Title:<\/strong> “Atomic Habits”<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Author:<\/strong> James Clear<\/p>\n\n\n\n Published Date:<\/strong> 2018<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pages:<\/strong> 253<\/p>\n\n\n\n Average Time to Read:<\/strong> 8-9 hours<\/p>\n\n\n\n Favorite Chapter <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Chapter 18 \u2013 The Truth About Talent (When Genes Matter and When They Don\u2019t)<\/p>\n\n\n\n This chapter is all about why and how your personality and identity (sense of Self) impacts your habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Sustainable Wealth Method<\/a> is all about finding your unique characteristics and developing them in ways that expands your capacity to grow money and this chapter dives deeper into how you can align your natural talents with the building blocks of success \u2013 your habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A big takeaway from this chapter is also James Clear\u2019s discussion on the \u201cBig Five\u201d personality traits and how they impact habits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The five main personality traits that drive behavior include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n These traits and how they manifest are associated with genes so while they manifest differently for each person, there are commonalities in the habits of people with similar traits. This chapter explores how you can align your personality traits with your habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more information on your personality type, see James Clear’s favorite personality tests<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Favorite Quotes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll big things come from small beginnings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cProgress requires unlearning. Becoming the best version of yourself requires you to continuously edit your beliefs, and to upgrade and expand your identity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou have to standardize before you can optimize.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had seen \u201cAtomic Habits\u201d a long time ago but the book didn\u2019t resonate with me. I was deep into the early years of parenting and the idea of working on my habits seemed unrealistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was barely surviving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A few months ago, during a LinkedIn networking call, a connection recommended \u201cAtomic Habits\u201d and said that the book completely changed how he worked. He also remarked that his business really took off after he addressed his habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When he talked about the book, I felt a little nudge from The Universe that now was the time to read \u201cAtomic Habits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I seized the moment, hopped on Amazon and ordered a copy of the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then it sat on my nightstand for another two months \ud83d\ude44.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apparently, there was a part of me that just wasn\u2019t ready to read it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So rather than forcing myself to read \u201cAtomic Habits,\u201d I let the book sit on my nightstand, accepted that the timing wasn\u2019t exactly right and moved on to reading a few other books, including \u201cThe Go-Giver.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n What was I really concerned about? Why was I not ready to read \u201cAtomic Habits?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because I was scared that the author would judge me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or in other words, that the book would call out my bad habits and I would judge myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sounds ridiculous, I know. But after working with many coaches and lifestyle experts, many of them tend to talk about habits, willpower and discipline from a judgmental viewpoint – \u201cThe only thing that\u2019s stopping you from success is YOU!\u201d kind of thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While this quip is true, it hardly feels good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I just really wanted to make sure that I was in the right mindset to have a book (or someone) hold up a mirror that closely and shine a light on all of my imperfections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And I wanted to make sure that I was open to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I waited until I was ready. And I am so glad that I did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As mentioned in my \u201cAtomic Habits\u201d reading journey, you need to be ready to receive this book. There are definitely some \u201ctough love\u201d sections and other sections that made me uncomfortable because they held up a mirror to my bad habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It also is an intermediate read \u2013 a conversational-style mixed with education and tutorial-style sections. There\u2019s story, theory, and practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are self-aware and ready to really dig deep into your challenges, this book is for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are satisfied with your habits or aren\u2019t attuned to how your habits are impacting your life, skip this book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This book is best suited for someone who is already aware that their habits are creating issues or holding them back and is ready to do something about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAtomic Habits\u201d does not provide guidance on why you should pay attention to your habits, it assumes that you already do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n James Clear picked such a great title for this book because he\u2019s 100% right, habits really are the building blocks of life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What would life be like without your behavior?<\/p>\n\n\n\n How we relate to our environment is all through our thinking, feeling, and resulting behaviors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We relate to our world through our senses which give rise to our feelings which give rise to our thoughts which give rise to our behaviors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sensing -> feeling -> thinking -> behaving (acting)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Feelings themselves are actually so critical to making decisions, that we cannot make a decision without being aware of our emotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In \u201cAtomic Habits,\u201d Clear makes a case for why habits are actually the foundational bedrock for all of living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, habits originate from the sensing\/feeling aspects of life but they are the only action-oriented part of that process. You can change how you sense, feel, think but unless you change how you behave, you will not change your behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, let\u2019s look at this scenario:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sense:<\/strong> You sense that you are tired<\/p>\n\n\n\n Feel:<\/strong> You