How to transform your life (The Three Alarms)

“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.” —James Clear

Why it works

James Clear (pictured) is an American author and speaker best known for his 2018 book Atomic Habits. It has sold over 20 million copies, making it one of the best-selling non-fiction books of the 21st century. At the heart of Atomic Habits lies a powerful insight: real behavior change is identity-based. “The word identity was originally derived from the Latin words essentitas, which means being, and identidem, which means repeatedly,” Clear writes in the book. “So your identity is literally your ‘repeated beingness.’”

That’s why every action we take is a vote for the type of person we want to become. Repeating a desired behavior reinforces our chosen identity and turns it into a lasting habit. To make that easier, Clear introduces his four laws of behavior change: make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying. That means redesigning your environment to cue good habits, linking them to positive emotion, removing friction, and reinforcing them with immediate rewards.

My Ultraproductive co-author and world-leading CEO coach Eric Partaker has created a remarkably effective method called the Three Alarms. It brings identity-based habit change to life in a way that’s obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying. The method focuses on the three core domains of life: health, wealth (or work), and relationships. These areas are deeply connected: neglect one, and the others inevitably suffer. But by casting daily votes for the person we want to become in each domain, we gradually transform into our best selves. Here’s how to apply the method.

How to do it

The idea of the Three Alarms is both deceptively simple and powerful: You create an appealing identity for each of the three life domains, set a recurring alarm on your phone to remind you of each identity throughout your day, and deliver what Eric calls a “champion proof” — one daily action to embody that identity whenever the alarm goes off. Here’s what this looks like for him:

06:30 a.m.: World Fitness Champion
At 6:30 a.m., the first alarm goes off: World Fitness Champion. In the health domain, Eric has defined the best version of himself as relentless, pain-seeking, and varied in his approach to exercise. He obviously doesn’t literally believe he’s a World Fitness Champion, but that identity gives him an inspiring version of himself to embody early in the morning. He then completes the champion proof he’s chosen for the day — whether that’s heading to the gym for an intense workout, going for a run, or just opting for a brisk walk when time is tight.

09:00 a.m.: World’s Best Coach
In the wealth (or work) domain, Eric has defined his best self as decisive, inspiring, and reliable. That’s what the World’s Best Coach alarm reminds him of. Timed to go off at the start of his workday, it prompts him to show up fully for the CEOs, entrepreneurs, and leaders he works with. His champion proof could include focusing on finishing a key presentation, writing a standout piece of content, or simply being fully present and sharp for his coaching calls.

06:30 p.m.: World’s Husband and Father
At 6:30 p.m., Eric’s most important alarm goes off: World’s Best Husband and Father. That identity is playful, loving, and full of laughter. The alarm prompts the question, “How would the world’s best husband and father walk through that door right now?” His champion proofs typically include small acts of appreciation for his wife, like writing a handwritten note, telling her that he loves her, or bringing her a small surprise without any occasion. For his boys, it might be playing a game, reading a book together, or telling them how proud he is of them.

Again, for Eric, it’s not about believing he actually is the world’s best at these things. It’s about striving to become the best version of himself in the three domains that matter most.

When your identity guides your behavior, and your behavior reinforces your identity, you begin to close the gap between who you are and who you want to be.

I started using the Three Alarms years ago, and they completely changed my life:

My wealth alarm is Focus Monster. It goes off at 8:00 a.m. and reminds me to dedicate at least 60 minutes to deeply focused work on the most important task of the day — before checking emails or jumping into meetings.
My health alarm is Exercise Machine. It goes off at 12:00 p.m. and reminds me to get in at least 30 minutes of intense exercise before lunch — usually a run or gym session.
My relationship alarm, like Eric’s, is World’s Best Husband and Father. It goes off at 6:00 p.m. and reminds me to be the best version of myself at home — most importantly, by being fully present with my wife and kids.

Here’s my question to you:
How could this simple approach transform your health, wealth, and relationships?

And here’s my challenge for you:
Create your own Three Alarms and start casting daily votes for the person you want to become in each of these domains today.