Review of Atomic Habits

 




I recently completed this book. It's not one that I'd necessarily recommend reading cover to cover. It's one of those to digest in small sections- maybe a bathroom book, if you don't have your phone.  But really, it's gross that everyone takes their phones into the bathroom.  Anyway, James Clear deconstructs the behaviors that lead to habits, which can be bad or good. Ultimately, if reading this book, like me you are trying to implement more good habits for the betterment of yourself. 

A few excerpts for reflection:

-"Decide the type of person you want to be .......and "Each time you write a page, you are a writer. Each time you practice the violin, you are a musician. " 

    Quit with the limiting beliefs. If you want to be a someone or something, you have to take action.            Each step- is a step towards achieving that goal. You are an amazing person who is in control of your       own destiny.. We all have a choice- take action to achieve your goals!

-On "How to break a bad Habit"- make it harder to preform the actions of that habit. James Clear recommends: "Reduce exposure, remove the cues of your bad habits from your environment. Make it invisible, unattractive, difficult, unsatisfying." 

    You will keep smoking the cigarettes or eating the cookies if you continue to buy them. If you have a       smoking room with a comfy chair, you'll keep going there. Take the pleasant away and the habit             will change. However, keep in mind that habits are deeply engrained in our brains. So you end up         associating the behavior, such as smoking a cigarette, with another activity such as driving. Have an     action plan in place, that instead of preforming the bad habit when I do X, I will instead do                     something beneficial or harmless when I do X activity. 

    Adopting healthy habits can be particularly difficult-such as not eating the cookie. Mr. Clear                  discusses how often the habits that have immediate reward are much easier to adopt (the cookie is          very tasty and we like the sugar) versus not eating the cookie and going for a walk, which doesn't             reveal much reward in the short-term, but in the long term will benefit us much more. 

     Our journey towards a more healthy lifestyle is not a sprint- it's a marathon. Which can prove to be        very challenging in our world where we love instant gratification (and biologically that's also the         way we are wired). It starts with the decision to be who you want to be and then taking the steps to          achieve that person. Every tiny change adds up- so keep grinding, climbing, building, one step at a          time- and YOU will achieve GREATNESS!


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