Beyond Willpower: I Failed at Habits Until I Understood I Wasn’t a Machine, But an Ecosystem

For years, I was trapped in a self-improvement purgatory.

My cycle was brutally predictable: I’d get a surge of motivation, set a huge, ambitious goal—”write a novel,” “lose 40 pounds,” “master a new language”—and attack it with the ferocity of a general launching an all-out assault.

I’d rely on sheer, white-knuckled willpower.

For a week, maybe two, I’d feel invincible.

And then, inevitably, the friction would build, the motivation would wane, and I’d crash.

The half-finished project would become a monument to my failure, and the familiar feelings of frustration and self-blame would settle in.

“I’m just lazy.” “I lack discipline.” “I don’t have enough willpower.”

This painful loop is a common experience, fueled by a deep-seated cultural belief that self-improvement is a mechanical process.

We talk about “hacking” our productivity, “optimizing” our routines, and “installing” new habits.

This language reveals a fundamental, and I believe, catastrophic misunderstanding of human nature.

We approach personal change as if we are machines—flawed machines, perhaps—that can be forced into compliance with the right inputs and enough brute force.

When this model invariably fails, we don’t question the model; we blame the machine.

We blame ourselves.¹

My biggest failures came from religiously following this “goals-only” mentality.

I would fixate on a distant outcome, and my happiness became conditional on reaching it.³

The entire journey was a state of perpetual failure until the finish line was crossed.

But I rarely made it.

This approach, which prizes “once-in-a-lifetime transformations” over small, daily actions, is a recipe for burnout.⁴

I was living proof.

After one particularly crushing failure to stick with a grueling fitness regimen, I was ready to give up entirely.

The problem, I thought, was me.

I was wrong.

The problem was the blueprint I was using—it was a schematic for a machine, and I was a living, breathing organism.

The Mycelial Epiphany: How an Underground Fungal Network Revealed the True Nature of Growth

My turning point didn’t come from another self-help book or productivity seminar.

It came, unexpectedly, from the world of mycology—the study of fungi.

I stumbled upon the concept of a mycelial network, the vast, intricate web of fungal threads (called hyphae) that live underground.

This is nature’s internet, a hidden, living architecture that connects trees and plants, shuttles nutrients and information, and creates the foundation for the entire forest ecosystem to thrive.⁵

The mushrooms we see are just the temporary “fruit” of this immense, enduring network.⁵

It was a lightning bolt of clarity.

Here was a metaphor for growth that was alive, adaptive, interconnected, and resilient.

It was everything the mechanical model was not.

The dominant analogy in James Clear’s Atomic Habits is that habits are the “compound interest of self-improvement”.⁷

This is a useful, but ultimately sterile and linear concept.

It explains the mathematical accumulation of gains but fails to capture the dynamic, holistic nature of personal change.

The mycelial network, however, was different.

It provided a new paradigm, a new way to see myself and the process of growth.

• The vast, invisible underground network was my System.
• The individual, interconnected hyphae were my atomic habits.
• The symbiotic exchange of nutrients with the environment represented the Four Laws of Behavior Change.
• And the visible, thriving mushroom or plant that the network supported? That was my Identity.

This biological analogy didn’t just offer a new set of tactics; it offered a new philosophy.

It reframed my past failures not as personal defects, but as the predictable result of trying to operate like a machine in a world that functions like an ecosystem.

I realized that to truly change, I had to stop trying to force a single mushroom to grow and start cultivating the entire invisible network beneath the surface.

Pillar I: The Invisible Architecture — Why Systems, Not Goals, Are the Soil for Growth

The first and most liberating shift in my thinking was to abandon “mushroom hunting” (chasing goals) and dedicate myself to “cultivating the soil” (building systems).

James Clear makes a crucial distinction that became the foundation of my new approach: “Goals are about the results you want to achieve.

Systems are about the processes that lead to those results”.⁹

For years, I had been obsessed with goals, but this focus was the very source of my misery.

The research and my own bitter experience revealed several fatal flaws in a goal-centric mindset:

• Winners and losers have the same goals. Every Olympian wants to win gold; every job applicant wants the position. The goal itself doesn’t differentiate them. The system of training and preparation does.¹¹
• Goals create a “finish line” mentality. When you achieve a goal, the motivation often evaporates, leading to a “yo-yo” effect where you revert to old habits. The purpose of a system, however, is to “continue playing the game,” not just to win once and stop.¹¹
• Goals postpone happiness. By making your satisfaction contingent on a future outcome, you spend the majority of your time in a state of pre-success failure, constantly reminded of the gap between where you are and where you want to be.³

Adopting a systems-first approach fundamentally changes your relationship with time and failure.

