Atomic Habits by James Clear promises remarkable results from tiny changes. Who could resist finding out more?
Easy to read, the book is divided into four main sections (or laws). Make it:
- obvious
- attractive
- easy
- satisfying
Clear holds the readers’ interest by starting each chapter with a real-life story of a top performer (Olympians, artists, business leaders, doctors and entertainers) who have used the science of small habits to reach the top of their field. He then follows up with a series of suggestions as to how you can do this yourself.
Some points were made that I really liked
- Forget about goals, focus on systems instead
- Master the habit of showing up (self-affirming if you are conscientious)
- Take action to become the type of person you’d like to be, rather than to reach a goal
- Define yourself more broadly so you have a more flexible identity (for me, ’graphic designer’ would become ‘creative problem solver’).
Whilst I found the book interesting, I didn’t really discover much that I didn’t already know. In fact, I am already employing some of the strategies suggested (for example reframing ways of looking at a situation, having an accountability buddy).
You’ll be able to claim additional benefits such as guides, cheat sheets and habit trackers if you forward your bookstore receipt to 1book@atomichabits.com. There are other bonuses on the book’s website too. These include links to five personality tests (Clear recommends you build habits that work with your personality) and a sign-up to ’30 days to better habits’, a free course. If you’d like to take what you learned from the book further, go to this page on James Clear’s website.
It would be great to think that you could make significant improvements to your life by tiny actions – but it’s compounding these habits that will bring success.
About the author
Annette Peppis leads the team at Peppis Designworks, a creative hub of established publishing industry experts who create books, branding, marketing material and design templates for leading publishers and businesses. Keep in touch by to Annette’s bi-monthly emails.
