Author: Maryam Sajid Siddiqui
Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results
I recently read the book, “Atomic Habits,” by James Clear. It was such a wonderful book that gave me wonderful insight into how we can adopt habits that stick.
As teenagers, it can be hard for us to stick to habits because of not only distractions but also our excuses. This is something that I’ve been struggling with the past few months, and I wanted to make a change. I wanted to start the habit of journaling, but my mind would keep saying, “it’s useless” or “I don’t have the time for it.” However, I wanted to get started on journaling and reflecting on my days and weeks.
With the excuses I made up, I didn’t even start journaling and I don’t have any record of me journaling ever. I realized that this procrastination (or whatever you want to call it) is something I did not want to continue.
I’ve heard a lot of good reviews about the book and I bought it off Amazon (I will put the E-Book below or if you want to buy the book I will also put the link below.)
After it arrived, I set one day for me to read it and take notes. That day was a game-changer. I learned so many valuable insights about habits and directions on how to stick to them, and I can’t wait to share them with you guys. This book is such an AMAZING book and it gives you clear advice on what steps to take.
So I wanted to share my top 10 takeaways from this book with you guys. So, without further ado, here they are!
1. Systems > Goals
You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.
The first takeaway from Atomic Habits is that systems beat goals. This is because no matter how high of a goal you set, you won’t be able to accomplish it without a functioning system.
When your eyes are on the goal, you begin to miss all the small, little details that push you towards those goals. On the other hand, if you are focused on the small details that come together to create a system, you will build the systems and processes that are essential to achieving these goals.
Just in case, If you find it interesting I have a PDF File right here.
One quote that stuck to me is:
If successful and unsuccessful people share the same goal, then goal can’t be what differentiates the winner from loser!
Many people in the world have similar goals – like becoming financially independent by a certain age. But, not all people can achieve that, despite sharing the same vision. That’s where systems come into play.
The purpose of a goal is to win the game, but the purpose of a system is to continue playing the game!
2. To change habits, change how you identify yourself
No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.
If you want to change your habits, you must also modify your identity. No, not by changing your whole perspective of who you are, but by adjusting a small portion of what you believe.
Here is one example:
Say you are a smoker and someone offers you a cigarette. You say, “No thanks. I’m trying to quit.” As written by James Clear, this sounds like a reasonable response but you still believe that you are a smoker who is trying to be someone else.
Instead, if you say “No thanks. I’m not a smoker.” This small change in the statement makes a shift in your identity and makes you believe that you are not a smoker.
3. Strive to get 1% better each day
Getting 1 percent better every day counts for a lot in the long run.
After reading this book, I immediately made it a goal to get 1% each day. Here’s what convinced me:
If you get 1% better each day, you’ll be nearly 37 times better after one year. On the other hand, if you get 1% worse each day, you’ll be close to 0 after a year.
1% is a very minimal portion, but the impact it has in the long-term is mind-blowing. You won’t be able to notice the difference after a day, a week, or even a month, but you will begin to see significant improvements after several months.
However, the thing with habits is that compounds like money do. So, always be sure to make sure you’re going exponentially up instead of down.
4. Bundle an action you want to do with an action you need to do
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.
In simple terms, bundling an action you want to do with an action you need to do is habit stacking. And, habit stacking is a very effective strategy for building good habits. It goes with this method created by BJ Fogg:
“After I {Current Habit}, I will {New Habit}.”
Some examples that come from the book are:
Exercise: After I come home from school, I will immediately change into my workout clothes.
Meditate: After I eat breakfast, I will meditate for one minute.
Gratitude: After I eat dinner I will say one thing I’m grateful for that happened today.
These are just examples of habits you can mix into your already determining routine. It is up to what habits you want to add and when you want to do it!
5. Consistency beats perfection
If you want to master a habit, the key is to start with repetition, not perfection. You don’t need to map out every feature of a new habit. You just need to practice it. This is the first takeaway of the 3rd Law: you just need to get your reps in.
The reason why consistency beats perfection is that perfection is simply not possible.