A system provides satisfaction every time you engage with it.

The focus shifts from a distant, binary outcome (success/failure) to a continuous, present-day process (am I engaging my system today?).

This dissolves the anxiety of the journey.

A missed day is no longer a catastrophic failure; it’s simply a data point indicating that the system may need a minor adjustment.

This creates a series of small, immediate, and positive feedback loops, which are far more reinforcing than one large, delayed one.¹³

In my mycelial model, the system is the vast, resilient network.

The goal—the mushroom—is a fleeting, temporary expression of the network’s health.

You don’t get a healthy mushroom by staring at the spot where you want it to grow.

You get it by nurturing the entire underground ecosystem—the daily processes—that make its emergence inevitable.

This is the essence of systems thinking: focusing on the interconnected whole rather than isolated parts.¹⁵

Pillar II: The Identity Taproot — Becoming the Person Who Succeeds

Building a system was revolutionary, but a system for what? This led me to the second, and arguably most profound, pillar of Atomic Habits: the power of identity.

Clear outlines three layers of behavior change: changing your outcomes, changing your process, and changing your identity.¹⁷

Most people start from the outside-in, focusing on the outcome they want (“I want to lose 20 pounds”).

This is the weakest approach because it often conflicts with our underlying identity.

As Clear notes, an old identity can sabotage new plans for change.¹⁸

If you see yourself as someone who “hates exercise,” no amount of goal-setting will make a workout routine stick for long.

The most effective way to change is from the inside-O.T. You start by focusing not on what you want to achieve, but on who you wish to become.¹⁹

This is the two-step process for creating identity-based habits:

1. Decide the type of person you want to be.
2. Prove it to yourself with small wins. ⁹

Every action you take becomes a “vote for the type of person you wish to become”.²⁰

The goal is not to read a book; it is to

become a reader.

The goal is not to run a marathon; it is to become a runner.¹⁸

When your behavior is aligned with your identity, you are no longer forcing yourself to act.

You are simply acting like the type of person you already believe yourself to be.¹⁸

This shift solves the motivation problem at its core.

The need for external carrots and sticks dissolves when the behavior itself becomes an act of self-expression.

The reward is no longer just the outcome, but the quiet, internal satisfaction of reinforcing your chosen identity.

This is what Clear calls the “ultimate form of intrinsic motivation”.¹⁸

In my mycelial framework, identity is the central organism—the “taproot” that the entire network serves and nourishes.

The habits (the hyphae) are not random; they are extensions of this identity, reaching out into the world to gather evidence (nutrients) that reinforce who you are.

This makes change feel authentic and integrated, not artificial and forced.

You do it because it’s who you are.²⁰

Pillar III: The Four Laws of Nutrient Flow — Engineering Your Habits for Inevitable Success

With a new identity as my taproot and a commitment to my system as the soil, the final step was to learn how to practically manage the flow of energy and nutrients.

This is the role of the Four Laws of Behavior Change.

They are a brilliant, practical toolkit for engineering your environment and your actions to make good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible.

These laws correspond to the four stages of the habit loop: cue, craving, response, and reward.⁹

Rather than relying on willpower, you redesign your personal ecosystem so that desired behaviors can emerge naturally.

Here’s how I learned to apply them, along with their inversions for breaking bad habits:

1. The 1st Law: Make It Obvious (The Cue)

This is about making the triggers for your good habits impossible to miss. In the mycelial network, this is like laying down the initial, visible threads that guide future growth.

• Environment Design: I started placing my running shoes right by the door. To drink more water, I kept a water bottle on my desk at all times.²²
• Habit Stacking: This was a game-changer. You link a new habit to an existing one. The formula is: “After, I will”.¹⁹ For me, it became: “After I pour my morning coffee, I will meditate for two minutes.” This anchors the new behavior to a solid, pre-existing routine.²⁴
• To Break a Bad Habit: Make It Invisible. I moved the TV remote to a drawer in another room and put my phone on a charger across the room at night to stop mindless scrolling.²⁵

2. The 2nd Law: Make It Attractive (The Craving)

Habits are driven by the anticipation of a reward.19 This law is about increasing that anticipation.

