[Review #4] Atomic Habits: A Practical Habit-building Book by James Clear

"Changes that seem small and unimportant at first

will compound into remarkable results

if you are willing to stick with them."

Started on March 13, 2021

Finished on March 24, 2021

Title: Atomic Habits

Author: James Clear

Year of Publication: 2018

Pages: 271

ISBN: 978-1-84-794183-1

Genre: Self-help

Language: English

• Reasons Why I Read This Book:

Eleven months ago, Jenn Im, my favorite Korean-American YouTuber, posted a video entitled 10 Books You Need to Read on her channel. In that 15-minute video, she mentioned several fiction and nonfiction books that she loved. One of them was Atomic Habits, which caught my attention the most. She described this book as music to her ears that could motivate and keep her productive. I felt I could relate so much to her, given I was looking for some tips on how to increase productivity during this pandemic. I was also curious about how to stick with my daily workout and reading habits.

Seven months after that video, Jenn Im was back with another book recommendation video in which Atomic Habits was mentioned twice. It made me convinced that I really had to pick up this book. A week before my birthday on March 21, my mother asked me about what kind of birthday present I would prefer. I told her I wanted a book called Atomic Habits, thus to the bookstore we went. I remember that day I was beyond happy to finally have this book perched on my bookshelf.

• Impression:

When I laid my eyes on the book, I was impressed by its simple cover with a zillion tiny golden dots forming "Atomic Habits" as its title. Those, I think, make the book does look clean and professional. Once I opened it, I instantly thought that this book would be long and challenging to read. But I was partially wrong. Yes, this book is indeed longer than other self-help books I have read, but surprisingly, it is not as challenging as I thought it would be. This book has thicker type of paper which I always like. It is the same type used in We Should Hang Out Sometime. It is also in the color of ivory, which is a huge plus for my eyes.

The book itself consists of nine different parts which are:

- Introduction: My Story

- The Fundamentals: Why Tiny Changes Make a Big Difference

- The 1st Law: Make It Obvious

- The 2nd Law: Make It Attractive

- The 3rd Law: Make It Easy

- The 4th Law: Make It Satisfying

- Advanced Tactics: How to Go from Being Merely Good to Being Truly Great

- Conclusion: The Secret to Results That Last

- Appendix

The author of Atomic Habits, James Clear, emphasizes the importance of the willingness to start small in building up good habits. He explains that no matter how small our work is, as long as we persist long enough, we can turn it into a good habit that happens automatically and makes us productive. He uses some terms from operant conditioning: "stimulus, response, and reward" by B. F. Skinner. As a psychology student who is mainly exposed by behaviorism, those terms are familiar to my ears. Interestingly, James Clear has successfully delivered those terms in a way that not only psychology students can understand, but also those who do not have any psychology background. He offers us his four-step model of habits: "cue, craving, response, and reward" that can be used to build better habits.

According to the first law, the cues for our preferred habits have to be obvious. This law makes me implement one of the practices in my life related to redesigning my environment and making the cues available and easy-to-reach. For instance:

- If I want to build my reading habit, I have to place my current read on my nightstand instead of placing it in my closed bookshelf.

- If I want to practice yoga more frequently, I have to place my yoga mat in the corner of my room where I can easily take it out in the morning instead of placing it on the top of my closet.

The second law, that explains about the craving, suggests us make it attractive. We can start by joining a culture where our desired behavior is the normal behavior. For example:

- If I want to consider working out to be a common habit, I have to surround myself with fit people. This is the one I can relate to because I cannot thank these people enough for indirectly motivating me to stay fit. They are Yasa Kifaya, Dhea Tarigan, Naura Nailufar, and many more.

- If I want to be more likely to read books, I have to be surrounded by those who read. This is another one I can relate to because of my friends. Wurianindya, Diva Awanisa, Mutiara Devianti, Annisa Nabila, Dhea Tarigan, Riska Insyira, and those whom I can ask for book recommendations, you guys have my deepest thanks.

The third law is to make the response easy. James Clear offers us his two-minute rule which states, "When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do." For instance:

- "Read before bed each night" becomes "Read one page."

- "Practice twenty minutes of yoga" becomes "Grab my yoga mat."

The last but not least is to make the reward satisfying. Do not forget to give ourselves an immediate reward after completing a habit. We can also use a habit tracker so we do not "break the chains". It is also important to never miss a habit twice. Make sure we get back on track when we forget or are unmotivated to do a habit.

• Final Thoughts:

This book has changed my mindset. My habit. My daily life. I understand it is common to be burned out because of our daily routine or to face challenges in building good habits, but somehow this book is able to convince us to start small and be consistent with our better habits. I remember the days I wanted to start living a healthier life. I tried going for a walk and cycling, but I did not find those two convenient enough because I had to get changed into modest activewear, put on my running shoes, and go outside. In some days, I did not feel like to show up that led me to miss workouts. Until I found yoga, pilates, and other full body workouts that can be done solitary at home. I find them way more convenient because they only take less than two minutes to start. If you are struggling to build a good habit or break a bad one as I was, this book may be suitable for you.

• Five Quotes I Liked from This Book:

- "The only way I made progress, the only choice I had, was to start small."

- "Improving by 1 percent is not particularly notable, sometimes it is not even noticeable, but it can be far more meaningful, especially in the long run."

- "Success is the product of daily habits, not once-in-a-lifetime transformations."

- "Your work was not wasted, it is just being stored."

- "Do not break the chains."

• Rating: 4.6