The opening statement on the back cover of this months’ personal development book is a grand statement. “A revolutionary system to get 1 per cent better each day” certainly is a claim, but you know what, I think this just might work! James Clear is a world-renowned habit expert; a life-changing accident as a teenager led to him making a conscious decision to rebuild his life, both physically and his mindset. Since then, he has developed techniques and a focus, which we find explained in the book. As a Coach, you would assume that “Atomic Habits”* would have been at the very top of my reading pile. I can only apologise for not getting to this great book sooner!
“Atomic Habits: An easy and proven way to build good habit and break bad ones”* was first published in 2018, and since then has sold over 1 million copies. It’s no surprise, it’s easy to read with accessible examples, and a widespread inclusion of references, studies and real-life examples to demonstrate the ways you can make habits work for you. By reading, it is claimed, we can learn to “stay productive, motivated and happy.” Over the 265 pages, there are details of why, when, and how; there are even links to additional chapters, at the end of the book to how this can be applied to business and parenting.
It blows apart the moral associations to behaviours, removing “bad and good” habits. Furthermore, it provides an insight into how we can work with our innate preferences to utilise the relationships, places and technology that already exist to create compound improvements!
What is an atomic habit?
As quoted within the book, “Habits are, simply, reliable solutions to recurring problems in our environment.” Habits become atomic when small, steady and consistent behaviours add up to a significant and sustainable change.
The book breaks down The Four Laws of Behaviour Change, that Clear claims once followed, will enable you to create the change in your life you want to be!
The four laws are:
- Cue: Make it obvious.
- Craving: Make it attractive.
- Response: Make it easy.
- Reward: Make it satisfying.
Clear also flips the script of the four laws, when you are attempting to break a habit:
- Cue: Make it invisible.
- Craving: Make it unattractive.
- Response: Make it difficult.
- Reward: Make it unsatisfying.
In true balance collective book club form, here are the five things that really stood out for me in Atomic Habits.
1.Don’t work towards goals.
The underlying theme of this book is to be driven by the identity you want to create, not the goal you want to achieve. It’s led by who you want to be rather than what you want to do. That way the change is sustainable! So when you consider the behaviour your want to create or change, link it to who you want to be, and the traits associated with that! It’s really motivational.
2. Review who you are learning from.
We have all heard the phrase “you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”. Atomic Habits shows us the habit-forming power of being surrounded by the people that have the identity you want, and the cultural norms within that group. We can not only see the impact of being surrounded by people who are who you want to be, but also the negative impact of being surrounded by people that exhibit the behaviours you want to extinguish.
3.You need to see your progress.
Accountability is essential when it comes to building habits and making them automatic. Clear talks a lot about habit trackers, where we can visually see our progress. This enables us to make a contract with ourselves and to see the incremental progress that leads to the compounded change encouraged through Atomic Habits.
4. Who you are DOES impact your habits.
“It’s not about becoming legendary, it’s about fulfilling your own potential.” The final parts of the book bring in the power of our genes, and how this influences our personality. It will come as no surprise to learn that our personality then influences our habits; how we are motivated, our levels of attention and our internal drivers. Rather than working against them, work towards them! Trial and error is OK, just make sure you are taking action every day.
5. Managing boredom is important.
The aim of an atomic habit, one that brings value to your life at least, is to make it automatic. This inevitably means at some point, this may become boring! Being able to manage that boredom, whilst paying attention to the person you are or becoming, makes the biggest difference. This helps you stay on track and keep the action going that leads to the improvement. Try and remember to be consistent, and make it as satisfying as you can. Remember Clear’s words that “missing once is an accident, missing twice is the start of a new habit” (pg 201)
Clear makes it clear (no apologies for the pun) that we all have what we need within us, and around us, to create remarkable results. However, what matters is a) the ability to stay true to what you want FOR YOU and b) a level of self-reflection to create a range of habits that suit your life and personality. Clear provides the framework, you provide the content!
Have you read Atomic Habits? Come over to Creating Careers to Enjoy and let us know what you think!
You can read previous book reviews here, and buy the books via the bookshop.
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Clara Wilcox is a straight talking, practical and experienced coach helping clients navigate the tricky waters of returning to work, career changes and professional development. The Balance Collective is a social enterprise focused on improving the lives of parents, by working together to build inner confidence and promote a healthy work/life balance.
