[B] Atomic Habits

From Atomic Habits by James Clear

Note: I drew heavily from book summaries linked in “Additional Resources”

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Book purpose: An operating manual for habit change and achieving remarkable results, based on an integrated model of the cognitive and behavioral sciences.

Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement

“The holy grail of habit change is not a single 1 percent improvement, but a thousand of them. It’s a bunch of atomic habits stacking up, each one a fundamental unit of the overall system.”

Small changes often appear to make no difference until you cross a critical threshold.

If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead.

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

Goals restrict happiness (“Once I reach a goal, then I’ll be happy”). Systems make you fall in love with the process rather than the product

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The most effective way to change your habits is to focus not on what you want to achieve, but on who you want to become.

“Your habits shape your identity, and your identity shapes your habits.”

Outcomes: changing your results

Process: changing your habits and systems

Identity: changing your beliefs, worldview, self-image

• Example: The goal is not to read a book, but to become a reader.
• Every action is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.

WE CAN BUILD EFFECTIVE HABITS THROUGH 4 STAGES OF HABIT:

The four stages of habit are a feedback loop that is running every moment you are alive. Cue triggers a craving, which motivates a response, which provides a reward, which becomes associated with the cue.

Step	Building Habits	Breaking Habits
1. Cue	Make it obvious	Make it invisible
2. Craving	Make it attractive	Make it unattractive
3. Response	Make it easy	Make it difficult
4. Reward	Make it satisfying	Make it unsatisfying

Make it Obvious

• Create a Habit Scorecard to become aware of your habits
  • Make a list of daily habits
  • For each, ask yourself: “Is this a good, bad, or neutral habit?”
• Make an Implementation Intention by pairing a new habit with a specific time and location (cue):
  • “I will [behavior] at [time] in [location].”
  • Make your cue highly specific and immediately actionable
  • Example: I will exercise for 1 hour at 5pm at my gym.
• Use habit stacking to tie a new habit into something you already do
  • “After [current habit], I will [new habit].”
  • Example: When I make my morning coffee, I will listen to the NPR news podcast.
• Design your environment. Make the cues of good habits obvious and visible.
  • Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior

Make it Attractive

• Use temptation bundling. Pair an action you want to do with an action you need to do
  • Habits are a dopamine-driven feedback loop. Dopamine released in the anticipation of a reward, not the fulfillment of it, that gets us to take action
  • Example: Only listen to podcasts you love while exercising.
• Join a culture where your desired behavior is the normal behavior
  • We imitate the close (“normal” behavior), the many (we’d rather be wrong with the crowd than right by ourselves), and the powerful (getting approval, respect, praise).
• Create a motivation ritual. Do something you enjoy immediately before a difficult habit

Make It Easy

Humans experience peak motivation when working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities. Not too hard. Not too easy. Just right. The greatest threat to success is not failure but boredom.

• Reduce friction. Decrease the number of steps between you and your good habits
  • Focus on taking action by starting with repetition, not perfection.
  • The amount of time you have been performing a habit is not as important as the number of times you have performed it.
  • Example: If you want to exercise, set out your workout clothes ahead of time.
• Prime the environment. Prepare your environment to make future actions easier.
• Master the decisive moment. Optimize the small choices that deliver outsized impact.
• Use the Two-Minute Rule. Downscale your habits until they can be done in 2 minutes or less.
  • Example: Read one page.
• Automate your habits. Invest in technology and onetime purchases that lock in future behavior.

Make It Satisfying

• Use reinforcement. Give yourself an immediate reward when you complete your habit.
  • Choose rewards that reinforce rather than conflict with your identity
  • Example: Reward exercising with a massage (but not with ice cream).
• Make “doing nothing” enjoyable. When avoiding a bad habit, design a way to see the benefits.
• Use a habit tracker. Keep track of your habit streak and “don’t break the chain”.
  • Record immediately after the habit occurs.
  • Never miss twice. When you forget to do a habit, make sure you get back on track immediately.

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Additional Resources

• Atomic Habits accompanying resources / templates by James Clear
  • Habits Scorecard
  • Atomic Habits Cheat Sheet
  • Habit Contract Template
  • Habit Tracker
• Samuel Thomas Davies’ summary of Atomic Habits
• Kyle Kowalski’s summary of Atomic Habits
• Dan Silvestre’s summary of Atomic Habits