week. So I get to build my schedule in a way that works for my life, in a way that I will see progress, because I'm showing up consistently, I have a system in place for each action. And I'm not saying we have to live by rigid rules all the time, but I'm promise you this will make life easier.

We're creatives. We want to be creative all the time, jumping from one thing to a next. Our squirrel brains want to take us to the next project. The next, if we don't build in some systems that work for our lives and for our goals, we're not going to get as far as we potentially could.

 So setting those time blocks every week, it becomes a little more automatic, right? No motivation needed. You don't have to rely on how do I feel this morning? 

 It's on my calendar because I built a system some actionable takeaways for this quick episode for you just the first part of a three part [00:11:00] series I wanted to dive into because this book is so important to me And building better habits is something that is so At the core of what we all need to be thinking about So that we can get to those goals.

We can get to the, light at the end of the tunnel, whatever that looks like. Building in these systems now, as you start to scale and build your business or add or pivot into a new direction, It's going to save you so much time later. This topic really resonates with me right now because I literally started this show about three to four months ago.

We're on episode 12 if I wasn't building in a system, I don't think I'd keep up with a weekly episode for you. So I'm building that in right now for my life and my journey. And I really wanted to share it with you because I'm feeling the difference. I'm seeing the difference by having these little, like the professional links doc and, , a Google doc for stories that I want to tell you.

 Google docs all day. I think I'm 80 percent full on my Google drive, so I may have to upgrade soon. Don't you love that? Anyway, build those systems. [00:12:00] Now, as you grow, think of it as like a big business would have an operations manual. Let's build one for your creative business, because again, we're going to get sidetracked.

We're going to get squirreled in all different directions. Let's use it as an anchor, a system. It could be an anchor. So this week, ask yourself, what systems can I build to make progress daily? Start small, one habit at a time. Don't try to change your whole world overnight.

That's a big mistake that I've made in the past. And I've seen people try to just put all the good habits in, in one day or one new year's resolution, we have to build it slowly. It's like learning a language, one word at a time, one thing at a time. So think in small doses, because guess what?

 One stone at a time, builds the structure. Reflect on identity. Think about who you want to become. Are your habits aligned with that version of yourself? So do, a little self audit this week. Be gentle with yourself as you do this.

No judgment [00:13:00] needed, just awareness. Think about who you want to become and are your habits now in alignment with that version of yourself. Something to make note, maybe journal a little bit about. Share it with me. I'd love to hear what you come up with. So this week as well, I want you to commit to one change, just one change this week.

we'll build on that later with habit stacking. Pick one small habit to improve by one percent daily. I love this. One percent. We can do that, right? It's obtainable. We can do one percent. Can we do 10 and whatnot? I don't know. One percent daily. Let's go with that, right? For example, I'm going to spend 10 minutes sketching new ideas every morning.

Maybe that's something that gets your blood flowing. It gets your creative energy up. For me, it's read a book, right? Read a chapter of atomic habits whatever's on your plate, whatever's up for you right now. Focus on that. So. To conclude 

today. We explored why systems matter more than goals. [00:14:00] The power of small changes in the common traps that hold us back over the next two episodes, we'll dive deeper into building habits with strategies like habit stacking and breaking bad habits. So stay tuned for that. This is the first part of a little three part series on habits.

Like I said, too big for one episode. If today's episode resonated with you, please go on my website, grab my free guide to building your creative business with courage, clarity, how to find customers. There's a great section in there on audience building. Another great thing to add in as a small habit, just 10 minutes a day, how to build your audience a little bit more and get that email list going.

So you have a. really great asset for your company moving forward. the link for that is in my show notes, along with all the other links on how to stay in tune with me. I really want to hear from you. I want to know who's listening. I can look at data all day in the back end of this platform for my podcast.

It looks [00:15:00] like there's about 30 listeners right now. And I'm sure that's going to change. We're just a baby. We're just starting this show. I'm really excited about it. I'm hoping it's making an impact. If you haven't yet, shoot me an email. Hi, at Courtney Gray Arts. It's again, it's in the show notes here.

You can jump on and just click the link. Send me a quick, hi, hello, where you're from. I want to know who's listening, who's tuning in. So I can really address anything that might be coming up for you. And we can grow together. We can do this thing together. So let me know, reach out go to my website for all the things, including that free guidebook on courage, clarity, and customers, and don't forget to subscribe to the jeweler's view right here, where you're listening for weekly episodes, it should send you an alert every Tuesday and Thursday.

And don't forget, I'm on YouTube now. So you can see my beautiful face and I can be right here with you in the studio or wherever you're listening So that's on YouTube at the jeweler's view, and it's brand new, so be sure to subscribe there as [00:16:00] well.

Until next time, keep showing up. Your tiny habits today are the big. winds of tomorrow. I can testify to this and I will tell you more as we join together next week. I'll see you then. Onward and upward. Thanks for listening. [00:17:00] [00:18:00] [00:19:00]