ATOMIC HABIT – TINY CHANGE, REMARKABLE RESULT

Focus on Systems, Not Goals- Every one of us has goals to become rich, to be an entrepreneur, to be fit, etc. But what differentiates us from successful people is the steps that are taken to achieve the goal. So, the problem here is the system, not the goal itself. So, instead of focusing on our goal, we need to devise a plan to reach the goal.

2. Outcome, Process, and Identity- Three Layers of Behavior Change.

Layer 1 — Outcome

This layer is concerned with changing the result like writing a book, losing weight, etc.

Layer 2 — Process

This layer is concerned with changing the plans and systems that help to achieve the goal like writing 2 pages per day to complete a book, a workout plan to lose weight, etc.

Layer 3 — Identity

This layer is concerned with changing our beliefs like who I am, and who I want to be. It is a kind of self-realization.

I personally like one of the examples that were mentioned in the book which makes the Identity layer very clear.

Imagine two people resisting a cigarette. When offered a smoke, the first person says,?“No thanks. I’m trying to quit.”?It sounds like a reasonable response, but this person still believes they are a smoker who is trying to be something else.

The second person declines by saying,?“No thanks. I’m not a smoker.”?They no longer identify as someone who smokes.

3. Implementation Intention- According to James Clear, what we all have in mind is?“What to do”,?which is not enough to form a habit or achieve a goal. We also should have?“When to do”?and?“Where to do”?in our minds. He calls it an Implementation intention. Example

1. I will?work out?at?6.00 am?in the?gym.

2. I will?write an article?at?10.00 pm?on?my desk.

4. Habit Stacking- James Clear explains about Diderot Effect before going into Habit Stacking. He suggests that we can use the Diderot Effect to our advantage in building habits. He tells us to identify our current habits and then stack our new habits on top of it. He also gives us another formula for Habit Stacking. Example

1. After?I take a bath, I will?read a book for 30 minutes.

2. After?I wake up at 6.00 am, I will?drink 2 litres of water.

5. Temptation Bundling- Often we don’t follow a habit for too long. Good habits are always boring at first. James Clear tells us that we can make our good habits attractive by following the strategy called Temptation Bundling. He also gives us a formula for temptation bundling. Examples

1. After?I read a book for 30 minutes, I will?watch my favourite TV series.

2. After?I solve 3 programming problems, I will?play Clash of Clans.

6. Close, Many, and Powerful- This is one of my favourite concepts from the book. I also had a similar thought process during my college. James Clear tells that we always imitate the habits of three groups:?The close,?the many,?and?the powerful.

We copy the habits that the people around us follow — friends and family.

We copy the habits that many people in the group follow — teammates.

We copy the habits that powerful people follow — celebrities, leaders, etc.

7. The Law of Least Effort- We always pick up habits that are easy to follow. Watching Netflix — just playing the video, Eating junk food — Ordering from home via Swingy, etc. So, James Clear tells us that we have to make our good habits as easy as possible. Example

1. If your goal is to work out daily, join a gym that is a few blocks away from your home.

2. If your goal is to read books, place the book open on the desk which you often use.

8. The Two-Minute Rule- We all have big goals. Big goals cannot be achieved in days. Big goals take time. We are astonished by our big goals and we lose self-motivation and quit our process to reach the goal. James Clear gives us The Two-Minute Rule to follow a habit continuously. The idea looks silly. But?once we started doing it, it is easier to continue doing it. Example-

1. Read for 2 minutes a day.

2. Work out for 2 minutes a day.

9. The Goldilocks Rule- We plan to form a habit or reach a goal. But how to be motivated throughout the course of achieving our goal. Here comes the Goldilocks Rule. James Clears tells us that we all love challenges that are within our manageable difficulty. We can see this in our daily life. We stop playing video games when the levels are too easy to clear or too difficult to clear. We continue playing a game that is not too easy and not too hard. We are comfortable in our?optimal zone. We have to keep the habits in our optimal zone. Not too hard. Not too easy.

10. The Four Steps to Start Good Habits and Break Bad Habits-

James Clear gives us the 4 Mantras to start a good habit and break a bad habit.

How to Create a Good Habit

1. Make it?obvious.

2. Make it?attractive.

3. Make it?easy.

4. Make it?satisfying.

How to Break a Bad Habit

1. Make it?invisible.

2. Make it?unattractive.

3. Make it?difficult.

4. Make it?unsatisfying.