Study Life, Real Talk
What l’ve learnt so far about life is that it’s not about being perfect .... it’s about small, consistent changes that add up over time. There’s this hilarious post in our WhatsApp channel that always sticks in my mind. It says:
“Adulthood is all about vibes n pretending your charger isn’t broken.”
💀💀💀 That’s the honest truth! Like fr, adulthood is just vibes .... you walk around with a charger that only works when it’s bent at a 45° angle, and you act like everything’s fine. You plug it in, twist it, balance it on a book, pray to the charger gods, and boom .... vibes restored. That’s adulthood.
But vibes alone won’t save us. You need to vibe smart ..... don’t underestimate the power of small improvements every day. Most of us overestimate the importance of defining a moment (like “I’ll start fresh next Monday”) and underestimate the value of just doing something small today.
Talking about me personally ..... I’m an AS student rn, about to be A Level next year. Looking back at what l actually did? NOTHING. Just vibes. Just pretending my charger isn’t broken. Like l’ll be in class, phone on 2%, charger hanging off the desk, and l’ll be like “nah it’s charging, trust me.” 😂
But this ain’t the time for regrets. So instead of crying over wasted time, l’m gonna stop trying to define big moments and just focus on small daily improvements.
📚 I’m a reader btw — l like productive books. I read Atomic Habits and I’m still reading it. For all students who r like me — who don’t like studying or find it hard — don’t worry, l got good news.
Here’s what Atomic Habits taught me:
💡 Why Studying Feels So Hard
Winners n losers have the same goals
→ Everyone wants to pass. The goal isn’t what makes the difference.We concentrate on people who end up winning
→ We only see the success, not the systems behind it. Like we see someone get an A, but not the 10 mins of daily revision they did for months.Achieving a goal is only a momentary change
→ It changes ur life for a moment. Like passing one exam doesn’t mean you’ve mastered the subject.We need to change the systems that cause those results
→ If u fix ur concentration + focus, ur output will fix itself.Goals restrict happiness
→ We think “once l reach my goal, then l’ll be happy.” But that puts happiness on hold till the next milestone.
So.… r these problems really worth not accomplishing our goals for? Nah. We just need better systems.
🔁 What’s an Atomic Habit?
A regular practice or routine that’s small, easy to do, but has incredible power.
Habits shape ur identity — and vice versa.
I can tell u for sure: I read this book in July, implemented the tips for a month, and boom .... l passed my Business end-of-term exam. From an E to an A 😱. Like bruh, imagine that gap. I was shook. But then l got processed by MovieBox and short TV dramas 💀💀💀. No progress. Just vibes.
But here l am — back again.
🧠 Why Changing Habits Is Hard
- We try to change the wrong thing
- We try to change our habits in the wrong way
If u want more detail, check the Atomic Habits book.
🔄 Identity-Based Habits
Instead of starting with goals, start with identity.
1st Stage: Change ur identity
→ Change ur beliefs, self-image, judgement, and how u view others n urself.
I’m taking A Level Math rn. At first, l viewed math as extremely hard. I never practiced, never revised — just opened my notebook in class. That was it. Fail after fail.
Then l went back to Atomic Habits and saw the part about identity. That’s where l was wrong.
2nd Stage: Change the process
→ Change ur habits, systems, routines.
I changed my belief from “Math is hard” to “I’m the mathematician.” I started reading, practicing, using routines.
3rd Stage: Change the outcome
→ Change ur results.
And guess what? My results changed fr. I’m actually doing better in math now, and l’m aiming for 100%s.
🧠 Research shows: If u believe in a part of ur identity, u’re more likely to align with it.
✅ So What’s the Take?
To get better results:
- Change ur identity
- Change ur process
- Change ur outcome
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