Atomic Habits

Introduction

A habit is a routine or behaviour that is performed regularly, and in many cases, automatically.

• Habits, as James Clear writes in Atomic Habits, are the building blocks that shape us. They can either build us up or tear us down.

The Power of 1%

While a marginal improvement of 1% by itself may not seem significant, day after day, these seemingly small and unimportant changes can compound into remarkable results.

• Similarly, when we repeatedly make poor decision, these seemingly insignificant choices can compound into negative consequences.
• Therefore, regardless of your current success level, what truly maters is whether your daily habits are propelling you towards success or dragging you down.
  

In the early and middle stages of progress or decline, there may appear to be little difference.

• The effort you put in might seem futile and you fall into valley of disappointment.
• However, the truth is that significant change often follows a period of seemingly stagnant growth. Your hidden efforts will eventually lead to a breakthrough, a moment where the accumulated progress becomes undeniably evident.
• This is similar to bamboo, which grows extensive underground roots for the first five years before experiencing a rapid growth spurt of ninety feet in just six weeks.

The Power of Habits Over Goals

While setting specific, actionable goals is crucial for providing direction, it is important to recognize their limitations.

• Interestingly, both successful and unsuccessful people often share the same goal. They both aim for the top, not mediocrity. Hence, goal setting is not the deciding factor of success.
• The problem with goals, particularly for some tasks, is that they can be temporary wins. Cleaning your room, for example, achieves a goal, but without a system in place (a habit), the room will likely become messy again.
• Furthermore, achieving a goal can leave you feeling unmotivated. Once you have reached that milestone, what is left to propel you forward?

Habits are the routines and behaviours we consistently repeat, shaping our daily lives.

• Unlike goals, which are temporary targets, habits create lasting positive change.
• By focusing on building habits that align with your goals, you will find a more sustainable path towards success.

The Power of Identity

There are 3 primary layers of behaviour change

• Change in outcome (results): This focuses on achieving specific goals, like losing weight, publishing a book, or winning a competition.
• Change in process: This involves implementing routines and systems, such as a gym routine, workspace decluttering, or meditation practice.
• Change in identity: This is the deepest layer, where you shift your self-perception (who you are and what you believe about yourself).

The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation comes from integrating a habit into your identity.

• You might initially start a healthy habit like eating well or exercising due to external factors like motivation or inspiration. But the key to long-term success lies in aligning your habits with your identity. Your self-identity shapes your decision making.
• Hence, seeing yourself as someone who is "healthy" is more sustainable and powerful than simply wanting to be healthy.

While identity change can be a powerful force for self-improvement, it can also be a double-edged sword.

• Negative self-beliefs, like "I am terrible with directions" or "I am bad with technology," can create a subconscious barrier to improvement.
• Hence, to become your best self, you must continuously update and expand your identity beliefs.
  

Every belief about your identity is learned and conditioned through experiences and habits, which act as continuous suggestions to your mind about who you are.

• We do not become new people overnight by a decision.
• Change happens gradually through consistent repetition of desired behaviours - habit by habit, day by day. These micro-actions contribute to a continuous process of self-evaluation and growth.
  

In essence, our identity and habits are in a constant feedback loop.

• Our self-perception shapes the habits we choose, and those habits, in turn, reinforce and reshape who we believe ourselves to be.

The 4-Step Habit Loop: Building Your Routine

Our habits form through a four-stage cycle based on operant conditioning. Understanding these stages empowers you to build positive routines and break unwanted ones.

• Cue
• This is the trigger that initiates a behaviour (e.g. seeing food, water or certain people)
  
• Craving
• This is the motivational drive behind the behaviour. It could be a desire for a reward, a way to avoid discomfort, or simply a feeling of needing to do something.
  
• Remember, cravings differ from person to person.
  
• Response
• This is the actual behaviour your perform.
  
• Whether you respond to a cue depends on your motivation and the ease of performing the behaviour.
• Reward
• This is the consequence of your behaviour, which can be positive or negative.
• Positive rewards strengthen the habit loop, making you more likely to repeat the behaviour in the future. Conversely, behaviours that produce unpleasant consequences tend to be avoided.
  

These stages form a loop. Over time, the repeated loop leads to automation, making the habit effortless and subconscious.

The Four Laws of Behaviour Change

The Four Laws of Behaviour Change build upon the habit loop by providing strategies to address each stage.

