“Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. The same way that money multiplies through compound interest, the effects of your habits multiply as you repeat them. They seem to make little difference on any given day and yet the impact they deliver over the months and years can be enormous.”
From the moment I picked up James Clear’s Atomic Habits a few weeks ago, I was hooked. I read it while on vacation, when my mind was free of clutter and I was excited to absorb new information.
I gravitate towards books that have practical tips and tangible takeaways and Atomic Habits hits the bullseye. It’s filled with dozens of anecdotes and examples, research-backed insights, and concrete tools to put the ideas into action.
If you’re looking for ways to incorporate new habits into your daily routine (who isn’t?!) or toss some old ones that aren’t serving you (um…me!), I highly recommend you add Atomic Habits to your reading list. In the meantime, to give you a taste of what it has to offer, here are 9 insightful nuggets I just had to share.
1. Success is the product of daily habits – not once-in-a-lifetime transformations
“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….Atomic habit refers to a tiny change, a marginal gain, a 1% improvement. They are little habits that are part of a larger system.”
In other words, it’s the small decisions and tiny actions that lead (yes, sometimes slowly) to big change. After suffering a serious injury in high school, Clear learned the value of small habits through personal experience. Small decisions in university such as building good sleep habits, keeping his dorm room tidy, and improving his study habits helped him earn straight A’s.
“We all face challenges in life. This injury was one of mine, and the experience taught me a critical lesson: changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them for years.”
2. Focus on systems, not goals
“If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
James illustrates this point with Olympians. They each want to win a gold medal – their goal is the same. But they don’t all win. Most often, it’s the athletes with the best systems in place (training routine, diet, sleep schedule) that reach the top of the podium.
Clear explains: “Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that lead to those results.“
For example, a coach’s goal is to win a championship. The coach’s system is how she recruits players, manages her assistants, and conducts practices.
I can say I want to feel physically fit and healthy (my goal); but if I don’t have a plan or systems in place to achieve that goal, I’m not likely to achieve it. I need to set my alarm to get up for a morning workout (and have workout clothes I feel good in). I need to buy, wash, and cut fresh fruit and vegetables to snack on. And I need to have fun playlists ready for when I want to walk or run outside.
3. The three layers of behaviour change
“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.”
Using the simple illustration above, Clear explains the following:
- Outcomes are what you get and are about changing results: losing weight, publishing a book, winning a championship.
- Processes are what you do and are about changing your habits and systems: implementing a new workout routine, decluttering desk for better workflow.
- Identity is what you believe and is about changing your beliefs: your worldview, your self-image, your judgements about yourself.
In other words:
The goal is not to read a book. The goal is to become a reader.
The goal is not to run a marathon. The goal is to become a runner.
“New identities require new evidence.” he writes. “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.”
Finally, he offers the following simple, yet brilliant, two-step process to change our identity:
- Decide the type of person you want to be.
- Prove it to yourself with small wins.
So, who do you want to be? And how are you going to prove it to yourself?
Here’s one way I’ve articulated my identity:
I am someone who takes care of my mind and body in order to feel and look my best.
4. The four laws of behaviour change
“If you have ever wondered, ‘Why don’t I do what I say I’m going to do? Why don’t I lose the weight or stop smoking or save for retirement or start that side business? Why do I say something is important but never seem to make time for it?’ The answers to those questions can be found somewhere in these four laws. The key to creating good habits and breaking bad ones is to understand these fundamental laws and how to alter them to your specifications.”
In chapter 3, after explaining how habits work (Cue > Craving > Response > Reward) Clear outlines the four laws of behaviour change:
- Make it obvious
- Make it attractive
- Make it easy
- Make it satisfying
And the inverse if you’re trying to break bad habits:
- Make it invisible
- Make it unattractive
- Make it difficult
- Make it unsatisfying
In the chapters that follow, Clear dives into each of these in detail, providing numerous examples and insights, some of which I’ve captured in the next few nuggets.
5. The best way to start a new habit
“Many people think they lack motivation when what they really lack is clarity. It is not always obvious when and where to take action. People who make a specific plan for when and where they will perform a new habit are more likely to follow through.”
Chapter 5 is where the rubber hits the road. This is where we learn about Implementation Intentions and Habit Stacking.
The format for creating an implementation intention is the following:
When situation X arises, I will perform response Y.
More specifically, to build a new habit, fill in the following:
I will [BEHAVIOUR] AT [TIME] IN [LOCATION]
Instead of saying “I want to work out more”, I now say:
- I will DO A PELOTON TREADMILL CLASS at APPROXIMATELY 7 A.M. TUES – FRI. in MY BASEMENT GYM.
- I will DO A PELOTON YOGA CLASS at APPROXIMATELY 9 A.M. ON SUNDAY MORNINGS in my LIVING ROOM.
Instead of saying “I will drink more water” I now say:
- I will BRING A LARGE BOTTLE WITH OF WATER to MY DESK ~8:40 A.M. in MY HOME OFFICE.
- I will REFILL MY LARGE BOTTLE WITH WATER when I PREPARE MY LUNCH ~ 12 pm IN MY KITCHEN.
Clear then introduces Habit Stacking:
“Habit stacking is a special form of implementation intention. Rather than pairing your new habit with a particular time and location, you pair it with a current habit.“
The Habit Stacking formula goes like this:
After I [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].
Here are a few I wrote for myself:
- After I BRUSH MY TEETH AT NIGHT, I will LAY OUT MY WORKOUT CLOTHES FOR THE NEXT MORNING AND SET MY ALARM FOR THE MORNING.
- After I GET INTO BED AT NIGHT, I will READ FOR 20 MINUTES.
