Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear is a valuable read for anyone looking to build or establish new habits. If you’re looking to boost self-development and make positive changes in your life, whether it’s becoming a morning person or running a marathon, this book is for you.
Clear draws on theories and strategies from the fields of biology, neuroscience, psychology and more to outline a straightforward process of habit formation that will help break bad habits and form great ones.
The book provides a unique perspective on journeys of habit creation. It argues there is no one defining moment in the journey that will automatically create good habits, but rather a series of small wins and tiny breakthroughs. With these small yet effective changes, people can become one per cent better every day, eventually becoming the best version of themselves.
The #1 New York Times bestselling author highlights the idea that a person’s identity is the starting point for forming great habits. By working on the identity they wish to possess, they are better able to focus on the process/system that will help them produce ideal outcomes.
He believes a person’s behaviours reflect their identity, and that by believing in the identity they wish to have (whether it’s a runner or a musician), people are more likely to act in alignment with that belief and form the appropriate habits.
A big takeaway from this book is that success is the product of smaller, manageable daily habits.
So, ditch the “big picture” and “goal-focused” mindset. You can’t start big and succeed for long. All big things come from small beginnings, and by creating small behaviour/identity changes daily, you will create successful atomic habits.