This is the symbiotic exchange in the ecosystem, where actions are linked to pleasure.

• Temptation Bundling: You pair an action you want to do with an action you need to do.²⁷ The formula: “After, I will”.²² I committed to only listening to my favorite podcast while doing my daily walk. This made me look forward to the walk itself.²⁸
• Join a Culture: We are heavily influenced by the norms of our tribes. Joining a group where your desired behavior is the normal behavior is a powerful way to make it more attractive.²³
• To Break a Bad Habit: Make It Unattractive. I reframed my mindset, focusing on the negative consequences. Instead of “I’m giving up a treat,” I thought, “I’m avoiding the sugar crash and protecting my long-term health”.²³

3. The 3rd Law: Make It Easy (The Response)

Human behavior follows the Law of Least Effort.

We gravitate toward the easiest option.22 This law is about reducing the friction associated with good habits.

It’s how the mycelial network expands effortlessly into new territory.

• Reduce Friction: I pre-chopped vegetables for the week to make healthy cooking easier. I laid out my workout clothes the night before.²² The goal is to decrease the number of steps between you and the good habit.²³
• The Two-Minute Rule: This is perhaps the most critical tactic. Downscale your habits until they can be done in two minutes or less.²³ “Read every day” becomes “Read one page.” “Do yoga” becomes “Roll out my yoga mat.” This makes it easy to start, and starting is the most important step. Mastery of a habit begins with the mastery of showing up.²⁸
• To Break a Bad Habit: Make It Difficult. To reduce impulse online shopping, I deleted my saved payment information from websites, adding a crucial step of friction that made me pause and reconsider.²⁷

4. The 4th Law: Make It Satisfying (The Reward)

The human brain is wired for immediate gratification.

For a habit to stick, the ending must be satisfying.22 This is the feedback loop that tells your brain, “That was good.

Let’s do it again.”

• Immediate Reinforcement: Find a way to give yourself an immediate success signal. This could be something small, like enjoying a delicious smoothie after a workout.
• Use a Habit Tracker: This was huge for me. I used an app, but a simple calendar or notebook works. Making a checkmark or coloring in a box after completing a habit provides a satisfying visual proof of progress. It leverages the desire to “not break the chain,” which is a powerful motivator.²⁰ Many readers report success with simple visual tools like a marble jar—moving one marble from a “to-do” jar to a “done” jar each day.³²
• To Break a Bad Habit: Make It Unsatisfying. This can involve an “accountability partner.” If I skip a planned workout, I owe my friend $10. This introduces an immediate, painful cost to inaction.²³

To make these principles as practical as possible, here is a summary table that acts as a quick reference guide.

Law	How to Create a Good Habit	How to Break a Bad Habit
1st Law	Make It Obvious	Make It Invisible
2nd Law	Make It Attractive	Make It Unattractive
3rd Law	Make It Easy	Make It Difficult
4th Law	Make It Satisfying	Make It Unsatisfying

From Theory to Fruition: A Case Study in Transformation

Let’s return to my nemesis: the goal of getting fit.

My initial attempt was a classic failure of the “machine” model: a brutal, all-or-nothing workout plan and a restrictive diet that I hated.

It was unsustainable.

Here is how I tackled the same challenge using the integrated “ecosystem” model, demonstrating how the pillars work in concert to create a positive, self-reinforcing feedback loop.

Step 1: The Identity Taproot. I abandoned the outcome-based goal of “lose 40 pounds.” Instead, I defined a new identity: “I am a healthy person who is active and enjoys nourishing my body”.²⁵

This became my north star.

Every action would be a vote for this identity.

Step 2: The Invisible Architecture. I built a simple system to support this identity.

It wasn’t “work out for 90 minutes a day.” It was simply: “I will move my body for at least 15 minutes every day, and I will prepare one healthy meal for myself”.¹⁰

The focus was on the daily process, not the long-term result.

Step 3: Engineering the Nutrient Flow with the Four Laws. I then used the Four Laws to design my environment and routines to make the system almost effortless.

