I purchased this book and audiobook for my own personal collection.
Publisher: Avery / Penguin Audio
Published: October 16, 2018
Summary:
Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving – every day. James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.
If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you’ll get a proven system that can take you to new heights.
Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, listeners will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field.
Learn how to:
- Make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy)
- Overcome a lack of motivation and willpower
- Design your environment to make success easier
- Get back on track when you fall off course
- And much more
Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits – whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.
My thoughts:
I’m not usually one to read self-help books, but this one had grabbed my attention from the moment it was released and while I resisted reading it at first, I kept going back to it time and time again. I decided to finally bite the bullet and give it a go and I’m glad I did as I did find it to be quite beneficial. I am a person who thrives on habits and did find many usual tips throughout the book.
As with all self-help books, there are going to be sections that are more usual than others. While I did listen to this one, I had my print copy on hand so that I could mark up the sections that I wanted to be able to reference again and again. This is definitely going to be a book that I keep handy and refer to, possibly even revisiting at the start of every year or when I need to reset my habits.
Here are my favorite take-aways:
- the idea of habit stacking – pairing a new habit with a current habit
- the two-minute rule – when you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do
I think this is the type of book that each time you read it, you will walk away with something new, depending on what you are focusing on at that point in your life. I’m glad I finally made time for this book. It’s a great book to read at the start of a new year, when you feel life is off the rails or you just are looking for a little help getting back on track.
Audio thoughts:
As I mentioned, I listened to this and loved that the author himself narrates it. He knows what he wrote, so he was able to narrate this in an engaging way that was both effective and informative.
