I read a lot of books. I rarely reread books. I’ve already read Atomic Habits twice and have plans on reading it every year until I either tire of or master it. If you’re looking to add good habits or cut bad one from your life I highly suggest you read this book. Here’s why…
Atomic Habits by James Clear: A Book Review
Atomic Habits Summary
“Atomic Habits is a comprehensive, practical guide on how to change your habits and get 1% better every day. Using a framework called the Four Laws of Behavior Change, Atomic Habits teaches readers a simple set of rules for creating good habits and breaking bad ones.”
– James Clear
Atomic Habits Quotes
Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them for years. We all deal with setbacks but in the long run, the quality of our lives often depends on the quality of our habits. (p.7)
If you can get 1 percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done. (p. 15)
You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. (p. 27)
The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity. It’s one thing to say I’m the type of person who wants this. It’s something very different to say I’m the type of person who is this.(p. 33)
Many people think they lack motivation when what they really lack is clarity. (p. 71)
[A] small change in what you see can lead to a big shift in what you do. As a result, you can imagine how important it is to live and work in environments that are filled with productive cues and devoid of unproductive ones. (p. 84)
When scientists analyze people who appear to have tremendous self-control, it turns out those individuals aren’t all that different from those who are struggling. Instead, “disciplined” people are better at structuring their lives in a way that does not require heroic willpower and self-control. In other words, they spend less time in tempting situations. (p. 93)
One of the most effective things you can do to build better habits is to join a culture where your desired behavior is the normal behavior. (p. 117)
Atomic Habits Review
I’m a stay-at-home, homeschooling, blogging mom. I have no boss and no school schedule to work around. I have a ridiculous amount of freedom and flexibility, which is great! It’s also bad because I have this terrible tendency to procrastinate.
I’ve spent the better part of 11 years (the amount of time I’ve been a stay-at-home parent) trying to figure out the time hack that’s going to change my life and make all my hopes and dreams come true. Of all the youtube videos I’ve watched and books I’ve read nothing comes close to the amount of wisdom I’ve found in Atomic Habits.
The first time I read it this was my aha-moment:
I had been struggling to figure out how to read each day AND get a workout in. It just seemed like there weren’t enough hours in the day, and since I’m an all-or-nothing type of person I decided, “If I can’t do them both I’ll just… waste time on social media.” Not a great plan, but there we were.
I read Atomic Habits and he mentioned this concept of habit stacking. Basically, you put some habit you need to do with some other habit that you like to do and voila… 2 birds with one stone. All of a sudden I realized that I could get on the treadmill downstairs and read a book at the same time!
That may not seem like a big deal to you, but for me it was life-altering, no joke. I have since implemented other concepts from the book, which has made me much more effective in my everyday life. Don’t be misled… I still waste way too much time on social media… I’m a work in progress. But I’m also getting way more important things done throughout my days and weeks, and it’s because of this incredible book.
I’ve already read it completely through twice plus once reading just my highlights. I also plan to read it again before the year is out. When I say I highly recommend Atomic Habits, I mean it!
Because there’s a better way,
Sarah
If you’d like to check out this book on Amazon, click here: Atomic Habits
This blog contains amazon affiliate links. We may earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you.
If you choose to purchase through one of our links, thank you for supporting our blog!
