7 Takes From Atomic Habits

 

7 Takes From Atomic Habits

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

Disclaimer: Everything I share here are my opinions, thoughts and views.

Hello IsmileWorld, Welcome back to the review of another great read. I first read the atomic habits on March, 2020 and my last read of this book was few days ago. This book has helped me build a whole workshop on habit formation and has personally taught me how to make and break habits.

The author James Clear is a writer and a speaker focused on habits, decision-making and continuous improvement. His thoughts on the book are:

Atomic Habits is the most comprehensive and practical guide on how to create good habits, break bad ones, and get 1 percent better every day. I do not believe you will find a more actionable book on the subject of habits and improvement.

If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system.

Bad habits repeat themselves not because you don’t want to change but because you have the wrong system for change. This is one of the core philosophies of Atomic Habits: You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. In this book, you’ll get a proven plan that can take you to new heights.

Here are my 7 key take-aways from the book:

          1. How Habits shape your identity

To change your identity, you first have to change your outcomes and processes. Your outcomes are the goals you set and processes are the systems and routines you follow. In other words, outcomes are what you get, processes are what you do and identity is what you believe. The most effective way to change your habits is to focus not on what you want to achieve, but on what you wish to become.

I remember when I started my reading journey. I was never interested in which book I read or if I finished it. My main goal was to become a reader. I went to the library daily from morning and stayed till late afternoons reading every book I see. When I got bored, I read the next one in line. These processes and outcomes gave me the identity of a reader. Today, friends ask me if I read this book and if I would recommend them to read. I might have not read all the books they ask but I know the outcome they might get from it and can recommend them a book.

Don’t think like ‘I want to read this book (outcome) and if I read 30 pages a day, I will finish it (process).

The goal is not to read a book, the goal is to become a reader.

The goal is not to run a marathon, the goal is to become a runner.

The goal is not to wake up early, the goal is to be productive in the mornings.

 

2.      2. The Four Stages of Habit Formation

Simply, the four stages are two problem phases and two solution phases. The two problem phases are the cue and craving and the solution phases are the response and the reward.

·         Cue: the trigger which predicts a reward: the buzzing of your phone with a new SMS;

·         Craving: the motivational force behind every habit; what makes you act; in the case above, you want to learn the content of the message;

·         Response: the actual habit you perform: you grab your phone and read the text;

·         Reward: the end goal of every habit: the cue is all about noticing the reward, the craving about wanting it, and the response about obtaining it; once the reward comes your way, your craving is satisfied;

I am a visual student and explain better visually, if you need to understand more on this, Please let me know in the comments and I will make a video out of it Inshaalah.

 

3.     3.  How to Create a Good Habit

1^st Law (Cue): Make it obvious

2^nd Law (Craving): Make it attractive

3^rd Law (Response): Make it easy

4^th Law (Reward): Make it satisfying

 

The main idea about habit formation is to fall in love with something. To fall in love, all the good things that make us happy has to align there. The 4 laws mentioned above are just mindset shifts, working on the mind falling in love with an activity. For example, I want to become a reader. To do that, I have to make my cue and triggers very obvious. If you want to make people see you to be smart, you dress smart and speak smart. If you want to be seen strong, you show off your muscles and strength. If you want to be seen a reader, you should be making it more obvious. Carry books around, network with other readers and put your books around you all the time. Your mind will be tempted and triggered to read and that is the start of your habit formation. Always carry a notebook to jot down all ideas you gather along the way and come back to reading them another time.

The second law is to make your craving attractive. Everything that makes you act has to be attractive. Choose a good book you will fall in love with. Read the reviews and the talking points from other people. Do anything that will make you be attracted to your next read.

The third law is to make your response easy. This is the part you grab your phone to read that juicy text from your girlfriend. Start with 50 pages book then move to 70 pages and up you go. When I get lazy and unmotivated today, I either reread an old book, listen to an audiobook or read books under 50 pages. Every finish of a book gives me more energy and love for the next book, which is why I sometimes read 2 books in a day.

The last law is to make the reward satisfying. Read a book on your field or on something you want to learn. When you know what you want from a book, that gives you the satisfaction factor and you end up being happy afterwards and easily makes you achieve your goals.

 

4.      4. How to Break a Bad Habit

Invert all the systems mentioned above.

1^st law (Cue): Make it invisible

2^nd law (Craving): Make it unattractive

3^rd law (Response): Make it difficult

4^th law (Reward): Make it unsatisfying

5.      5. Role of Family and Friends in shaping your Habits

The culture we live in determines which behaviours are attractive to us. We tend to imitate the habits of 3 social groups: the close (family and friends), the many (the tribe) and the powerful (those with status and prestige). Normally, if a behaviour can get us approval, respect and praise, we find it attractive. It is like cleaning the streets of your hometown and making it a habit or helping old ladies carry their grocery.

Now think of why our Somali community has less readers? It is because we are surrounded by social groups who are not giving us the approval, respect and praise we deserve. To overcome this, we have to join a culture where we already have something in common with the group. Make friends who are readers, join book clubs and follow anyone who reads more than you.

6.      6. True Stories

The book has a lot of true stories of Olympic gold medalist, award winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians and star comedians. To be better at what you do, study the examples and stories of those who did before. Somalis say ‘Sadar Muuqda Suaal Ka Dhan’ meaning, what you see before you or the line in front of you does not need questions to be asked, you see it for yourself.

7.      7. Habit Journals

My last and key take away is journals and keeping the progress of habits. Keep a daily journal and think of the happenings of everyday, keep a gratitude journal and remember what you are grateful for each day. Keep a productivity journal and list your most important task every day. Keeping journals shows you the progress of your habits and the system you follow on a daily basis.

I have enjoyed writing these and I hope you take away something from it. Leave a comment and let me know of your thoughts. Do not forget to share with family and friends too. Till our next read, Happy Reading.

Ismile Inspires