Atomic Habits by James Clear was nearly impossible for me to put down. It is an incredibly easy read filled with practical information, examples from the lives of successful people, and anecdotes from the life of James Clear himself. There is enough explanation to understand concepts without feeling bored.
Why should I care about building habits? Clear explains that “Habits reduce cognitive load and free up metal capacity so you can allocate your attention to other tasks.” I have a lot I’m already thinking about, so I’m happy automating as much as I can to free up my brain cells!
He also explains why its important to build habits and focus on the “system” rather than the “goal”. Simply wanting something won’t guarantee I’ll get it. What I need is the right system that will get me to my goal—I need to take the right steps to get where I want. If I make “tiny changes” I will gain “remarkable results”.
How I we cultivate these habits in myself? Follow his 4 laws: Make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy and make it satisfying. Clear explains each of the laws and gives examples of many successful people who used them to achieve success.
Reading about all these successful people, one would think successful people just have more willpower, but Clear explains that ““Disciplined” people are better at structuring their lives in a way that does not require heroic will power…they spend less time in tempting situations.” For example, if I want to stop eating junk food, I should stop storing it in my house! It should be EASY to keep up a habit, not difficult.
Finally, Clear stated that “The greatest threat to success is not failure but boredom…It’s the ability to keep going when work isn’t exciting that makes the difference.” This means that I have to be able to stick to repetition even if it isn’t fun.
This book is definitely worth reading; I highly recommend it.
