Book Review: Atomic Habits by James Clear
I am a firm believer in habits, tracking, and routines. That said, I still struggle with forming and sticking with certain habits such as diets or working out consistently, or sustaining periods of time.
When I picked up Atomic Habits it was because I had heard so many good things and was at a time when I needed an extra dose of habit-forming self-talk. I have no regrets.
If you are like me, you most likely believe that habits are the cornerstone of your life but aren’t sure how to build or break them. James Clear does an amazing job laying down the framework of how habits are formed. While at first glance these may seem overly simplistic, Atomic Habits delves into each of these concepts in a way that packs a powerful punch. He starts each (or most) section with poignant anecdotes before delving into insightful strategies for building good habits and breaking bad ones.
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
Quickly the reader learns that motivation is overrated.
Systems are the difference between making or breaking habits (and goals). One of the easiest ways to build a new habit is to attach it to an existing one, which is referred to as habit stacking. Anyone who has developed a routine (or runs errands on a daily basis) is familiar with this one and when reflecting upon it realizes just how powerful that indeed is.
You build fortunes from pennies by investing in very small changes one at a time that will pay dividends on itself sort of like compound interest Get 1% better each day and you will rarely notice a change on any given day, but by the end of a year you will be 38 times better than when you started (1.01^365 = 37.8)
A change in mindset or self-perception is paramount. The best way of building a habit is making it part of your identity So, you must experience a shift in identity for your habits to hold.
“All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger. Roots entrench themselves and branches grow. Breaking a bad habit is like uprooting a powerful oak within us. And the task of building a good habit is like cultivating a delicate flower one day at a time.”
The content is easily digestible, and Clear has a fantastic flow from topic to topic, illustrating his points. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to learn how to stick with better habits, break bad ones, or discover what has been holding them back all this time.