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, you begin to develop an intuitive understanding of wood grain, pressure, and motion. It’s as easy as taking ten minutes in the shop to mark some lines on a piece of scrap and practice sawing to those lines. Over weeks and months, those seemingly insignificant increments of time add up, and soon, you find yourself effortlessly producing perfectly straight and plumb cuts.

From sawing, you move on to more complex tasks: cutting and shaping wood or joinery. Each skill builds upon the last, and with consistent practice, you gradually unlock new levels of proficiency.

The beauty of atomic woodworking lies in its accessibility. You no longer need to set aside hours at your bench to make progress. Instead, you can integrate practice into your shop time. Take 30 minutes at the start of your session to sharpen your chisels or spend some time hand planing a board; every minute contributes to your journey toward mastery. I think the key is not to do your practice on a project you’re working on. There is already pressure on you to make a thing beautiful, so that is not the time to get your practice.

But atomic woodworking is not just about quantity; it’s also about quality. Each practice session should be approached with intention and focus. Don’t just mindlessly saw to the lines and call it done. Saw one line, then inspect what you did. Did you saw on the line? Did your cut start to lean one way or the other? If so, how much and in which direction? Then, when you approach the next line, think about what you have to do to correct the problem. If your cut wanders to the right, put effort into leaning the top of your saw slightly to the right to have it cut straight.

Going forward, you can apply these practice techniques when you are learning a new skill. Want to learn how to cut a groove using a router? Mill up some practice pieces and give it a try on scraps of wood that don’t matter. You will gain the confidence and practice you need to make the real thing a success.

One of the most rewarding aspects of atomic woodworking is the sense of progress it instills. As you look back on your journey, you’ll be amazed at how far you’ve come from those humble beginnings. What once seemed daunting and out of reach is now within your grasp. So head into the shop with the intent to become better at woodworking, and you likely will. As I always say, “To understand, you must do”!