I finished reading the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. It is eye-opening and straight to the point. I like the organization of the content and how each chapter has been developed. James set four stages to serve you as a guide in your journey of developing new habits (or breaking bad ones.) Those stages are:
- Make it obvious.
- Make it attractive.
- Make it easy.
- Make it satisfying.
James Clear’s approach to habit formation is so straightforward that you can easily guess what each stage means. This simplicity empowers you to form new habits and stick to them, making his book a must-read for anyone looking to make positive changes in their life.
The first mistake is never the one that ruins you. It is the spiral of repeated mistakes that follows. Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit.
James Clear
ATOMIC HABITS
We, as individuals, are the only ones responsible for setting ourselves up for success. Having a clear vision of your main goal is an essential step. Now, achieving your goal requires an additional plan to tackle smaller milestones. Otherwise, it can be overwhelming. For example, imagine your main goal is to finish a half marathon in under one hour and thirty minutes. Then, you will need a training plan that will evolve based on the smaller milestones leading you to achieve your main goal.
One of the critical points James suggests is to design our environment to help us reach our objectives, whether building good habits or breaking bad ones. This concept, known as ‘environment design ‘, involves arranging your physical and digital spaces to make desired behaviors easier and undesired behaviors more difficult. In our running example, that can be as simple as having your running shoes visible in your home, so it will remind you about going out to train for your half marathon, or having your training plan printed on your door.
Some people spend their entire lives waiting for the time to be right to make an improvement.
James Clear
ATOMIC HABITS
James Clear’s insights on how to design your environment to achieve your goals provide a clear roadmap for success. By following his advice, you can gain a sense of progress, track your journey, and most importantly, take action. So, start small, build up, and get ready to see the positive changes in your life!