Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones

Clear discusses a variety of different ways that change happens, including brain chemistry, individual choices, and larger structures like government regulations. Collectively agreed-upon rules shape individual behavior and the human desire for approval and praise can be harnessed to shape your goals. Habit contracts are an effective tool to use social pressure to reinforce your identity goals. The Cardinal Rule of Behavior Change is: “What is rewarded is repeated. What is punished is avoided” (Chapter 15, 5). This punishment can be internal (shame or guilt) or external (being charged for breaking a law or being fired for not coming into work). If you have negative emotions linked to habits, you will stop doing them. Positive emotions help us cultivate habits. By making things satisfying, you increase the odds that you will repeat a task and form a habit.

Human brains favor instant gratification, which is a hurdle for positive habit formation. The consequences of bad habits are in the future, but they are often enjoyable as you do them. The costs of your good habits are in the present. Because of this, good intentions are not enough. You need to make your present actions more enjoyable. Knowledge of your prioritization of the present requires an adapted Cardinal Rule of Behavior Change: “What is immediately rewarded is repeated. What is immediately punished is avoided” (Chapter 15, 9). However, with patience and persistence, the payoff at the end will be higher. Delaying gratification leads to higher SAT scores, lower levels of substance abuse, healthier bodies, lower stress, and superior social skills. Immediate reinforcement is a good way to promote good habits while you wait to see the long-term results.

Once again, Clear highlights the significance of process rather than focusing strictly on results. Habit tracking is one method of casting votes for the type of person you want to become. It shifts emphasis from the outcome (losing weight) to the type of person you are (someone who eats healthy and cooks their own meals). People often do not have a clear understanding of their own habits and tend to overestimate how often they do productive things and underestimate their bad habits (like ordering takeout). Because you have a distorted view of your habits, things like habit tracking or accountability partners are very important. Writing things down or compiling evidence is an effective way to know how much work you put into something. A key mantra for Clear is “never miss twice” (Chapter 16, 8), which reinforces the importance of process over outcome. One day of takeout isn’t the end of the world, but two or three days of unhealthy meals begins to form a new habit. Rebounding quickly from skipping a workout or not responding to emails is key to becoming a winner. Showing up is more important than doing something perfectly: All or nothing thinking can ruin your good habits by interrupting your momentum and undermining your desired identity.

Habit tracking is a strong example of something that you resist because you think you won’t enjoy it. People are often resistant to measuring their progress because it feels like a chore. However, writing things down can be a tangible method of delivering small wins and building a positive feedback loop. It actually feels good to track things once you get used to it. Further, it provides important insight into how you actually spend your time. Self-knowledge is key to building better habits. Sometimes you focus on the wrong metrics to measure success. The human mind is designed to win, but if you misunderstand the structure of the game, you will put your energy in the wrong place. Goodhart’s Law proclaims, “When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure” (Chapter 16, 11). Measurement should provide information to guide you, not become the outcome itself. For example, working long hours can feel productive, but it is more important to make sure that you are doing meaningful work. When you have the wrong measurement, you reinforce the wrong behavior. If one way of measuring your progress feels disappointing, try a new way of measuring your success.