feel upset that you don\u2019t have more energy<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think:<\/strong> You think that you should be more energetic<\/p>\n\n\n\n Behave:<\/strong> You grab a cup of coffee <- Habit<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can play out the same scenario and end up with wildly different results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of a coffee you could:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Habits are those behaviors that run almost like a program in response to sensing, feeling, thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to make a different choice in how you response to the sensing, feeling, thinking program, you have to address the behavior or habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Which takes me to my next point regarding habits being the building blocks of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another important reason to get your habits aligned with your desired outcomes is that habits compound for or against you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Habits help good things get better and bad things get worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You definitely want to make sure that your habits are supporting your intended outcome and are not working against you and preventing you from making progress toward your goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since habits build on one another, you can\u2019t skip ahead. You really have to get to the very basic habit and make it stick before you can move on to harder habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, if you want to exercise more start with picking the music for your workout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make it a habit that every Sunday at 8:00pm before turning on the T.V. you will pick the music you want to listen to for your workout tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019re consistently picking the music for your workouts, you can build on it. Maybe having your workout clothes ready and by your bed. Or put your shoes on by a certain time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Break down the objective of \u201cworking out more\u201d into bite-sized pieces that are easily achievable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Getting started is often the hardest part of changing your habits so you only want to do that once. You are much more likely to give up entirely if you start something that is too difficult to continue over the long-term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use the power of compounding habits and make those building blocks work for you by starting out with a super small, achievable step towards your goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, the Identity also known as The Self or Ego drives habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we sense, feel, and think we put these states through a filter or framework in order to evaluate them for meaning and action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This filter is our Identity or Ego.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s go back to our example above with the coffee and put it through the Identity of someone who identifies as a hard worker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sense:<\/strong> You sense that you are tired<\/p>\n\n\n\n Feel:<\/strong> You feel upset that you don\u2019t have more energy<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think:<\/strong> You think that you need energy to work<\/p>\n\n\n\n Behave:<\/strong> You grab a cup of coffee<\/p>\n\n\n\n Makes sense right? Someone who identifies with being a hard worker will likely reach for a cup of coffee over other options?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now let\u2019s change the Identity to someone who identifies with Anti-Hustle Culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sense:<\/strong> You sense that you are tired<\/p>\n\n\n\n Feel:<\/strong> You feel grateful for that awareness<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think:<\/strong> You think that your body needs rest<\/p>\n\n\n\n Behave:<\/strong> You decide to take a nap<\/p>\n\n\n\n See how the Identify shift changes not only the feeling and thoughts but also the behaviors?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now you may feel the urge to just pick a bunch of different Identities then to associate with, RESIST IT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While Identity states are important and the Ego is a key part of who we are as human beings, more Identities and a bigger Ego generally means more challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A strong sense of Identity can make it harder to accept change and therefore make bad habits a lot stickier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Someone who has a flexible Identity will stay more open-minded to alternatives which will make changing habits a lot easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One easy flip that Clear gives on how to address the Identity challenge is to take anything that you feel that you have to do and make it a \u201cget to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hard Worker Identity says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have to go to work so I have to drink coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Flipped:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI get to go to work so I get to drink coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Notice the difference?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The \u201cget to\u201d creates some space in the thinking pattern. If you get to go to work, can\u2019t you \u201cget to\u201d choose something else to do as a result?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGet to\u201d opens up choice and takes you out of victim consciousness<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHave to\u201d implies that you have no other alternative and closes off your thinking. You become a victim to circumstances when you\u2019re actually not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You always have a choice in life, even when you don\u2019t like the choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ve likely heard the quip \u201cyou are the company you keep\u201d and there\u2019s a reason that it\u2019s a well-known saying \u2013 the people who surround you, greatly impact your behaviors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Clear writes: \u201cOne 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to exercise more, find people who regularly exercise and befriend them. If you want to eat better, find people to hang out with that practice your desired eating habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you don\u2019t yet have these relationships, find them on social media. Follow people on Instagram or Twitter who highlight your desired habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The more you see the desired, healthier habits normalized and modeled, the easier it will be for you to integrate them into your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now you may just be thinking about your friends, family or other relationships and how they impact your behavior but relationships extend well beyond people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think about the content you\u2019re consuming \u2013 does it align with and support the habits you want?