Atomic Habits is the second book I have read in my list of 20 books I want to read this year. I actually finished this book one month ago and moved onto my next book, but forget to write the review.
I bought this book for a few reasons. Firstly it has sold over three million copies and is consistently in top book lists. Secondly it touches on my interest of human behaviour. Thirdly, we all have some habits we would like to work on, but they are habits for a reason and not easy to change.
The premise of this book is to make lots of small changes which are called atomic habits. Like compound interest in a bank account James Clear applies the same theory to habits. Building on a mall changes can have a life changing impact. This resonates with me for the same reason that I set intentions rather than resolutions. Trying to change, or create, a habit is hard and sets you up for failure and disappointment if you have a bad day.
This book talk through how to create a good habit, or break a bad habit using the four stages of habit which are cue, craving, response and reward. The book works through each of these stages providing background information, practical examples and methods and tips for each.
I found, as I read through the book, that I started to think where each applies to me and the areas I need to work on. I did however, find that this book was not always the easiest read given that I read in bed before going to sleep. There is a lot of information and references. Now that I have finished the book I want to go back and read the sections that I am most interested in and work through how I can apply them.
The table at the end of each stage is a cheat sheet that is built up as you finish reading each section and this is very handy as an overview. There are also great resources on James Clear’s website and you can sign up for emails that walk you through the process.
In general I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to start small to Implement habits that can make big changes. As the back of the book says “doing two push ups a day, waking up five minutes earlier, or reading just one more page”
As for me, I need to go back and review sections but I have applied some of the principles to make small changes to my bedtime routine. These will hopefully compound into better sleep and more energy.