Atomic Habits — James Clear — Notes
A habit is a behaviour that has been repeated enough times to become automatic.
An atomic habit is a little habit that is part of a larger system. Just as atoms are the building blocks of molecules, atomic habits are the building blocks of remarkable results.
Small changes often appear to make no difference until you cross a critical threshold. The most powerful outcomes of any compounding process are delayed.
There are three levels of change:
1. Outcome change — The desired result e.g. I want to shed 5 kg weight.
2. Process change — For better results, focus on setting up a system than just the final goal. e.g. I will walk for 30 mins every day in the morning.
3. Identity change — Your every action is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. The most effective way to change your habits is to focus on who you wish to become not on what you want to achieve. e.g. I am a fit person.
Rule 1 to 3 Increase odds of doing something now. Rule 4 increases odds of repeating that behaviour. The inversion of these rules helps breaking the bad habits.
- Law of Behaviour Change: Make it Obvious. / Inversion: Make it Invisible.
Every habit is initiated by a cue. We are more likely to notice cues that are obvious in our environment. The two most common cues are time and location.
1. Creating an implementation intention is a strategy you can use to pair a new habit with a specific time and location. E.g. I will read a chapter [Behaviour] at 9 pm every weekday [Time] in my recliner by the window [Location].
2. Habit stacking is a strategy you can use to pair a new habit with a current habit. E.g. While watching Netflix [Current Habit], I will exercise on the stationary bike [New Habit]. Before my evening Tea Break [Current Habit], I will first go for a 10 min walk.
Small changes in context can lead to large changes in behaviour over time. Gradually, your habits become associated not with a single trigger but with the entire context surrounding the behaviour. The context becomes the cue. So, it is easier to build new habits or get rid of old ones in a new environment because you are not fighting against old cues.
The inversion of the 1st Law of Behaviour Change is Make it Invisible.
One of the most practical ways to eliminate a bad habit is to reduce exposure to the cue that causes it. It’s easier to avoid temptation than resist it. E.g. Turn off notifications of apps that distract you. If there is a bakery on the way to your home, change your route.
2. Law of Behaviour Change: Make it Attractive. /Inversion: Make it Unattractive.
The more attractive an opportunity is, the more likely it is to become habit-forming. It is the anticipation of a reward — not the fulfilment of it — that gets us to take action. The greater the anticipation, the greater the dopamine spike.
- Temptation bundling is one way to make your habits more attractive. The strategy is to pair an action you want to do with an action you need to do. E.g. Listening to Podcast while clearing dishes.
2. Create a motivation ritual by doing something you enjoy immediately before a difficult habit.
3. We tend to adopt habits that are praised and approved of by our culture because we have a strong desire to fit in and belong to the tribe. One of the most effective things you can do to build better habits is to join a culture where (1) your desired behaviour is the normal behaviour and (2) you already have something in common with the group.
The inversion of the 2nd Law of Behaviour Change is Make it Unattractive.
Every behaviour has a surface level craving and a deeper underlying motive. The cause of your habits is actually the prediction that precedes them. The prediction leads to a feeling.
Highlight the benefits of avoiding a bad habit to make it seem unattractive. Habits are attractive when we associate them with positive feelings and unattractive when we associate them with negative feelings. E.g. Tracking calories & nutrition on Healthify.
3. Law of Behaviour Change: Make it Easy. /Inversion: Make it Difficult.
Human behaviour follows the Law of Least Effort. We will naturally gravitate toward the option that requires the least amount of work.
- Create an environment where doing the right thing is as easy as possible. Reduce the friction associated with good behaviours. When friction is low, habits are easy.
2. Automate habits using technology. Make the habit easy by making one-time investments in technology or required gears to automate your future habits. E.g. Start an SIP to save money, buy a good mattress for better sleep.
Habit is formed when a behaviour becomes progressively more automatic through repetition.
The amount of time you have been performing a habit is not as important as the number of times you have performed it. Focus on taking action, not being in motion.
Stop Procrastinating by Using the Two Minute Rule — “When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.”
Stat with small steps and then gradually improve. Standardize before you optimize. You can’t improve a habit that doesn’t exist. E.g., Start by reading 2 pages per day and increase a page per day.
The inversion of the 3rd Law of Behaviour Change is Make it difficult.
Increase the friction associated with bad behaviours. When friction is high, habits are difficult.
e.g. remove ‘Stay signed in’ option on time consuming apps. If you have to fill in username and password every time you use the app, motivation to check the app frequently will reduce.
4. Make it Satisfying.
The Cardinal Rule of Behaviour Change: What is immediately rewarded is repeated. What is immediately punished is avoided. E.g., Getting stars on health apps for completing daily exercise.
We are more likely to repeat a behaviour when the experience is satisfying. To get a habit to stick you need to feel immediately successful even if it’s in a small way.
One of the most satisfying feelings is the feeling of making progress.
- Habit trackers and other visual forms of measurement make habits satisfying by providing clear evidence of your progress. e.g. marking an X on a calendar, tracking % completion for big tasks, recording # books read on Goodreads.
2. Don’t break the chain. Try to keep your habit streak alive. If you miss one day, try to get back on track as quickly as possible. Never miss twice.
3. An accountability partner can create an immediate cost to inaction. Get an exercise/reading buddy. We will work harder to ensure the buddy doesn’t think less of us.
4. A habit contract can be used to add a social cost to any behaviour. It makes the costs of violating your promises public and painful. Knowing that someone else is watching you can be a powerful motivator. E.g. Announce your resolution publicly on social media
The inversion of the 4th Law of Behavior Change is to make it unsatisfying.
We are less likely to repeat a bad habit if it is painful or unsatisfying.
e.g. To avoid overeating buy food in individual packages instead of bulk size
Sticking with good habit
The secret to maximizing your odds of success is to choose the right field of competition. Habits are easier when they align with your natural abilities. Choose the habits that best suit you.
The Goldilocks Rule — humans experience peak motivation when working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities.
- The greatest threat to success is not failure but boredom.
2. As habits become routine, they become less interesting and less satisfying. We get bored.
3. It’s the ability to keep going when work isn’t exciting that makes the difference.
4. Professionals stick to the schedule; amateurs let life get in the way.
The upside of habits is that we can do things without thinking. The downside is that we stop paying attention to little errors.
Habits + Deliberate Practice = Mastery
Reflection and review your habits periodically to remain conscious of your performance over time.
