Atomic Woodworking: Mastering Craft Through Incremental Practice

I recently read a book called Atomic Habits, and it got me thinking about how some of the tenets of the book could be applied to woodworking. Woodworking marries precision with creativity. The seemingly overwhelming journey toward mastery daunts many novice woodworkers. Yet, the path to becoming a better woodworker starts not with grand gestures but with small, incremental steps. Atomic woodworking is where tiny doses of practice add up to heaps of expertise.

Atomic woodworking suggests that just as a small financial investment grows exponentially over time, so does your success in woodworking with consistent, deliberate practice. The idea is simple: commit to regular, bite-sized sessions of training and watch as your skills shoot through the roof.

Imagine starting with the most basic woodworking technique: sawing. By dedicating just ten minutes a day to refining your sawing technique,…