Atomic Habits By James clear – Is it Worth The Hype? A Book Review

Atomic Habits by James Clear has sold over 5 million copies worldwide. It’s been on the New York Times Best Seller list for over 100 weeks. It has a 5-star rating on Amazon and over 65000 reviews. If you want to improve your habits, it’s hard to miss this book.

I am currently in the process of establishing some good habits and getting rid of some bad ones. So, I decided to read Atomic Habits along with other habit books. But is it worth all the hype? In this article, I share some highlights of the book. So, read on to find out if this book is for you.

Atomic Habits is about how to build good habits and break bad ones. It talks about success being a product of daily habits. It stresses how getting 1% improvements counts a lot in the long run. 

The Highlights

According to James Clear, when thinking about habits, we need to think about the type of person we wish to be. Habits help us become the type of person we wish to be. He talks about true behavior change being an identity change. 

It’s one thing to say I’m the type of person who wants this. It’s something very different to say I am the type of person who is this.

James Clear

The book covers four laws of behavior change. 

1. Make It Obvious

The book discusses two strategies that help in building new habits. Implementation Intention and Habit Stacking. 

An implementation intention is where you specify the exact time and date when you will perform a new habit. Habit stacking is where you attach your new habit next to something you already do. 

I have used both of these strategies for habit formation. Implementation intention helps with something that is not a daily habit. For instance, meal planning happens once a week. Specifying the time and date to do it helps you stick with it. 

Habit stacking works great for fitting a new habit with your current habits. For example, I used habit stacking to stack journaling on top of meditation since it is an established habit. E.g., Wake up → Meditate → Journal. 

2. Make It Attractive

For retaining good habits, James Clear talks about making them attractive. It is the expectation of a rewarding experience that keeps us motivated. Highlighting a habit’s benefits rather than drawbacks will help us make it attractive. 

When trying to stick with a habit, the book talks about surrounding yourself with people who have the habits you want for yourself. This way, you’ll rise together. 

I found this to be true while picking up a new habit, whether it is running or meditation. Belonging to a community where everyone seeks to improve in that habit helped me stay motivated. There is a big difference between training for a marathon alone vs. a group. You get a weird kind of joy in discussing similar physical/mental struggles.

3. Make It Easy

The author states that to be able to stick with a habit, it needs to be easy. The less energy it requires, the more likely it has a chance to occur!

We can make habits easier by designing our environment per the book. I have found this especially helpful when dealing with bad habits. 

By creating friction, I was able to control the habit. For instance, not keeping my phone next to me while reading, not buying the things I like where self-control may be hard (Stay away, Potatoes! All forms of you!).

Another strategy that the author discusses is the 2-minute rule. If we can scale something down to be done in 2 minutes, it can help us stick with it. For example, fold clothes for 2 minutes, meditate for 2 minutes, etc. It’s not perfection but progress that counts. 

The point is to master the habit of showing up.

James Clear

4. Make It Satisfying

According to the book, we are more likely to repeat a habit if the experience is satisfying. 

There is one thing the author calls out on consequences that’s worth mentioning. The consequences of bad habits are delayed, while the rewards are immediate.

So while we think of making sure habits are satisfactory, it’s important to note the effect they would have on us in the long run. 

The book offers a habit tracker which you can use to track your habits. Tracking provides you satisfaction, knowing you are making progress. 

The advanced tactics in the book were like the cherry on top. They talk about finding a game where the odds are in your favor and picking habits based on your personality and strengths so you are set up for success. 

Conclusion

The Atomic Habits is one of those books you underline as you read and take notes. It relies on proven research and has practical advice that we can use immediately in our daily lives. In addition, the Real-life examples used in the book made it highly relatable for me. 

If there is something I wanted more information on, it’s on breaking bad habits. I wished for more guidance on it.

Non-fiction books can be tricky to finish if you don’t keep them simple and interesting. James Clear put a lot of thought into positioning the content so it’s easy for his readers to consume. He summarizes each chapter at the end, making it easy to return to. I loved that the book included a habit cheat sheet outlining the central theme (4 Behavior Change Laws). 

I found Atomic Habits very helpful for my habit formation. It inspires you to be a better version of yourself. So yes, it definitely deserves a spot on your bookshelf. 

The secret to getting results that last is to never stop making improvements. 

James Clear

If you enjoyed reading this review, you must check out my review of Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg. If Atomic Habits is a foundational book about identity change, Tiny habits offers a ton of practical advice about habit formation.