Make it obvious (cue)

• Many habits are done subconsciously, including bad ones. To improve, create a list of your daily habits and decide if they align with your long-term goals.
• Often, it is not a lack of motivation, but a lack of clarity that hinders change.
• Implementation with intention: Decide, when, where and how you will perform your desired habits.
• Habit stacking: Pair a current habit (not something occasional) with the cue for your new habits.
• Surround yourself with cues that support your goals.
• Remember, "out of sight, out of mind".
• Fill your workspace with books if you want to become a reader, or keep a water bottle handy to stay hydrated.
• Self-control by willpower is a short term strategy.
• A better approach is to create an environment that is free of negative cues.

Make it attractive (craving)

• Dopamine release is associated with pleasure, and it also occurs when you anticipate something desirable.
• Temptation bundling: Pair a desired activity (like checking social media) with a less attractive but necessary one (reading or exercise for 10 minutes) to create a craving for the bundled activity.
• Human are social creatures, and we are influenced by those around us, especially the close one, the many and the powerful one.
• Social Influence: Surround yourself with people who exhibit the behaviours you want to cultivate. Subconsciously, we adopt the culture of those close to us.
• Reframing habits
• Stop associating bad habits with something you desire (e.g. smoking is not necessary to be social)
• Highlight the positive outcomes of good habits (e.g. Instead of "saving money is about sacrifice," view it as "saving for future freedom.").

Make it easy (response)

• Focus on action
• While planning is important, taking the first step is crucial.
• Planning only brings false sense of progress.
• Human behaviour follows the law of least effort, so make the right thing easy to do.
• Identify and eliminate obstacles that make it difficult to perform the desired behaviour.
• Habit simplification: Break down large habits into smaller, more manageable steps.
• Two-Minute Rule: When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do. For example, "Read before bed each night" becomes "Read one page".
• Once you have started doing the right thing, it is much easier to continue doing it. A new habit should not feel like a challenge.

Make it satisfying (response)

• Cardinal Rule of Behaviour: What is immediately rewarded is repeated, and what is immediately punished is avoided.
• The brain prioritizes immediate rewards over delayed rewards. This is why, although smoking, unsafe sex and overeating are harmful in the long run, the brain prioritizes the instant gratification they provide.
• Therefore, in the beginning, pair good habits with a small immediate reward to reinforce the positive feedback, while delayed reward accumulate in the background.
• Habit tracking
• Habit tracking creates a visual cue that can remind you to act. It is inherently motivating because you see the progress you are making and do not want to lose it.
• However, we should not solely driven by the number, but remember the purpose behind it.
• Habit Contract
• We repeat bad habits because they serve some purpose for us, making them difficult to abandon.
• A habit contract is a written agreement where you define your commitment to a habit and the consequences for not following through.
• Having accountability partners can be a powerful motivator.

NOTE: The Four Laws can also be inverted to break bad habits!

The Goldilocks Rule

The Goldilocks Rule applies to habits as well

• Humans experience peak motivation when working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities - not too hard, not too easy, but just right.

When you are starting a new habit, it's important to keep the behavior as easy as possible to establish the routine.

• However, once a habit has been established, it is important to continue to advance in challenges (difficulty levels) or exploring new variations to keep you engaged.

In summary, you need to regularly search for challenges that push you to your edge while continuing to make enough progress to stay motivated.

Never Miss Twice

No matter how consistent you are with your habits, unexpected events can disrupt our routines, making it easy to fall into an all-or-nothing mentality with our habits.

• We tell ourselves, "If I cannot do it perfectly, then I should not do it at all." This is a dangerous trap!

The truth is, perfection is not possible. Here is a simple rule to remember: never miss twice.

• The first mistake is never the one that ruins you. It is the spiral of repeated mistakes that follows.
• Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit - a bad one.

Remember, consistency is key. By focusing on getting back on track after a slip-up, you can ensure that your positive habits become a permanent part of your life.

Go Beyond Efficiency for True Mastery

Habits are powerful tools for efficiency.

• At first, each repetition develops fluency, speed and skill.
  
• Also, they allow us to perform tasks without conscious thought, freeing up our mental space for more complex endeavors.

However, as habits become automatic, we become less sensitive to feedback.

• We fall into a mindless routine, letting mistakes slide and assuming improvement with experience.
• In reality, we might simply be reinforcing current habits without refining them.

To reach our full potential and achieve mastery, we need deliberate practice of constant refinement.

• Establish a system for reflection and review to assess your progress, identify areas for improvement, and make course corrections.

Summary

If this article has not ignited a spark for change within you, consider diving deeper with the physical book, Atomic Habits by James Clear.

• It offers a comprehensive exploration of habit formation that can empower you to take action.