• To Make It Obvious: I used Habit Stacking: “After my morning coffee (my existing habit), I will immediately put on my workout clothes (my new habit)”.²⁴ I used
  Environment Design: I put a fruit bowl on the kitchen counter and prepped healthy snacks on Sundays, placing them at eye-level in the fridge.²²
• To Make It Attractive: I used Temptation Bundling: “I will only listen to my favorite true-crime podcast while I am walking or on the stationary bike”.²⁷ This made me crave the workout because it was linked to something I loved.
• To Make It Easy: I lived by the Two-Minute Rule. On days when I felt exhausted or unmotivated, my only commitment was to get into my workout clothes and stretch for two minutes.³⁰ More often than not, once I started, I kept going. But even if I didn’t, I had still cast a vote for my new identity. I had shown up.
• To Make It Satisfying: I used a simple Habit Tracker app on my phone. At the end of each day, getting to check off “15+ minutes of movement” and “Prepared a healthy meal” gave me a small, immediate hit of dopamine. It was a visual representation of my progress that became its own reward.³¹

The result was not a sudden, dramatic transformation.

It was slow, almost imperceptible at first.

But the changes compounded.

The weight came off gradually, without the struggle and deprivation of before.

More importantly, I began to feel like a healthy, active person.

The system had successfully nourished the identity, which in turn made continuing the system feel natural.

It was a success that felt less like a victory and more like an evolution.

Beyond the Blueprint: The Limits of the Ecosystem and When to Seek New Terrain

To build ultimate trust, it is crucial to acknowledge that no single framework is a panacea.

The mark of a true practitioner is knowing the boundaries of their tools.

While the ecosystem model from Atomic Habits is profoundly powerful, it is not a universal cure.

A mycelial network, after all, is dependent on its environment.

The book has faced valid criticisms, and it’s important to understand them:

• Oversimplification and Mental Health: For deep-seated behavioral issues, addictions, or significant mental health challenges like clinical depression and anxiety, the Four Laws may not be enough. These conditions can create powerful internal states—negative self-talk, overwhelming fear, lack of energy—that can sabotage even the best-designed system.³⁵ In these cases, the “soil” itself is struggling, and professional intervention, such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), is often necessary to address the underlying thoughts and emotions before habit architecture can be effective.³⁷
• Overemphasis on Individual Responsibility: The framework assumes a relatively stable environment with access to resources. It can inadvertently downplay the immense impact of systemic barriers like poverty, systemic discrimination, or living in a chaotic or unsafe environment.³⁵ You cannot cultivate a thriving personal ecosystem on toxic or barren ground.
• The Role of Goals: While systems are the engine of progress, goals are the rudder. A system without a clear direction can lead to aimless activity.¹⁰ Goals are essential for providing that direction and ensuring your system is moving you toward a life you actually want.

It’s also helpful to see where Atomic Habits fits in the broader landscape.

Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit is more journalistic, focusing on compelling stories and the science of why habits exist, while Atomic Habits is a more practical, “how-to” manual for the individual.³⁹

David Allen’s

Getting Things Done is a comprehensive, top-down system for managing workflow and commitments, making it a powerful tool for productivity once your foundational habits are in place, but it is not designed to build those habits from the ground up.⁴¹

Conclusion: You Are Not a Machine, You Are a Thriving Ecosystem

My journey with habits began with the frustrating belief that I was a broken machine.

I tried to force change, to install new programming through sheer willpower, and I failed every time.

The revelation that I was not a machine but a living ecosystem changed everything.

This paradigm shift—from forcing to cultivating—is the true secret of Atomic Habits.

The book’s principles are not just a collection of clever life hacks; they are the laws of nature applied to personal growth.

Your habits are the atomic particles of your life, the tiny building blocks that, when organized into a system, create the emergent reality of who you are.⁴³

The small, daily choices you make are the threads of a vast network that nourishes your identity.

As Clear says, “You get what you repeat”.¹⁹

By learning to see yourself as a dynamic, adaptable ecosystem, you gain a new sense of agency.

You are the architect of your inner world.

You can design your environment, nurture your identity, and build systems that make success the path of least resistance.

You stop fighting against your nature and start working with it.

This change in perspective is the most important habit of all.

It is the one that allows all others to grow.

