Book Review – Atomic Habits by James Clear
I’ve gotten into some pretty bad habits over the years. Most of these are related to health, nutrition, and exercise. Its so much easier to be lazy. And, as a human, we adapt as we go.
I’d heard Atomic Habits mentioned by a lot of entrepreneurs and creators that I respect, so I thought I would check it out for myself.
The book is packed with different tips and strategies to find a system that works best for you. One of my favorite strategies is habit stacking. It starts with tracking your daily habits- for instance, the things you do each and every morning such as waking up > taking a shower > making coffee > getting dressed. When there is a habit you want to insert into your morning routine, you insert it between other things you’re already doing.
One of the habits I wanted to incorporate into my life was daily reading. I’ve done this in exactly the way described. In my case, I wake up > make tea > read > get ready for the day.
The book also goes into detail about habit formation, including our why’s behind our habits. One of my favorite quotes of the book is,
Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.
James Clear, Atomic Habits, p 38
When I read, I keep small post-it notes beside me to mark pages with important ideas I’d like to remember or refer to. My copy of Atomic Habits is littered with yellow flags.
Some of the other ideas in the book that resonated with me include:
- Learning where cravings come from
- How long it takes to form a new habit (hint: it’s repetition and frequency)
- How to make new habits easy
- Focusing on just getting 1% better
- Breaking habits that hold you back
- Understanding the power of emotions
- Habit tracking strategies
I would definitely recommend reading this book. I know that I will be referring to it again and again in my own life as I follow the journey to achieve those 1% improvements!
