Book Summary | Atomic Habits - John Clear

Book Title : Atomic Habits 

Author: John Clear 

The book touches about the habits and provides a framework on cultivating habits.

The surprising power of Atomic Habits : Habits are double edge sword. Habits are like the atoms in our lives. Each one is fundamental unit of that and contribute to the overall improvement. If we get 1 % better each day for one year, we’ll end up thirty seven times better by the time we’re done. This make habits as the compound interest of self-improvement.  Good habits make time as our ally, and bad habits make time  as our enemy. We witness people making few small changes, fail to see a tangible result and decide to stop. Mastery requires patience. All big things come from small beginning. The see of every habit is a single tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger.

Goals are about results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that leads to those results. Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress.

1: Winners and losers have the same goals: The goals had always been there. It was only when they implemented system of continuous small improvements that they achieved a different outcomes.

2: Achieving a goal is only a momentary change: Achieving a goal only changes your life for the moment.

3: Goals restrict your happiness : Goals create an “either or conflict” either you achieve your goal and are successful or you fail and you are a disappointed.

4 : Goals are at odds with long term progress : The purpose of setting goal is to win the game. The purpose of building system is to continue playing the game. True long term thinking is goal less thinking.

Habits shape our identity :  Habits are challenging for two reasons as (i) we try to change the wrong thing and (ii) We try to change our habits in the wrong way.

There are three layers of behavior change

•     The first layer is changing the outcomes : These are associated with Goals. Focus on What
•   The second layer is changing the process : These are concerned with changing habits and systems.
•   The third layer is changing the identity : These are associated with beliefs, assumptions and biases. Behind every systems of actions are the system of habits.  The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of the identity. Behaviour are usually a reflection of the identity.

The process to change in identity are

a.       Decide the type of person you want to be

b.       Prove it to yourself with small wins.

4 simple ways to build better habits: Behaviors followed by satisfying consequences tend to be repeated and those that produce unpleasant consequence are less likely to be repeated. A habit is a behavior that has been repeated enough times to become automatic. The process of habit formation begins with trial and error.

The process of building a habit can be divided into four simple steps

• Cue : The cue triggers the brain to initiate a behavior.
• Craving : These are the motivational force behind every habit.
•  Response: The response is actual habit that is performed which take the form of a thought or an action.
• Reward :  The reward serve two purpose – They satisfy the trigger and they teach.  Reward teach us which action are worth remembering in the future.

Point & Call: One of the greatest challenges in changing habits is maintaining awareness of what we are actually doing. This helps explain why the consequences of bad habits can sneak up on us. We need a “Point and call” system for our personal lives. Pointing and calling is a safety system designed to reduce the mistakes. Pointing and calling raises the level of awareness from a non-conscious habits to a more conscious level of verbalizing the action.

The best way to start a new habit : Diderot effect states that obtaining a new possession often creates a spiral of consumption that leads to additional purchases.  Habit staking is a special form of an implementation intention. Habit stacking increases the likelihood that you’ll stick with a habit by stacking your new behavior on top of an old one. This processes can be repeated to chain numerous habits together, each one acting as the cue for the next.

Motivation is overrated; Environment often matters most : People often choose products not because of what they are; but because of where they are.  Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior. Despite our unique personalities, certain behaviors tend to arise again and again under certain environment conditions. Behavior is the function of the person in that environment. B=f(P,E)

The secret of Self-control : Bad habits are autocatalytic; the process feeds itself. They foster the feeling they try to numb.

Steps to create Good habits

-          The first law : Make it obvious

-          The second law : Make it Attractive

-          The Third law : Make it Easy

-          The fourth law: Make it satisfying

How to break a bad habit

-          1^st Law: Make it invisible

-          2^nd Law: Make it unattractive

-          3^rd law: Make it difficult

-          4^th law: Make it unsatisfying

Habits are dopamine driven feedback loop. It plays an important role in neurological process. So when dopamine raises, so do the motivation levels. The more attractive an opportunity is, the more likely it is to become habit formation.

The role of Family and Friends in shaping your habits : In the long history of mankind, those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.  The habits are imitated in the following groups

• The close : imitating the close, proximity has a powerful effect on behavior.
• The many : Intimating the many
• The powerful  : Intimating the powerful

Habit Formation: Habit formation is the process by which a behavior becomes progressively more automatic through repetition. Repeating a habit leads to clear physical changes in the brain. Automaticity is the ability to perform a behavior without thinking about each step, which occurs when non-consciousness mind takes over. Habits are easier to build when they fit into the flow of our life.

Two minute Rule: When we start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do. The idea is to make the habit as easy as possible to start. As we master the art of showing up, the first two minutes, simply becomes a ritual at the beginning of a larger routine.

Goldilocks Rule: states that the human experience peak motivation when working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities. Not too hard, not too easy. Just right. The greatest threat to success is not failure but boredom.