Malcolm Gladwell Habits Unlock Creative Focus and Depth
Periodic Table of Habits
Filters & Legend
Impact:
Effort:
Category:
Impact
High
Medium
Low
Effort
High
Medium
Low
Categories
Low Effort
Medium Effort
High Effort
High Impact
No low effort habits
2
Wi
Writing in public spaces
3
Dm
Delayed media consumption
5
Ar
Academic research immersion
8
Cc
Curiosity cultivation
13
Cp
Cognitive periodization
17
Ao
Anthropological observation
4
Pm
Present moment focus
7
Sw
Slow writing practice
11
Ic
Interdisciplinary connection building
12
Pi
Protracted interview technique
14
Ct
Cultural trend autopsies
15
Tc
Threshold concept exploration
16
Cp
Contrarian position testing
18
Ns
Narrative scaffolding
20
Di
Disproportionate impact analysis
Medium Impact
1
Mb
Minimal breakfast intake
6
Nw
Non-goal-oriented walks
10
Ai
Analog information processing
19
Cr
Cognitive rest intervals
9
Ep
Evening physical decompression
No high effort habits
Low Impact
No low effort habits
No medium effort habits
No high effort habits
Minimal breakfast intake
Impact:
Effort:
#Health
Eating a very small meal in the morning, such as half a cup of oatmeal or a third of a croissant, to avoid heavy consumption that might hinder mental clarity.
Writing in public spaces
Impact:
Effort:
#Productivity
Working in cafes or restaurants with ambient noise to stimulate productivity, leveraging environmental buzz to replicate the energy of a newsroom.
Delayed media consumption
Impact:
Effort:
#Productivity
Avoiding all news and digital media until lunchtime to preserve morning mental bandwidth for deep thinking and writing.
Present moment focus
Impact:
Effort:
#Growth
Emphasizing current experiences over future planning, with activities chosen for immediate enjoyment rather than long-term goals.
Academic research immersion
Impact:
Effort:
#Resources
Regularly browsing university library databases and journal footnotes to discover unconventional connections between ideas.
Non-goal-oriented walks
Impact:
Effort:
#Growth
Taking extended strolls without predetermined routes or fitness targets, embracing spontaneity and environmental engagement.
Slow writing practice
Impact:
Effort:
#Productivity
Allowing years for book development through iterative research and restructuring rather than rushed deadlines.
Curiosity cultivation
Impact:
Effort:
#Growth
Systematically seeking novel perspectives through daily exploration of unfamiliar subjects and interview techniques.
Evening physical decompression
Impact:
Effort:
#Health
Engaging in vigorous exercise like running after work hours to transition from mental labor to relaxation.
Analog information processing
Impact:
Effort:
#Resources
Preferring physical books and print newspapers for leisure reading to minimize digital distraction and enhance retention.
Interdisciplinary connection building
Impact:
Effort:
#Growth
Actively seeking relationships between disparate fields like sociology, economics, and pop culture in analysis.
Protracted interview technique
Impact:
Effort:
#Resources
Conducting lengthy, meandering conversations with subjects to uncover unexpected insights beyond prepared questions.
Cognitive periodization
Impact:
Effort:
#Productivity
Strictly segregating writing, research, and administrative tasks into distinct time blocks based on mental demands.
Cultural trend autopsies
Impact:
Effort:
#Growth
Retrospectively analyzing viral phenomena to identify tipping point factors like stickiness and context.
Threshold concept exploration
Impact:
Effort:
#Resources
Focusing research on ideas that fundamentally shift understanding of a subject rather than incremental knowledge.
Contrarian position testing
Impact:
Effort:
#Growth
Actively challenging conventional wisdom by seeking evidence that contradicts popular assumptions.
Anthropological observation
Impact:
Effort:
#Growth
Studying everyday behaviors and social interactions as cultural texts revealing deeper societal patterns.
Narrative scaffolding
Impact:
Effort:
#Productivity
Structuring complex ideas through storytelling frameworks that enhance comprehension and retention.
Cognitive rest intervals
Impact:
Effort:
#Productivity
Incorporating deliberate breaks between intense thinking sessions to allow subconscious processing.
Disproportionate impact analysis
Impact:
Effort:
#Growth
Focusing on small factors that create outsized effects rather than obvious primary causes.
