Atomic Habits By James Clear

Intro:

Before I start this week’s review, I just wanted to check in with you guys and ask how your New Year’s Resolutions are going. Are they still going strong or have they slowly been forgotten. Just think about the promises you made to yourself this year and whether you have kept them not. Is 2024 truly going to be different from previous or is it going to fade in with the rest? If you have not been able to stay true to your resolutions, who cares? It doesn’t mean anything and anyway, it is too late in the year to set goals for myself. I’ll just try again next year…

If you were alive 4000 years ago in Southern Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), I don’t think you would have adopted such a care-free attitude. The Ancient Babylonians used to celebrate the New Year with a 12-day religious festival called ‘Akitu’ in which debts were repaid and promises were made to the Gods. But most importantly, they would set resolutions with religious importance. And failing to keep your resolution would result in you falling out of their God’s favours. But what does this have to do with Atomic Habits you may ask? That is a very simple question to answer because the book is all about how to build good habits and break bad ones. But most importantly, it is about how to stick to habits.

Why Read The Book:

Atomic habits may just be the most impactful book I have ever read because of the simplicity yet effectiveness of his framework. In fact, the title ‘Atomic Habits’ is derived from a concept in the book which states that ‘Real change comes from the compound effect of hundreds of small decisions.’ The book itself is a sort of journal with everything Clear has learned about habit formation and retention. Furthermore, the structure of each paragraph is beautifully thought out with an anecdote at the beginning of each chapter followed by an in-depth analysis of the information Clear wants you to take away from the chapter.

The book itself has a strong start, starting off with an autobiographical description of a life-changing event that Clear experienced. It was when he was hit in the face by a baseball bat in high school. It was an accident but it severely impacted Clear as he suffered massive head trauma and had to relearn very basic motor skills to function again. The worst part about all of this is that he was an athlete and because of this injury he was disadvantaged and wasn’t able to compete in college with other athletes.

But he was still able to bounce back from this and learnt a lot from it. That single experience helped him to become the best version of himself and was the main reason that he is who he is. This is because it made his take on small habits like lifting weights every day and following a sound sleep schedule, which in the long run made his life way better and was the main reason he was received an award for his exemplary student life. It just goes to show you how getting 1% better at something everyday, accounts for a lot in the long run.

Another thing that I absolutely love about the book is the quote. Trust me, this man has put a lot of thought into some of his quotes and he living proof that wisdom is something you have to actively stride to gain. Some of my favourite quotes from the book are:

‘Habits are a double-edged sword; they can work for you or against you, which is why understanding the details is essential.’

‘You do not rise to the level of your goals; you fall to the level of your systems.’ This quote reminds me of two other quotes is particular: ‘A chain is only as strong as its weakest link’ and ‘An army is a good as its leader’.

‘The most powerful outcomes of any compounding process are delayed, so be patient.’

In fact, I could go on and on with from the book but I will come to my last point on the book and that is about identities. This section of the book was what I found the most interesting because of the way Clear presents the 3 levels of change: outcome, process and identity. He says that the most effective way to change your habits it to focus on who you wish to become as a person and if that aligns with your identity. If it doesn’t then you should work towards changing your identity and how you view yourself. ‘You may want more money, but if your identity is someone who consumes rather that creates, then you will be pulled towards spending, not earning.’

Conclusion:

The book contains a lot of information, so I will suggest you give yourself sometime after reading the book to fully understand what James Clear is trying to explain and how you will actively implement his lessons in your daily routine to become 1% better every day. Personally, I will start by fixing my sleep schedule and try and stick to a bedtime and when I wake up. If I am able to keep follow this for a week, I will introduce other habits and routines into my schedule. Techniques like Habit Stacking will be vital tools if I want long term habits. If I am able to introduce 1 habit every week, I will have gained 48 habits by 2025. Realistically, I will go back a few times and my life isn’t that messed up that I require 48 new changes to myself, so I will gain 10 habits and work to build on them or improve within them. E.g. Studying for 2 hours a day on weekends may turn into 5.

I hope you enjoyed that review of Atomic Habits by James Clear. And if you are intrigued by his work, you can always subscribe to his newsletter ‘3-2-1’. Please tell me if you found my newsletter informative and helpful and please recommend any books you want me to review. See you in the next one.