Atomic Habits overview
My key takeaways from "Atomic Habits" by James Clear
https://amzn.to/3zP65WY
3 Levels of Habits:
1. Outcomes
2. Systems
3. Identity
You determine your identity through "votes" by each action. It's not winner-take-all. If you drop your diet one day, that's just one vote- don't drop everything- because you probably had multiple positive votes on other days.
Also, how do you label yourself? Quitting smoking vs I don't smoke
Habit stacking: Attach new habits to current habits of things you already do regularly and enjoy (you can't do what you want to do until you do what you need to do (eg new habit))
Start small and easy. Think atomic as in small and easy.
2 minute rule to start, then keep adding
Identify forks in the road and paths of least resistance What key moments do make the difference or might make the difference by focusing on and prepping for? Maybe it's when you get home, you put on your gym shorts and shoes, no matter what, first thing when you get in the door, etc.
Out of sight out of mind; in sight in mind. Set your environment up in ways more likely to make you successful. This includes putting yourself around people behaving the way you want to behave because that's their norm and it'll more easily become yours. And, of course, watch for bad habits of those you put yourself around.
At the end of the day, don't neglect the tiny nudges in the right direction. Create your habits one pebble at a time, and then when you think nothing of that easy positive habit, add another. And, don't worry too much if you slip once. Just make sure you don't slip twice. Failing once is an outlier; failing twice is the start of a new habit.
I definitely recommend this book for those interested in habit building and compounding your effectiveness.
This book openly calls out building upon "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg though, so if you haven't caught that book, consider starting there first: https://amzn.to/3C1jb6f
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