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

Clear lays out a structure of habit formation called the habit loop. Cue, Craving, Response, and Reward are the component parts of habit formation, and they form an endless cycle that forms a loop. The loop begins when a “cue triggers a craving, which motivates a response, which provides a reward, which satisfies the craving, and ultimately becomes associated with the cue” (Chapter 3, 14). Understanding how this feedback loop works helps you direct your attention in more productive ways. By focusing on process, Clear provides the viewer with simple, actionable methods for implementing new habits. Setting an ambitious goal without taking into account the habit loops that you are already in sets you up to fail. By understanding the neurological cues that your brain and body respond to, you can hack the habit loop to reinforce good behaviors. Being aware of your habit loops is important because it allows us to exercise more control over your responses. As he writes:

All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger. Roots entrench themselves and branches grow. The task of breaking a bad habit is like uprooting a powerful oak within us. And the task of building a good habit is like cultivating a delicate flower one day at a time (Chapter 1, 18).

Understanding your cues and cravings allows you to plant a new seed or to nurture a seed that you want to germinate.

The structure of the habit loop begins with the cue, which triggers the habit. Cues can be a location, a time of day, a person, an emotion, or another action that precedes it. When the brain experiences a cue, it goes into automatic processing mode, which initiates a craving. For example, the sound of an ice cream truck triggers a craving for ice cream. This initiates a response: the brain must either resist the temptation provided by the cue or follow through on the craving. The reward is how you derive satisfaction, like buying ice cream. The brain responds positively to the reward and makes a mental note of the previous steps that lead to that point (getting the ice cream). Once you have completed a habit loop, it is more likely that you will reproduce this loop in the future. This forms the foundation of a habit. Recognizing the loop is an important step to controlling the habit. For example, when you hear the ice cream truck, you could transfer the money you would spend on ice cream to a savings account for a future vacation. You experience the same cycle of cue, craving, response, and reward, but you redirect the emphasis to long-term gain, rather than short-term satisfaction. Another possibility is to design your environment or structure your day so that you do not experience cues that trigger cravings. Resisting temptation is harder than removing temptations.