4 Simple Steps To Break Bad Habits & Build Better Ones
Welcome to #AJsBookClub, where we review on a recently read “success focused” book outlining some of the key topics and any of our major takeaways. If you enjoy these types of books make sure to join the facebook group where we talk about these and other books!
INTRO
Ironically, I’m writing this at a time when most good habits get broken and bad ones are started, the holiday season! Today is Thanksgiving and the holiday season is in full effect! While it is the most wonderful time of year, it’s also the time when the food and festivities wreak havoc on our normal routines
Diets are destroyed.
Work out schedules are wrecked.
Daily routines are obliterated.
How do we stop all this from happening? How do we stay on track and accountable with our goals?
It’s not easy at the beginning, but building habits the RIGHT WAY can help.
James Clear’s Best Selling book “Atomic Habits: An Easy And Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones” sets out actionable steps to do exactly as the title says. Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones. Clear lays out simple steps to change our views on habit building and how we can incrementally improve our own lives.
What is an Atomic Habit?
The concept of the book is that the best and longest lasting habits have to start at the smallest level. The atomic level. We often try to convince ourselves that we need to dive in to something new head on.
How many of you have tried any of the following?
New gym routine! Going to the gym 6 days a week, 2 hours a day!
New diet! All natural vegan diet, less than 1400 calories a day!
New morning routine! Getting up every day 2 hours earlier, fresh breakfast, yoga, and a smoothie!
These all are great things, but they don’t happen over night.
Overnight success is rarely overnight. Usually it’s years of hard work to be consistent with little wins along the way and then an explosion of fame or notoriety happens. To the rest of the world it may see like it happened in an instant, but they don’t have the insight to the lower level of how hard you work to get to that “overnight” success
Where Do You Start?
Change all starts from within
I know, it sounds cheesy, but it’s an important thing to understand. Change happens with the way we view ourselves and how we approach what we want
Clear identifies the Three Layers of Behavior Change and the order which we need to approach them in
Identity
Process
Outcome
Most people approach habits by saying “I want to lose 20 pounds”. “My plan is to go to the gym every day for 2 hours a day”. This approach goes after the outcome first and then the process. However, this is backwards. There is a lot more to losing weight than just going to the gym. Eating healthy, making healthy choices, cutting back on things that hurt your health like drinking and smoking. Focusing on the outcome and a bad process will never get you there.
Real change comes from evaluating and changing the way we view yourself first. In this example, imagine starting with the affirmation of “I am a someone who makes healthy choices”. This now builds direction in your life. When you look at what you want to eat for lunch, repeat those words to yourself. You’ll find yourself making small (but improtant) changes. Ones that put you on a better path.
As you improve the view of who you are, the process reveals itself. “If I’m a person who makes healthy choices I should start going to the gym”. Doesn’t have to be a big change, but it needs to be a step in the right direction. These small (Atomic) changes reveal the process of being a healthy person and you’ll naturally see the outcomes you wanted.
A change in identity guides the process and the outcomes naturally follow
Start Small, Start Simple, Compound Over Time
One of the key takeaways from the book is the importance of starting small. Clear encourages readers to begin by making small, achievable changes and gradually building up from there. This is a crucial point, as it can be overwhelming to try and make too many changes at once. By starting small, we can build momentum and confidence, making it easier to stick to our new habits.
We can further improve our habits by compounding habits on top of each other. We know that to lose weight it’s diet & exercise are both important. We can build them together. Instead of just saying “I’m going to the gym today” and “I will have a healthy meal today”, make them work together. “When I go to the gym I will immediately follow my work out with a healthy meal or protein shake”. This allows you to combine necessary steps for growth and make them become routine MUCH faster.
4 Simple Steps To Break Bad Habits & Build Better Ones
The rules laid out in the rest of the book help to make the process easier. The process of creating good habits & breaking bad ones are simple inverses of each other. By learning the science and psychology behind why we make our choices, we can leverage our natural tendencies to make overall improvements in our lives by changing our habits. Clear lays out these laws and the steps to take in order to implement these in your own life.
Creating a New Habit
Make it Obvious
Make it Attractive
Make it Easy
Make it Satisfying
Breaking a Bad Habit
Make it Invisible
Make it Unattractive
Make it Difficult
Make it Unsatisfying
Summary
Overall, "Atomic Habits" is a comprehensive and actionable guide to creating lasting change through the power of habits. Clear's writing is engaging and easy to follow, and the book is filled with practical tips and strategies for building good habits and breaking bad ones. If you're looking to make meaningful improvements in your life, I highly recommend giving "Atomic Habits" a read.