About the book
Author : James Clear
Pages : 226
Genre : Self Help
Published : 16 Oct 2018
Goodreads : 4.4 / 5
Summary of Content
“An atomic habit is a little habit that is part of a larger system. Just as atoms are the building blocks of molecules, atomic habits are the building blocks of remarkable results.”
Atomic Habits is a book that walks you through the process of creating a new habit or stopping undesirable ones. After a brief introduction about the Author, the first chapter begins, which is probably the most important in my opinion. James Clear lays a great foundation for the entire book, describing concepts like “1% better every day” or “positive compounding” or “what progress is really like” and my favorite, the different ways to go about it : Outcome based habit vs Identity based habit. He also makes some great points, like :
“Small changes often appear to make no difference until you cross a critical threshold. The most powerful outcomes of any compounding process are delayed. You need to be patient”
“If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead.”
Then he moves onto the main concept of the entire book, which is a 4 step process for creating or breaking a habit.
How to Create a Good Habit :
- The 1st law (Cue) Make it obvious.
- The 2nd law (Craving) Make it attractive.
- The 3rd law (Response) Make it easy.
- The 4th law (Reward) Make it satisfying.
How to Break a Bad Habit :
- Inversion of the 1st law (Cue) Make it invisible.
- Inversion of the 2nd law (Craving) Make it unattractive.
- Inversion of the 3rd law (Response) Make it difficult.
- Inversion of the 4th law (Reward) Make it unsatisfying.
The remaining chapters are expansion / explanation on each of the steps with a final chapter that explains some advanced tactics to close off the show
My Thoughts
“I didn’t know I needed this book until I read it”
This was the first self-help book I read, and I didn’t really know what to expect. I wasn’t even trying to form a new habit, someone had recommended this as a must-read for anyone, so I picked it up. But as I was reading it, I started reflecting on my own habits and started to realize places where I could improve.
And if you’re wondering, yes it does work. James Clear definitely knows how humans form a new habit and made it easier for us to hack the system and create desirable habits for oneself. Even if you don’t form a new habit, I think you will undoubtedly find some tips to improving your existing ones from this book.
Another key thing I liked about this book is how “to the point” and practical this book is. The author doesn’t waste your time providing hundreds of useless examples or being redundant with the topics. He’s always to the point and I certainly appreciated that.
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