Atomic Habits by James Clear

I don't know many people who are yet to read the book Atomic Habits by James Clear . If you are one of those people, please pause, "add to cart" and return to this article.

I read it in the summer of 2021 and a simple habit I implemented then has had a profound impact on my entire life. That habit was simply moving all my tech devices (and the accompanying chargers) away from my nightstand.

My favourite lines from the book:

• Your habits work for or against you.
• Results have very little to do with goals and everything to do with systems you follow.
• Good habits teach you to trust yourself.
• Your identity emerges out of your habits.
• Motivation is overrated, environment matters more.
• Create an environment where doing the right thing is as easy as possible (remove the friction).
• Make it easy to start, and the rest will follow.
• Track your habits, show yourself the evidence.
• Never miss twice. Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit.
• Choose habits that suit your personality and your skills.
• Keep new habits easy, so you can stick with them, even when conditions aren't perfect.
• Professionals stick to a schedule, amateurs let life get in the way.
• Small habits don't just add up, they compound.

This final sentence leads me to how my tiny habit compounded. When my phone is away from the bed, I read or sleep instead of mindlessly scrolling on social media. My sleep has significantly improved, I wake up rested and make a cup of hot lemon water. I have my coffee alongside the water. I don't snack any more, because I got a good night's sleep (I'd noticed I snacked when I was tired). This means I am no longer having an energy slump at 2pm and I don't need another coffee. Do you see where I'm going with this?

It has been incredible to witness how a tiny habit compounded into a much better quality of life, just by putting my phone away.

I wholeheartedly recommend both this tiny habit and the book to anyone and would love to hear your thoughts and success stories!

Love, Maya

#thelifecurator #atomichabits #booksthatchangelives #mayarooz #jamesclear