Atomic Habits - Summary and Notes

13 June 2020 - 9 mins read time
Tags: book atomichabits booksummary booknotes self-improvement

Introduction

I read a lot of self-help books. In order to make the most of them and possibly apply some of their recommendations/guidance, you have to take some notes for future reference. Starting from this book, I will do that in public in case these notes prove useful for someone else as well.

Book Notes-Summary

• Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. Getting 1% better every day counts for a lot in the long run.

• Small changes often appear to make no difference until you cross a critical threshold. The most powerful outcomes of any compound process are delayed. You need to be patient.

• An atomic habit is part of a larger system. Just as atoms are the building blocks of molecules, Atomic habits are the building blocks of remarkable results.

• If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead.

• You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.

How your habits shape your identity

• There are three levels of change: outcome change, process change and identity change.

• The most effective way to change your habits is not to focus on what you want to achieve, but on who you wish to become.

• All your actions should be reflecting the type of person you wish to become. Becoming the best version of yourself requires you to continuously edit your beliefs, and to upgrade and expand your identity.

Definition of a Habit

A habit is a behavior that has been repeated enough times to become automatic. It can be broken down into a feedback loop that involves four steps, cue, craving, response and reward.

In order to build better habits, we can use a set of four rules:

1. Make it obvious (Cue)
2. Make it attractive (Craving)
3. Make it easy (Response)
4. Make it satisfying (Reward)

1st Law - Make it obvious

Habit awareness

• Once our habits become automatic, we are not paying attention to what we are doing.

• The process of behavior change always starts with awareness. You need to be aware of your habits before you can change them.

The Habit Scorecard

Create a list of your current habits. Think for each habit individually if it is a good, neutral or bad one.

The best way to start a new habit

The most common cues for a habit are time and location; therefore you can use the implementation intention strategy.

Use specific time and location regarding your action: I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION].

Habit Stacking

Link a new habit with a current one: After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].

Adjusting your environment

• When wanting to start a new habit, you can also enrich your environment with certain cues that can trigger that habit. Let’s say you want to drink more water in the morning for example. You can put a bottle of water next to your bed before going to bed.

• It is easier to build new habits in a new environment because you are not fighting against old cues.

• One of the most practical ways to eliminate a bad habit is to reduce exposure to the cue that causes it.

• Self-control is a short-term strategy, not a long-term one and it is much easier to avoid temptation than to resist to it.

2nd Law - Make it attractive

Temptation Bundling

Link an action you want to do with an action you need to do.

For example, only watch your favorite show while ironing or doing household chores.

• Υou are more likely to find a behavior attractive if you get to do one of your favorite things at the same time.

The role of the people that surround you

• We tend to adopt habits that are praised and approved of by our culture because we have a strong desire to fit in and belong to the tribe.

• One of the most effective things you can do to build better habits is to join a culture where (1) your desired behavior is the normal behavior and (2) you already have something in common with.

• Surround yourself with people who have the habit you want to have yourself. You’ll rise together.

3rd Law - Make it easy

Walk Slowly, but Never Backward

• Habit formation is the process by which a behavior becomes progressively more automatic through repetition.

• The most effective form of learning is practice, not planning.

• Τhe number of times you have performed the habit is more important that the amount of time you have been performing it.

The Law of Least Effort

• Human behavior follows the Law of Least Effort as we will naturally gravitate toward the option that requires the least amount of work.

• Create an environment where doing the right thing is as easy as possible.

Reduce the friction associated with good behaviors. When friction is low, habits are easy.

Increase the friction associated with bad behaviors. When friction is high, habits are difficult.

How to Stop Procrastinating - Τhe Two-Minute Rule

• Habits can be completed in a few seconds but continue to impact your behavior for minutes or hours afterward.

• The more you ritualize the beginning of a process, the more likely it becomes that you can slip into the state of deep focus that is required to do great things. Standardize before you optimize. You can’t improve a habit that doesn’t exist.

• The point is to master the habit of showing up.

The two minute Rule

When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.

How to Make Good Habits Inevitable and Bad Habits Impossible

• A commitment device is a choice you make in the present that locks in better behavior in the future.

• The ultimate way to lock in future behavior is to automate your habits.

• Onetime choices—like buying a better mattress or enrolling in an automatic savings plan—are single actions that automate your future habits and deliver increasing returns over time.

• Using technology to automate your habits is the most reliable and effective way to guarantee the right behavior.

4th Law - Make it satisfying

Cardinal Rule of Behavior Change

• We are more likely to repeat a behavior when the experience is satisfying. The human brain evolved to prioritize immediate rewards over delayed rewards.

• As stated in the Cardinal Rule of Behavior Change: What is immediately rewarded is repeated. What is immediately punished is avoided.

• To get a habit to stick you need to feel immediately successful— even if it’s in a small way.

Sticking with Good Habits Every Day

• One of the most satisfying feelings is the feeling of making progress.

• A habit tracker is a simple way to measure whether you did a habit—like marking an X on a calendar. Habit trackers and other visual forms of measurement can make your habits satisfying by providing clear evidence of your progress.

• Never miss twice. If you miss one day, try to get back on track as quickly as possible.

The Truth About Talent

• Genes do not determine your destiny. They determine your areas of opportunity.

• The areas where you are genetically predisposed to success are the areas where habits are more likely to be satisfying.

• The secret to maximizing your odds of success is to choose the right field of competition.

• You don’t have to build the habits everyone tells you to build. Choose the habit that best suits you, not the one that is most popular.

• When trying to find an activity that suits you, you can start by asking youself the following questions:

  • What feels like fun to me, but work to others?

  • What makes me lose track of time?

  • Where do I get greater returns than the average person?

  • What comes naturally to me?

• Habits are easier when they align with your natural abilities.

• Play a game that favors your strengths. If you can’t find a game that favors you, create one by combining two or more of your strengths.

• Genes do not eliminate the need for hard work. They clarify it. They tell us what to work hard on.

The Goldilocks Rule: How to Stay Motivated in Life and Work

• The Goldilocks Rule states that humans experience peak motivation when working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities.

• The greatest threat to success is not failure but boredom. As habits become routine, they become less interesting and less satisfying. We get bored.

• If you are already interested in a habit, working on challenges of just manageable difficulty is a good way to keep things interesting.

• Anyone can work hard when they feel motivated. It’s the ability to keep going when work isn’t exciting that makes the difference.

• The only way to become excellent is to be endlessly fascinated by doing the same thing over and over. You have to fall in love with boredom.

• Professionals stick to the schedule; amateurs let life get in the way.

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