“Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress.” - James Clear
Atomic Habits has been on my reading list for a while now. Who doesn't want to learn more about developing good habits and breaking bad ones? This book breaks it down so well and gives science backed research to the methods presented. James Clear takes a complex concept and makes it seem easily understandable by fully explaining each step in detail as the book progresses.
I love self-improvement and learning new strategies for change, but find when I set a goal that is difficult it is hard to follow through to the end. This book has amazing tips on how to avoid that and correct the mistakes that prevent long-term habit changes.
On a personal note, James Clear is an inspiration for me as a writer. His writing habits are well established at this point in his career, but I do love reading about how he started developing into a writer through weekly habits he implemented before writing the book.
In terms of the importance of developing good habits, I have long known that the things we do daily shape our lives. I owned a business for seven years, and it was successful due to the systems and daily habits I learned to develop. At first, I didn't see the impact these habits had on the business, but over time the results were obvious in every aspect of the organization. For example, I created systems to help my employees do their job better. This led to happier customers, which led to more referrals. The combination of more jobs and faster, more efficient daily work habits led to higher profit. Every small change starts adding up to big results if you develop good daily habits and do them consistently. Success doesn't usually happen overnight, and I would assume every business owner has a goal of being successful. That goal becomes a reality as you implement better systems.
"Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that lead to those results." - James Clear
Ok, let's get into the book.
The first several chapters go into the fundamentals of habit change. My key takeaways are the part I discussed above about why changing the system is better than just setting a goal. The other part that resonated with me was about outcome-based vs identity-based habits. Outcome-based habits are things you want to achieve like publishing a book or running a half-marathon. Usually, when the goal is accomplished, you are more likely to stop the habit. With identity-based habits, the focus is more on who you want to become. Clear notes this is the most effective form of habit changing. This identity shift helps you make decisions based on who you want to be instead of a short-term achievement. For example, instead of saying I want to lose 10 lbs, you would say I want to become a healthy person. It shifts your mindset to a more long-term change that will help you become that person. You then can create a system that will lead to the outcome you are seeking.
"Becoming the best version of yourself requires you to continuously edit your beliefs, and to upgrade and expand your identity." -James Clear
The remaining chapters break down in detail how to change a habit. Clear talks about a feedback loop for breaking down habits which involves four steps: cue, craving, response, reward. The first two are the problem. As an example, you walk outside, and it is 100 degrees. The response and reward are the solution. In the example, you see your pool in the backyard and jump in. As a result, you are not hot anymore and satisfied.
Based on the feedback loop, you have the steps to forming a new habit. In the book, there are a set of rules to create a new habit defined as the four laws of behavior changes: make it obvious (cue), make it attractive (craving), make it easy (response), and make it satisfying (reward). For the remainder of the book, Clear goes into great detail about how to use these steps in creating good habits and how to invert these laws to break bad habits. I won't spoil this part for you because his ability to explain this is so impressive and thorough. I want you to read the book.
Aside from identity-based habits, my second favorite topic in the book was about habit stacking. I LOVE the concept of habit stacking. It's where you take a current habit you already do without thinking and pair it with a new habit. I would go a step further and think of it as a useful way of adding to new habits. After a new habit is established, why not stack another layer on and add another habit. For example, I'm trying to get healthy right now. For the last two months, I've developed a habit of intermittent fasting. It's been 60 days, and it is well-established. Now, I've added in some light weight training after my kids go to bed. It's another small habit, but both of these will help me become healthier on a daily basis. In two months, I'll add another small habit change. It goes back to his concept of making new habits easy to ensure they will stick. I just take them one habit at a time and add on as each habit becomes something I do without thinking. Eventually I'll see big results from all these changes.
Another concept that I found helpful is what to do when you get off track. No one is perfect. You will have a busy day that prevents you from doing your new habit. Clear has a rule to never miss twice. I love that. So many times, I start something and miss one day. It is extremely easy to let one day become two and then another. Before you know it, you are back to your old habits. That one simple rule has been great for me. When I have a bad day, I just repeat to myself never miss twice. So far, it has worked. I also find it helpful to use a habit tracker. I'm one of those people who gets satisfaction in checking things off my list daily, so checking that I've completed the habit is a reward in itself for me.
Speaking of rewards, giving yourself a reward after completing a habit for a certain number of days is another way to motivate yourself to keep going as habits are developing. When I'm working on a new habit, I give myself a reward every 21 days. This is the perfect amount of time to keep me motivated to do the next 21 days. The reward provides the temporary satisfaction while the real reward of making the improvement is developing.
I loved Atomic Habits. It is packed with information that will help you form habits. I highly recommend it. Before reading this book, I created the 100 Days to Change series to help others develop habits that will change their lives because I truly believe in the power of small changes adding up to big results. I've seen it in my own life, and I know it works. For me, it's all about forming the habit and holding myself accountable. This is the hardest part, but my books can provide the structure needed to make these changes. I've used them, and they make a big difference in staying on track. If there are things you want to change in your life, I hope they will help you too.
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