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to make a lot of money, are you consuming content that teaches you how to do that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where can you find content that supports your desired behaviors?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The more content you can find that educates you on the why and how of transforming your habits, the more likely you are to change your behaviors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At Sustainable Wealth<\/a>, we focus on teaching you how to Get Health, Grow Money and Make an Impact. Check out our Free Resources<\/a> for information on how you can build your capacity to grow money that makes an impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Clear talks about how incredibly important it is to make your environment (physical space around you) supportive of your desired habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re trying to cut back on how many sweets you eat, keep fewer of them in your environment or don\u2019t have any around. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re trying to work out more, make your gym clothes more accessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to spend less time on your phone, set it in the other room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or better yet, use your environment to cue your desired habits.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Clear talks about how to use your environment to \u201cscaffold\u201d a habit sequence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When I get home from work (environmental cue), I will undress and put on my workout clothes (action).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once my workout clothes are on, I\u2019ll walk on the treadmill (habit) while checking my social media (reward).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your environment can work for you as much as it can work against you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Set-up your environment in a way that makes preferred habits easier and the behaviors you\u2019re trying to change, harder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You will not win by overpowering bad habits, you need to work on reducing the friction of establishing better ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is by far one of my favorite takeaways from \u201cAtomic Habits\u201d because it integrates into how you expand your capacity to grow more money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Clear writes: \u201cAs habits are created, the level of activity in the brain decreases<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That means that as you create more habits in your life, your mind is free to devote that energy elsewhere \u2013 to creativity, to problem-solving, to rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is such a big deal! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Imagine how much extra brainpower you could free-up if you worked on creating and aligning your habits to support your desired outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Clear shares this other quote which really make this point clear:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCivilization advances by extending the number of operations we can perform without thinking about them.\u201d \u2013 Alfred North Whitehead<\/p>\n\n\n\n The less you have to think about the minor things in life, the more energy you have to think about the things that truly matter and need your attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Habits are a critical way of expanding your capacity to do more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You are unique. The kinds of habits you have, the motivation for them, and the rewards\/consequences are all driven by your personality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A key part of making your habits work for you is to pick the right area to focus on. This includes areas of your life where you are already thriving and things come naturally, and easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those are a great place to start adding habits. Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because when something is naturally easier, you have more capacity to accept changes. Generally, where there is ease and enjoyment people tend to be more open-minded. So if you are in a state where you are more open to change and more flexible, new habits will be easier to continue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I’ve experienced this first-hand in the form of my writing habit. I love to write and writing comes easily to me. so I wanted to create a daily writing habit, which I\u2019ve kept up with for well over 100 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Same goes with my Duolingo streak because I love learning new languages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you have mastered putting together a series of habits, you can start focusing on the trickier aspects of your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another part of this is finding what behaviors feel authentic and genuine. Trying to force yourself to run when you don\u2019t like running will never work. You\u2019ve got to find desired behaviors that align with your life and feel achievable and sustainable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Boredom will kill your progress faster than anything else. As you are working to establish your desired habits, shake things up occasionally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re trying to exercise more:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Anything to slightly change up your habit so that it stays interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFavorites<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How Atomic Habits Found Me<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Who Would Benefit from Reading Atomic Habits?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Key Takeaways from Atomic Habits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Habits are the building blocks of life<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Habits build on each other<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Master foundational habits before moving on to harder ones.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Focus on what you can achieve and sustain, not just what you can do.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Identity (Self) drives habits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Your relationships shape your habits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Relationships with people<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Relationships with content<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Relationship with your environment<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Aligning your habits with your goals expands your capacity to do more<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Personality matters when working with your habits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Strive for Authentic Behaviors<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Focus on Novelty<\/h4>\n\n\n\n