Atomic Reflections on Atomic Habits

I am habitually late to trends. I think that's an endearing trait (not sure if anyone else does though). Jumping on the bandwagon of folks reading Atomic Habits by James Clear was no exception as I just now came around to reading it.

One of the downsides of being late to a trendy non-fiction book is that I had already been exposed to most of the key takeaways through other sources covering the book. While this resulted in some of the key points feeling not quite as earth shattering when revealed in the book, I still found plenty of new and interesting information.

While reading Atomic Habits I experimented with a new system for capturing notes along the way. This resulted in a single note covering what I saw as the highlights of the book. Think of it as my own personal Sparknotes (wait, sparknotes are still a thing? 🤯).

That note is pretty lengthy, but I decided to take it through one more ⚗️ distillation process, and extract what I thought was the "best of the best" to share here.

outcome-based vs. identity-based habits

Most of the time we set out to establish habits in order to achieve a particular outcome. These outcomes are often also considered goals. Most people set goals and determine the actions they should take to achieve those goals without considering the beliefs that drive their actions (p. 32). Your current identity can sabotage your plans to change. True behavior change is identity change. You might start a habit because of motivation, but the only reason you'll stick with one is that it becomes part of your identity (p. 34).

Focus your habits not on what you want to achieve but instead on who you wish to become. Your identity emerges out of your habits and your habits can change your beliefs about yourself. The more you repeat a behavior, the more you reinforce the identity associated with that behavior (p. 37). The more pride you have in a particular aspect of your identity, the more motivated you will be to maintain the habits associated with it (p. 33).

habits vs. systems

It doesn't matter how successful or unsuccessful you are right now in achieving your habits, goals, or identity. What matters is whether your habits are putting you on the path toward success (p. 18). What success looks like to you is often defined by a goal you are trying to achieve. However, it's important to remember the distinction between a goal and a system. While goals are good for setting a direction, systems are best for making progress (p. 24).

You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems (p. 27). Therefore atomic habits are not just any habits, they are strategic fundamental units composing a system.

the anatomy of a habit

The process of building a habit can be broken down into four steps (p. 47):

1. Cue - triggers your brain to initiate a behavior that will result in a reward
2. Craving - the motivational force, the desire to change your internal state
3. Response - the actual habit you preform
4. Reward - satisfies your craving

The cue is about noticing the reward. The craving is about wanting the reward. The response is about obtaining the reward (p. 49). Rewards satisfy us and they teach us. They teach us which actions are worth remembering in the future which is a feedback loop that builds up future cue's.

1. Eliminate the cue and the habit will never start
2. Reduce the craving and you will be not motivated enough to act
3. Make the response difficult and you will not be able to actually do it
4. If the reward does not satisfy you then there is no reason to build a cue and do this again

progressive overload

A good atomic habit is not one that you should do indefinitely the exact same way you did it day one. Over time your habit should evolve (p. 240). To master your new identity, you will need to slowly layer in more habits, evolve existing habits, and let some habits meld into your "new normal" (i.e. something you no longer actively think of as a habit). If you're familiar with the concept of Progressive Overload in athletic training, then you might see that this is a very similar concept applied to habits.

miscellaneous tips

1. One of the best ways to build a new habit is to identify a current habit you already do each day and then stack your new behavior on top.
2. A stable environment where everything has a place and a purpose is an environment where habits can easily form.
3. The less energy a habit requires, the more likely it is to occur.
4. When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.
5. Standardize before you optimize. You can't improve a habit that doesn't exist.

the end

If you're interested in getting your own copy of Atomic Habits you can find it on Amazon.