Works cited

1. 11 Lessons from ‘Atomic Habits’ to Overcome Procrastination – Week Plan, accessed August 6, 2025, https://weekplan.net/lessons-from-atomic-habits
2. Habits Guide: How to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones – James Clear, accessed August 6, 2025, https://jamesclear.com/habits
3. Insights from Atomic Habits by James Clear | by Akogwu Uche – Medium, accessed August 6, 2025, https://medium.com/@akogwuuche/insights-from-atomic-habits-by-james-clear-50d735fe6eed
4. Goals vs Systems: How Atomic Habits Work to Improve Your Life | Growth Faculty, accessed August 6, 2025, https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/goalsvssystemsAtomicHabits
5. Teams and Organizations as living networks: the mycelium metaphor – TransitionStudio, accessed August 6, 2025, https://transitionstudio.global/en/teams-and-organizations-as-living-networks-the-mycelium-metaphor/
6. The Mycelium Network: Nature’s Neural Network And What It Can Teach Us About Intelligence – Mushroom Merchant, accessed August 6, 2025, https://themushroommerchant.com/2024/08/27/the-mycelium-network-natures-neural-network-and-what-it-can-teach-us-about-intelligence/
7. Quote by James Clear: “Habits are the compound interest of self-improv…” – Goodreads, accessed August 6, 2025, https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/10010037-habits-are-the-compound-interest-of-self-improvement-the-same-way
8. The Power of Compounding Applied to Habits | A Simple Model, accessed August 6, 2025, https://www.asimplemodel.com/bips/bip-feed/the-power-of-compounding-applied-to-habits
9. Atomic Habits Summary – James Clear, accessed August 6, 2025, https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits-summary
10. Systems Over Goals – Begenius Thoughts, accessed August 6, 2025, https://www.ivankabandize.com/randomthoughts/systems-over-goals/
11. Systems not Goals : r/selfimprovement – Reddit, accessed August 6, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/selfimprovement/comments/1c2azfs/systems_not_goals/
12. “The purpose of setting goals is to win the game. The purpose of building systems is to continue playing the game. True long-term thinking is goal-less thinking. It’s not about any single accomplishment. It is about the cycle of endless refinement and continuous improvement. Ultimately, it is your commitment to the process, accessed August 6, 2025, https://jamesclear.com/quotes/the-purpose-of-setting-goals-is-to-win-the-game-the-purpose-of-building-systems-is-to-continue-playing-the-game-true-long-term-thinking-is-goal-less-thinking-its-not-about-any-sin
13. The Power of Feedback Loops and How to Use Them – Get2Growth, accessed August 6, 2025, https://get2growth.com/feedback-loops/
14. Feedback Loop Psychology: Your Brain’s Mechanism for Personal Growth, accessed August 6, 2025, https://mooremomentum.com/blog/feedback-loop-psychology-your-brains-mechanism-for-personal-growth/
15. Systems Thinking and Spiritual Practice – Michael Joel Hall, accessed August 6, 2025, https://michaeljoelhall.com/systems-thinking-and-spiritual-practice/
16. Applying the 11 Laws of Systems Thinking to Personal Growth, accessed August 6, 2025, https://www.the-lbm.com/post/applying-the-11-laws-of-systems-thinking-to-personal-growth
17. Identity-Based Habits: How to Actually Stick to Your Goals This Year – James Clear, accessed August 6, 2025, https://jamesclear.com/identity-based-habits
18. ATOMIC HABITS | CHAPTER 2. Character is simply a habit long… | by Sourabh Garg | Medium, accessed August 6, 2025, https://medium.com/@gargsourabh/atomic-habits-chapter-2-461990874c9c
19. Book Summary: Atomic Habits by James Clear | Sam Thomas Davies, accessed August 6, 2025, https://www.samuelthomasdavies.com/book-summaries/self-help/atomic-habits/
20. Atomic Habits Book Summary: Key Takeaways & review – ClickUp, accessed August 6, 2025, https://clickup.com/blog/atomic-habits-summary/
21. How To Start New Habits That Actually Stick – James Clear, accessed August 6, 2025, https://jamesclear.com/three-steps-habit-change
22. 4 Laws of Behavior Change (and 9 Strategies) to Help Build Better Habits | SAANYS, accessed August 6, 2025, https://saanys.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Build-Better-Habits-WORKSHEET.pdf?source=trendsvc&medium=wordpress
