Hello readers!
Heading to a long weekend, or are you just too exhausted to get out of your bed? We’ve got you covered. We made your weekend plans for you- and it includes books. Read it right folks!
Just like a binge-watch session of a new Netflix series, snuggling up with a cup of your beverage of choice, that usually goes from coffee to water to wine to tea as the hours go on, a blanket and an A/C blasted on high – and a book you can absolutely devour.
There is something special about a day long affair during which you read a really great book and basically nothing else.
While you stay cozy at home, we’ve compiled a selection of stellar new page-turners. This week’s book recommendation is – “The Atomic Habits – by James Clear,” a book with a simple yet very powerful format perfect for readers of all age groups.
You may have seen this book everywhere, but trust me, it is not overrated. James Clear put out what seems like the perfect guide to habit formation in this book.
Introduction
Atomic Habits is a book by James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation. He is a writer and a speaker focused on habits, decision-making, and continuous improvements. His work appeared in Entrepreneur magazine, Time magazine, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and CBS.
In this book, he draws on the most proven ideas from neuroscience, psychology, and biology to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible.
Habits are our automatic behavior. They are what we do when we are not paying attention (most of the time), the activities that repeat based on what we usually do. The problem is that our brains prefer to do activities that require less energy and effort. So, we end up doing that. We end up being the version of ourselves that requires less energy and effort.
This book will teach you how to hack that system, using the compound effect of the small and easy decisions of day-to-day life. It explains everything about habits – structure, evolutionary purpose, science, motivation, implementation.
What You Will Learn
- Why you should focus on systems instead of goals when looking for progress.
- The structure of those systems.
- How habits work within the brain.
- The four steps that make Behavior Change easier.
- How to start new habits and get rid of old habits.
- How to set an environment to trigger the right cues to develop the right habits.
- How to find the underlying causes of your behavior and how to correct it.
- How to stop procrastinating.
- How to stay motivated.
- And much, much more
Quick Summary
In Atomic Habits, James Clear argues that the significant changes come with creating small habits rather than taking jumbo steps, i.e., big goals shouldn’t be your main focus in life. The process is what matters. Good habits take time to stick in, and repetitive actions help them build faster. For instance, suppose you want to stay fit. Your best bet is eating slightly better, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep.
This theme runs throughout the Atomic Habits; instead of setting long-term unassured goals, set short-term agendas with a full-proof strategy that will help you reach your goals. Some habits are tiny, like an atom. As these atomic habits accumulate, they can make a significant impact on your life.
The Fundamentals
What Are Habits? Why Is It Hard To Build Good Habits?
Habits are something we do in our everyday life, frequently. Automatic behavior, with little or no thought, can be termed as habits. Our smallest action can have a considerable effect if repeated daily. Not all habits are good, some are bad, but one must agree that good habits keep one on the right trajectory, even if the results aren’t visible immediately.
Habits are built through conditioning and minor improvements, and compound interest. As adults, we tend to repeat satisfying behaviors until they become a habit. We can engage with habits like drinking a cup of coffee every morning because we feel euphoric and more productive.
It is easy to underestimate the value of small changes or rather improvements, like going for a morning walk each day, but the results will accumulate since the habit is repeated daily.
Clear explains that 1% of personal improvement each day means you will be 37 times better by the same time next year. That’s how small, everyday improvements become atomic habits that help you reach your goals.
Success comes with little steps, one at a time and not an overnight transformation. We often give up because habits do not provide us an immediate thrill. This desire of where we are and where we want to be, the time lag, shows why it can be hard to build habits.
Forget about Goals, Concentrate on System
Clear provides a few reasons why systems manage goals
- Winners and losers have the same goals. For example, every Olympian wants to win gold. Merely creating this goal does not guarantee success. Otherwise, we would have millions of gold medalists. So, it’s the winner’sstrategy that helps them achieve success and get results.
- Systems can create long-term progress, which goals can’t.
- Goals can give momentary gratification; systems will give a life-long vision.
If you have trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. So, try focusing on the methodology rather than changing your goals. The most effective way to change your habits is to focus on who you wish to become and not what you want to achieve.
The Four Laws of Behavior Change
They are a simple set of rules we can use to build better habits.
- Make it Obvious
- Make it Attractive
- Make it Easy
- Make it Satisfying
Conclusions
One needs to have patience, which will lead them to the right path of their changing habits. Keep a check on your small activities, and don’t rush for things. Not all changes are visible, but they are happening inside of you. When it comes to changing behaviors, we all need to find out what works for us.
Atomic Habits is a completely fun, engaging, and easy-to-read book that not only motivates you but helps you to understand human behavior. It is one of the most realistic self-help books recommended for all.
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