Atomic Habits by James Clear

The Book in Two Sentences

Many of our biggest ambitions and goals cannot even be accomplished in a few days or weeks of sustained effort. For those, we need effective systems that are not solely based on willpower.

Atomic Habits Summary

Disclaimer: these are my notes from Atomic Habits by James Clear. This summary may contain my own ideas, references to other resources, as well as passages from the book.
To establish a habit, use the four laws of behaviour change:
(i) make it obvious
(ii) make it attractive
(iii) make it easy
(iv) make it satisfying
To eliminate a bad habit, inverse the four laws of behaviour change:
(i) make it invisible
(ii) make it unattractive
(iii) make it difficult
(iv) make it unsatisfying
I. Make it obvious
Habits have three components, a cue, a routine, and a reward.
Most cues fall into one of five categories: location, time, emotional state, other people and objects, or immediately preceding actions.
Build an awareness of your current habits using a habit score card. Begin by writing down your current daily habits along with their associated cues, routines, and rewards.
To start a new habit, use an implementation intention in the form: "I will [BEHAVIOUR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION]."
To create a good habit, design a space where the cues of your positive habits are easy to see. To erase a bad habit, create a space where the cues of your negative habits are invisible.
II. Make it attractive:
Because of commercial and scientific breakthroughs, humans are now swamped with supra-normal stimuli. To make a habit stick, it needs to be enticing.
Use temptation bundling. Right before engaging in a challenging habit, do something you enjoy.
Join a culture where your chosen behaviour is accepted as the standard. Humans have a tendency to imitate three groups, the close, the many, and the powerful. "If a behaviour can gain us respect, approval, or praise, we find it attractive."
III. Make it satisfying:
Since humans evolved in a world of scarcity, they have learned to value immediate gratification above delayed rewards.
The Cardinal Rule of Behaviour Change: "What is immediately rewarded is repeated. What is immediately punished is avoided."
Our good habits feel unpleasant in the moment, but are better for us in the future. Our bad habits feel good in the present but are more costly down the line.
To increase the likelihood that a behaviour will occur again, it needs to be enjoyable. If you don't feel good immediately after your desired habit, you are unlikely to stick with it in the long run.
"Incentives can start a habit. Identity sustains a habit."
IV. Make it easy:
Focus on mastering decisive moments: "Habits are like the entrance ramp to a highway. They lead you down a path and, before you know it, you’re speeding toward the next behaviour. It seems to be easier to continue what you are already doing than to start doing something different."
Make good habits easy by reducing the number of steps it takes to get started. Likewise, make bad habits difficult by increasing the friction.
Lock in future behaviours using one time actions. You can invest in an automatic savings plan, delete apps from your phone, or download a site blocking extension.

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