James Clear - Atomic Habits

Synopsis

Atomic Habits challenges the view that a big impact is the result of a big change. Instead, Clear suggests that behind every great outcome are many small and sometimes barely noticeable changes. By applying consistent improvements to our lives - even those seemingly insignificant - may we bridge the gap between who we are and who we can be. With advice on how to challenge our current way of doing things, Atomic Habits provides readers with different methods we can use to improve our processes in hopes of realising our potential

Likes

Clear’s approach to helping us improve starts by identifying that the problem is with our systems, not with us (even if we are the problem!). It’s easy to blame ourselves for all the things that are wrong in our lives and consider it a character flaw, but the separation of who we are from how we do things allows us to absolve ourselves of the guilt we carry and be more receptive towards change. It’s not that we are inherently lazy, undisciplined or uncommitted, but we’ve built and maintained systems that prevent us from seeing past the identities that we or others have assigned to us. Although people can and do change, it is sometimes difficult to accept this of ourselves. By focusing on something easier to control, such as our processes, we find ourselves more willing to take the necessary steps to do and be better, making the person we wish to become more attainable

There is no one way to improve our habits. Clear provides us with various methods we can adopt such as habit stacking, changing our environment, or temptation bundling among others. The author acknowledges that not everybody learns and grows in the same way so presenting the reader with different techniques allows us to improve using a method that works for us

Although we are provided with different techniques to build good habits, Clear also shows us how we can use those techniques to remove bad ones. Atomic Habits doesn’t just give us tools to build, but also to eliminate so that regardless of intent, the outcome is always to improve

While Atomic Habits presents readers with different techniques to better ourselves, Clear adds that life doesn’t necessarily become a wonderful thing once we’ve developed good habits. It may take a while for us to see the results of our efforts as it is not an end goal, but an ongoing process. Clear provides words of encouragement to help us stay the course but also helps us to manage our expectations as life tends to turn out differently than we think – for better or for worse. Despite the outcome, we can continue doing our best to remain consistent and improve each day

Something I didn’t expect nor consider but greatly appreciated was the chapter on the downside of creating good habits. At the beginning of the book, we’re provided with a definition of habits which is ‘an automatic response to a specific situation’. As habits are automatic, we tend to do them without really thinking about them – as though we’re operating on autopilot. This results in complacency as we stop thinking about how we can further improve or evaluate if our habits are as effective as we think they are. To combat this, Clear advises us on the importance of regularly reviewing and adjusting our habits by acknowledging that they will never be perfect so require continuous reflection for improvement

Dislikes

N/A

General Thoughts

There are quite a few references to the work of other’s and the processes that have been used throughout which Clear uses to confirm the importance of building atomic habits. Despite the numerous inputs from others, I didn’t feel as though it took away from Clear’s own ideas but added to them in a balanced way

Following on from the previous point, I appreciate that Clear shares all the sources he used in writing this book via a references section. He doesn’t hoard any information but encourages us to further learn about others and their work. Even though he’s coming from a point of teaching us about developing better habits, he was (and still is!) also once a learner just like us and continues to remind us of that which only makes him more likeable

Although this book was informative, Clear still managed to include bits of his personality and interests such as his like of Games of Thrones, The Office and Indian food. It helped the book feel more personal and not like reading a how-to manual

As someone who is more of a visual learner, I really enjoyed the diagrams throughout which strengthened my appreciation for how the author acknowledges that we all have a different way of learning. Despite it being his book, he didn’t write it in a way that only suits him, but was considerate of the diverse people who would engage with his book

The chapter summaries were a great feature! Although the chapters were not particularly overwhelming, the summaries were a wonderful way to recap what I had read by highlighting the major points or techniques. If I needed to jog my memory, I could refer to the summaries as it allowed me to be reminded of the whole chapter without having to reread it

Rating

Atomic Habits sheds light on how small but consistent improvements can lead to large and impactful changes, dispelling the belief that big impacts are caused by equally big changes. This book encouraged me to pay closer attention to my own daily habits and change them for the better. When life feels at a standstill or I inevitably end up taking a few steps back, I find myself evaluating the things that I’m doing and how they’re affecting me instead of blaming myself for things not going well. This book has not only changed the way I look at my processes but has also changed the way I look at myself, especially during my lowest points. It’s a book of self-improvement that I truly think all can benefit from

Based on this, I would give this book a 5/5

Would I Recommend?

Yes, without a shadow of a doubt. This is a book I’ve read 3 times and will continue to read over and over. No matter what stage you’re at in life, Atomic Habits will provide you with useful techniques to do and be better

Favourite Quotes

‘…changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them for years. We all deal with setbacks but in the long run, the quality of our lives often depends on the quality of our habits. With the same habits, you’ll end up with the same results. But with better habits, anything is possible’

‘Anything wise in these pages you should credit to the many experts who preceded me. Anything foolish, assume it is my error’

‘Making a choice that is 1% better or 1% worse seems insignificant in the moment, but over the span of moments that make up a lifetime these choices determine the difference between who you are and who you could be. Success is the product of daily habits – not once-in-a-lifetime transformations’

‘Complaining about not achieving success despite working hard is like complaining about an ice cube not melting when you heated it from twenty-five to thirty-one degrees. Your work was not wasted; it is just being stored. All the action happens at thirty-two degrees’

‘Many people begin the process of changing their habits by focusing on what they want to achieve. This leads us to outcome-based habits. The alternative is to build identity-based habits. With this approach, we start by focusing on who we wish to become’

‘Your behaviours are usually a reflection of your identity. What you do is an indication of the type of person you believe that you are’

‘If you keep casting the same votes you’ve always cast, you’re going to get the same results you’ve always had. If nothing changes, nothing is going to change’

‘Be the designer of your world and not merely the consumer of it’

‘It’s better to do less than you hoped than to do nothing at all’

‘Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change’

‘Sometimes a habit will be hard to remember and you’ll need to make it obvious. Other times you won’t feel like starting and you’ll need to make it attractive. In many cases, you may find that a habit will be too difficult and you’ll need to make it easy. And sometimes, you won’t feel like sticking with it and you’ll have need to make it satisfying’

‘Life is short and you have shared some of your precious time with me by reading this book. Thank you’