Life will inevitably interrupt you at some point, and whenever that happens to you, just go by the rule pointed out in the last takeaway: never miss twice.
I like to use exercising as an example. There will be days when you’ll have a bad workout. But, you will never regret doing that “bad” workout.
6. Start small
All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision.
A way to build your habits and also your productivity is to start small. I use this in my everyday life and it is a game-changer.
For example, if I have to write a whole blog post, I’ll tell myself to just start writing one sentence of an introduction. After I write one sentence, I’ll have the momentum I need to keep going and finish the introduction.
7. Change your environment to build good habits
You can imagine how important it is to live and work in environments that are filled with productive cues and devoid of unproductive ones.
In the section where James Clear talked about the environment, the title of the chapter was “Motivation is Overrated: Environment Often Matters More.”
When you have visual cues right in front of you, you are making it easier for you to make a better decision.
For example, if you want to drink more water, you can fill up a few water bottles and place them around your house.
8. Get an accountability partner
Knowing that someone else is watching you can be a powerful motivator.
If you want to start building a new habit/routine, do it with a friend, family member, or anyone else you want. This will help you stay consistent and go after your goal. If you care about what others think about you, you wouldn’t want someone to have a lesser opinion about you.
Along with this, it’s also fun to do things with other people. It not only motivates you but helps you enjoy the ride as well!
9. Reduce friction for good habits and increase friction for bad habits
Much of the battle of building better habits comes down to finding ways to reduce the friction associated with our good habits and increase the friction associated with our bad ones.
A great strategy to make good habits inevitable is to create a commitment device and automate your habits. This is reducing friction for good habits so that you are more likely to do it.
For example, if you come home from school and want to work out, you may end up not working out because you first have to change into your workout clothes, grab your shoes, and do whatever else you want to do. However, if before going to school, you put your clothes on your bed and shoes right beside the door, you’ll already have it laid out for you. This way, you can get right to it instead of thinking that you have to do extra steps.
10. Never miss a habit twice in a row
Never miss twice.
This is something that Jacob has also implemented in his productivity system, so be sure to read his blogs.
If you’re trying to build a habit and stay consistent but miss one day, it’s okay. All you have to do is get back into it the next day. If you miss one workout, just be sure to do it the next day. If you miss one alarm, don’t snooze it the next day.
“Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit.”
Skipping one time won’t ruin the habit, but continuing to miss it will.
The 4 steps to creating good habits and removing bad habits:
The Final Takeaway
As a recap, here are my 10 takeaways from James Clear’s Atomic Habits:
Systems > Goals
To change habits, change how you identify yourself
Strive to get 1% better each day
Bundle an action you want to do with an action you need to do
Consistency beats perfection
Start small
Change your environment to build good habits
Get an accountability partner
Reduce friction for good habits and increase friction for bad habits
Never miss a habit twice in a row
These are just 10 of the wonderful pieces of advice James Clear gives in this mind-blowing book.
No matter where you are in your success journey, Atomic Habits is a must-read. The guidance given in this book is sure to transform your life for the better, and I can’t wait to see that happen with me.
To buy the book, “Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones” from Amazon (which I highly recommend you do), click here. (Or just use the Ebook I have given below)
To check out the author, James Clear’s website, and read his articles, click this link! In his website and articles, James Clear expands on some of the tips he wrote and even gives examples of his own for his readers to better understand them. So, be sure to check it out whenever you have time.
After reading this book, I felt super motivated to start adopting new habits and improving my lifestyle. Now, it’s time for me to use Clear’s advice in my own life and see how far it takes me!
I hope that this blog inspired you to read Atomic Habits for yourself and learn how to not only adopt and follow through on your habits but improve your lifestyle and take you closer to success!
Thanks for reading and if you have any questions or comments about the book, feel free to type them below in the comments!
Oh wow, I kept skipping stuff and snooozing alarms not knowing it was leading off 2 a new habit and honestly? I feel like I've seriously been failing in life by waking up 5 minutes before my bus