Atomic Habits

“You do not rise to the level of your goals you fall to the level of your systems” James Clear, in his book Atomic Habits, explains the power of habits and how to build good habits and break bad habits. Everyone probably understands the concept of a habit. What James does in his book, is explain the compound impact of habits. Micro habits help you achieve your goals. An example of a good hydration habit I’ve adopted is I keep an insulated bottle of chilled water, and a stylish glass on my table desk. I’ve established an environment where it… show more.

When I was getting my side hustle off the ground, I found myself running into a lot of my bad habits. For example, procrastination was a huge problem area for me. As such, nipping these bad habits in the bud is essential for success with your hustle. Atomic Habits shows you how to not only rid yourself of bad habits, but replace these with better ones. Above all else, this book demonstrates how the small things we do each day can compound to have massive results.

I stumbled on this book (long after it was already a best seller) when James’s sister was one of my students and she mentioned it by way of introduction. As a marketer, I believe that habits explain behaviors and that the main job of marketers is helping customers discard old habits and developing new ones. Watching how COVID-19 disrupted so many of our habits and forced many of us to adopt new ones, has made me wonder how marketers can become more adept at incorporating habit formation into their marketing strategies.  

Do you make financial goals for your real estate business? Maybe it’s a certain number of houses you want to flip a year? Or perhaps you have a passive income figure you want to reach? In James Clear’s book he writes that having goals are great, but what you should really be focused on are systems. He says that “goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress.” In the book he provides steps for breaking bad habits, creating new ones, and systematizing your business.

I have read hundreds of books in the personal development space over the past 25 years… and I easily put Atomic Habits in my Top 5 of all time. In fact, I’ve read it twice! It is equal parts fascinating and practical… which makes it an incredibly helpful resource. It blends quality research with entertaining stories. Bottom line is this – if you want to improve your life, you need to improve your habits. 

Diets and lifestyles impact our wellness, but many diseases are because of habit-forming or addiction. As a physician, I deal with the aftereffects of bad choices every day. When one is trying to build healthy habits to reduce disease, Atomic Habits offers actionable items that anyone can perform to help kick bad habits and make good ones. James Clear helps us understand and break through the mental, physical, and environmental constraints that limit us.

Clear provides a very clear roadmap and explanation to why some habits seem to stick and others can’t even get started. I’ve used his suggestions in my own teaching and work with teachers. I think it is best captured in three simple ideas: keep them simple, small, and consistent. At the end of the day, a great book to just remind you of what is of value and what is no longer serving you.

We all grapple with “not enough time” or “not enough energy” to accomplish all that we want to get done in our day. James Clear’s Atomic Habits challenges us to reflect on how we approach our goals. Instead of simply setting a goal and making a plan, Clear encourages us to consider how our current habits contribute to or derail our success. Many of these concepts were incredibly influential in my own personal project to improve my health, relationships, and business. I often referenced this book when writing my own. 

A message that emerges from modern personality psychology is that, at a fundamental level, our personalities are formed from our ingrained habits of thought and behaviour. The implication is that by forging new habits – that is, ways of acting that are effortless and automatic – we can begin to change ourselves deep down. Clear's book provides perhaps the best available advice on how exactly to establish new habits and give up unhelpful ones. The title derives from the author's theory that little changes snowball, so he makes it easy to start and he motivates you to keep going. One… show more.

If Buddhist Boot Camp answers the question why it’s beneficial to live a mindful life, then Atomic Habits more specifically tells us how to start. This book offers practical, applicable, and easy ways to implement changes in our lives in order to get the most out of every moment with one small change at a time.