As summer turns to fall, and the busyness of the last quarter of the year approaches, habits have been on my mind. I recently had a routine doctor’s appointment where my blood pressure was slightly high, and my weight had increased more than I’d like. Following a conversation with my doctor, I reflected on a book I’d read recently about “atomic” habits.
The book is called Atomic Habits by James Clear. Clear said it best in this quote: “The most practical way to change who you are is to change what you do.”
Atomic Habits is a practical guide with several tips that you can implement immediately to change your habits. Here are a few of my favorite takeaways from the book:
- Aim to get 1% better every day – Just a 1% increase every day yields a 37x improvement by the end of the year. He writes, “Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement” and “You are what you repeat”. Continuous Improvement: How it Works and How to Master It provides more insight from James Clear.
- Habit Stacking: Everyone has daily habits already in place: brushing your teeth, making coffee, etc. Why not tack on a positive habit to something you already do? While making coffee, drink a large glass of water to help you stay hydrated during the day. Habit stacking is a great way to start a new habit by adding it to something you already have in your daily routine. Check out How to Build New Habits by Taking Advantage of Old Ones by James Clear to for more ideas.
- The 4 Laws of Behavior Change are Cue, Craving, Response, and Reward. This can be used to build new habits and to break bad habits. Check out How to Start New Habits That Actually Stick by James Clear to learn how to implement behavior change with this technique.
What habits do you need to break or start today?