23. Habits Cheat Sheet.pdf – Amazon S3, accessed August 6, 2025, https://s3.amazonaws.com/jamesclear/Atomic+Habits/Habits+Cheat+Sheet.pdf
24. 4 Laws of Habit Change: Advice From Our February Growth Series – ProService Hawaii, accessed August 6, 2025, https://www.proservice.com/4-laws-of-habit-change-advice-from-our-february-growth-series/
25. 30 One-Sentence Stories From People Who Have Built Better Habits – James Clear, accessed August 6, 2025, https://jamesclear.com/one-sentence-habits
26. After reading the book “Atomic Habits”, I developed the habit of going to bed early, and this habit has been extremely helpful for me : r/getdisciplined – Reddit, accessed August 6, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/getdisciplined/comments/1fa4ml0/after_reading_the_book_atomic_habits_i_developed/
27. The Four Laws of Behavior Change | Jorge Arango, accessed August 6, 2025, https://jarango.com/2023/12/25/the-four-laws-of-behavior-change/
28. The Four (4) Principles of Atomic Habits: Unlocking Your Potential | Medium, accessed August 6, 2025, https://medium.com/@christianray.drapete/fourfour-printhe-four-4-principles-of-atomic-habits-unlocking-your-potential-7ebb65a733b0
29. Atomic Habits – Four Laws of Behavior Change – Wall-Skills.com, accessed August 6, 2025, https://wall-skills.com/2023/atomic-habits-four-laws-of-behavior-change/
30. Just Read Atomic Habits…. : r/productivity – Reddit, accessed August 6, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/productivity/comments/179shud/just_read_atomic_habits/
31. What I changed after reading Atomic Habits – ultrathriving, accessed August 6, 2025, https://ultrathriving.com/articles/what-i-changed-after-reading-atomic-habits/
32. Best Atomic Habits Posts – Reddit, accessed August 6, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/t/atomic_habits/
33. QuickStart Guide to Identity-Based Habits | James Clear, accessed August 6, 2025, https://jamesclear.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/CU-Identity-Based-Habits.pdf?__s=hv9sbg1yvq8u2epp4jmo
34. What do yall think of atomic habits? : r/productivity – Reddit, accessed August 6, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/productivity/comments/18xmgmn/what_do_yall_think_of_atomic_habits/
35. Is ‘Atomic Habits’ Too Simplistic? A Survey of Its Criticisms | by …, accessed August 6, 2025, https://medium.com/@hapisemilab/is-atomic-habits-too-simplistic-a-survey-of-its-criticisms-7899ab3333d7
36. Why Atomic Habits Falls Short in Real Life – Jyotirgamya, accessed August 6, 2025, https://jyotirgamya.org/opinion/beyond-atomic-habits/
37. jyotirgamya.org, accessed August 6, 2025, https://jyotirgamya.org/opinion/beyond-atomic-habits/#:~:text=Many%20experts%20agree%20that%20Atomic,need%20more%20than%20just%20steps.
38. 4 Things Atomic Habits Didn’t Get Right – Aure’s Notes, accessed August 6, 2025, https://auresnotes.com/what-atomic-habits-didnt-get-right/
39. Hi James – Can you tell us how this book… — Atomic Habits Q&A – Goodreads, accessed August 6, 2025, https://www.goodreads.com/questions/1449631-hi-james—can-you-tell-us-how-this-book
40. Old School vs New School— The Power of a Habit vs Atomic Habits …, accessed August 6, 2025, https://medium.com/@rwhaire/old-school-vs-new-school-the-power-of-a-habit-vs-atomic-habits-8b4f2f973fe8
41. Atomic Habits vs. Deep Work vs. Getting Things Done : r/productivity, accessed August 6, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/productivity/comments/akankk/atomic_habits_vs_deep_work_vs_getting_things_done/
42. 3 Time Management and Goal Setting Books to Pick Up – RISMedia, accessed August 6, 2025, https://www.rismedia.com/2022/12/06/3-time-management-and-goal-setting-books-to-pick-up/
43. Tools for Systems Thinkers: The 6 Fundamental Concepts of Systems Thinking | by Leyla Acaroglu | Disruptive Design | Medium, accessed August 6, 2025, https://medium.com/disruptive-design/tools-for-systems-thinkers-the-6-fundamental-concepts-of-systems-thinking-379cdac3dc6a
44. FROM THE VAULT: James Clear Talks About Atomic Habits – YouTube, accessed August 6, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-HGnVbYzqY