Clear also talks about Inserting new behaviours into the middle of current routines, like this:
- Wake up > Make my bed > Take a shower
- Wake up > Make my bed > Place a book on my pillow > Take a shower
Here’s one I just thought up:
- Drop my kids at school > Drive home
- Drop my kids at school > Pick a podcast and press play > Drive home
A few chapters later, Clear introduces the Habit Stacking + Temptation Building formula as a way to make habits irresistible:
- After I [CURRENT HABIT] I will [NEW HABIT I NEED]
- After I [NEW HABIT I NEED], I will [HABIT I WANT]
- After I BRUSH MY TEETH AT NIGHT, I will READ FOR 20 MINUTES
- After I READ FOR 20 MINUTES, I will WATCH A SHOW I ENJOY
This concept reminds me of an idea mentioned in Own Your Mornings by Liz Baker Plosser. Plosser encourages us to pair something we love doing with something we have to do. For example, why not listen to a podcast (love to) while folding the laundry (have to). Or listen to music (love to) while washing dishes (have to).
6. Designing your environment for success
“If you want to make a habit a big part of your life, make the cue a big part of your environment. By sprinkling triggers throughout your surroundings, you increase the odds that you’ll think about your habit throughout the day.”
- If you want to drink more water, fill up a few water bottles each morning and place them in common locations around the house.
- If you want to eat more apples, leave the apples on the counter where you can see them easily.
Clear goes on to describe the “secret” to self-control.
“Disciplined” people are better at structuring their lives in a way that does not require heroic willpower and self-control. In other words, they spend less time in tempting situations.”
And if we’re trying to do away with a bad habit, Clear advises to cut if off at the source:
“One of the most practical ways to eliminate a bad habit is to reduce exposure to cue that causes it.”
- If you can’t seem to get any work done, leave your phone in another room for a few hours.
- If you’re playing too many video games, unplug the console and put it in a closet after each use.
Finally, Clear talks about priming your environment for future use. If you want to cook a healthy breakfast, the night before place the skillet on the stove, set the cooking spray on the counter, and lay out any plates and utensils.
While making smoothies in the morning is not a habit I’m trying to build, but rather something I enjoy and do already, it’s certainly helpful to leave the blender, cups, and protein powder on the counter the night before. Just a few less things to do during the morning rush.
7. The 2-Minute Rule
“Habits are like the entrance ramp to a highway. The lead you down a path and, before you know it, you’re speeding toward the next behaviour. It seems to be easier to continue what you are already doing than to start doing something different.”
Most habits, Clear explains, can be scaled down into a two-minute version, referred to as a gateway habit.
“Read before bed each night” becomes “Read one page.”
“Do thirty minutes of yoga” becomes “Take out my yoga mat.”
“Run three miles” becomes “Tie my running shoes.”
He continues:
“The point is to master the habit of showing up. A habit must be established before it can be improved…As you master the art of showing up, the first two minutes simply become a ritual at the beginning of a larger routine.“
Convincing myself to put on my workout clothes is often the hardest part; but when they are, I am most definitely working out.
8. How to make good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible
“A commitment device is a choice you make in the present that controls your actions in the future. They enable you to take advantage of good intentions before you can fall victim to temptation.”
Clear shares an example of this: if he’s watching his weight, he’ll ask the waiter to cut his meal in half before the meal is served, versus hoping he will have the will power to just eat half of meal once it’s put in front of him.
This blog is the product of a commitment device, in fact. I mentioned to my manager at work that I gleaned so many great nuggets from this book and offered to make a presentation to our team at work. To do so effectively, I needed to write this blog to organize my thoughts (something I wanted to do anyway, but now I was committed). I also purposefully set the presentation date only a few days from the conversation with my boss to ensure I did not procrastinate.
9. Sticking with good habits, recovering quickly when they break down, and staying motivated
“The first three laws of behaviour change – make it obvious, make it attractive, and make it easy – increase the odds that a behaviour will be performed this time. The fourth law of behaviour change – make it satisfying – increases the odds that a behaviour will be repeated next time.”
Clear emphasizes the importance of habit tracking. Doing so makes it obvious (creates a visual cue and keeps us honest); attractive (each small win feeds our desire); and satisfying (it feels good to watch results grow and provides visual proof that we’re casting a vote for the person we wish to become).
I created a very simple table on one page, with my habits across the top and the days of the month down the left side. I put a check mark in the square when I’ve completed the given habit. I’m not batting 100%, but I’m comforted by Clear’s words:
“Too often we fall into an all-or-nothing cycle with our habits. The problem is not slipping up; the problem is thinking that if you can’t do something perfectly, then you shouldn’t do it at all.”
And remember our identify we spoke about in nugget #3? Clear brings his insights full circle:
“It’s not always about what happens during the workout. It’s about being the type of person who doesn’t miss workouts. Going to the gym for five minutes may not improve your performance, but it reaffirms your identify.”
Finally, we are introduced to the Goldilocks Rule:
“Humans experience peak motivation when working on tasks that are right at the edge of their current abilities. Not too hard. Not too easy. Just right…Once a habit has been established, however, it’s important to continue to advance in small ways. These little improvements and new challenges keep you engaged.”
I now recognize this in how I often approach my Peloton treadmill classes. I want a challenge but I don’t want to feel like it’s impossible. Sometimes I will add incline even if it’s a flat-road class or stack a 10-minute run onto a 30-minute hike for an extra challenge.
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Ready to get started? Have your own Atomic Habit tips to share? I’d love to hear from you! And if “Reading more inspiring content” is a habit you are trying to start or maintain, be sure to give yourself a check mark for this one!
As always, thanks for reading!
myclaritymylight 