Atomic Habits – Notes

CHAPER 1
Forget about GOALS, focus on SYSTEMS instead.

GOALS are about the results you want to achieve. SYSTEMS are about the processes
that lead to those results.

If you ignore GOALS and FOCUS instead on your SYSTEM, you should still succeed.

If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your SYSTEM
instead.

The only way to win is to get better each day.

GOALS are good for setting a direction but SYSTEMS are best for making progress.

A handful of problems arise when you spend too much time thinking about your goals
and not enough time designing your systems:

PROBLEM #1: WINNERS AND LOSERS HAVE THE SAME GOALS

PROBLEM #2: ACHIEVING GOALS IS ONLY A MOMENTARY CHANGE

PROBLEM #3: GOALS RESTRICT YOUR HAPPINESS

PROBLEM #4: GOALS ARE AT ODDS WITH LONG-TERM PROGRESS

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.

Focusing on the overall system, rather than a single goal, is one of the core themes of
this book.

ATOMIC HABITS – a regular practice or routine that is not only small and easy to do,
but also the source of incredible power; a component of the system of compound
growth.
CHAPTER 1 - SUMMARY

 Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. Getting 1 percent better

every day counts for a lot in the long-run.
 Habits are a double-edged sword. They can work for you or against you, which
is why understanding the details is essential.
 Small changes often appear to make no difference until you cross a critical
threshold. The most powerful outcomes of any compounding process are
delayed. You need to be patient.
 An atomic habit is a little habit that is part of a larger system. Just as atoms are
the building blocks of molecules, atomic habits are the building blocks of
remarkable results.
 If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your system
instead.
 You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.

CHAPTER 2

Changing our habits is challenging for two reasons:

1. We try to change the wrong thing.

2. We try to change our habits in the wrong way.

Outcomes – Processes – Identity

Identity is concerned with changing your beliefs: your worldview, your self-image, your
judgments about yourself and others.

Identity-based habits – we start by focusing on who we wish to become.

Most people don’t even consider identity change whey they set out to improve. They
don’t realize that their old identity can sabotage their new plans for change.

Behavior that is incongruent with the self will not last. You may want better health, but if
you continue to prioritize comfort over accomplishment, you’ll be drawn to relaxing
rather than training. It’s hard to change your habits if you never change the underlying
beliefs that led to your past behavior. You have a new goal and a new plan, but you
haven’t change who you are.

The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your
identity.
It’s one thing to say I’m the type of person who wants this. It’s something very different
to say I’m the type of person who is this.

The more pride you have in a particular aspect of your identity, the more
motivated you will be to maintain the habits associated with it. Once your pride
gets involved, you’ll fight tooth and nail to maintain your habits.

TRUE BEHAVIOR CHANGE IS IDENTITY CHANGE.

Your behaviors are usually a reflection of your identity.

Becoming the best version of yourself requires you to continuously edit your
beliefs and to upgrade and expand your identity.

The most practical way to change who you are is to change what you do.

 Each time you write a page, you are a writer.

 Each time you practice the violin, you are a musician.
 Each time you start a workout, you are an athlete.
 Each time your encourage your employees, you are a leader.

Changing your IDENTITY is a simple two-step process:

1. Decide the type of person you want to be.

2. Prove it to yourself with small wins.

Ask yourself, “Who is the type of person that could get the outcome that I want? Who is
the type of person that could lose sixty pounds?

Once you have a handle on the type of person you want to be, you can begin taking
small steps to reinforce your desired identity. I have a friend who lost over 100 pound
by asking herself, “What would a healthy person do? All day long, she would use this
question as a guide.

Your habits shape your identity, and your identity shapes your habits. It’s a two-
way street. The focus should always be on becoming that type of person, not
getting a particular outcome.

IDENTITY CHANGE IS THE NORTH STAR OF HABIT CHANGE.

ARE YOU BECOMING THE TYPE OF PERSON YOU WANT TO BECOME?

The first step is not what or how, but who.
You have the power to change your beliefs about yourself. Your identity is not set
in stone. You have a choice in every moment. You can choose the identity you
want to reinforce today with the habit you choose today.

Habits can help you achieve success, but fundamentally they are not about having
something. They are about becoming someone. Ultimately, your habits matter
because they help you become the type of person you wish to be. They are the
channel through which you develop your deepest beliefs about yourself. Quite literally,
you become your habits.

CHAPTER 2 - SUMMARY

 There are three levels of change: outcome change, process change, and identity
change.
 The most effective way to change your habits is to focus not on what you want to
achieve, but on who you wish to become.
 Your identity emerges out of your habits. Every action is a vote for the type of
person you wish to become.
 Becoming the best version of yourself requires you to continuously edit your
beliefs, and to upgrade and expand your identity.
 The real reason habits matter is not because they can get you better results
(although they can do that), but because they can change your beliefs about
yourself.

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 3 – SUMMARY

 A habit is a behavior that has been repeated enough times to become automatic.
 The ultimate purpose of habits is to solve the problems of life with as little energy
and effort as possible.
 Any habit can be broken down into a feedback loop that involves four steps: cue,
craving, response and reward.
 The Four Laws of Behavior Change are a simple set of rules we can use to build
better habits. They are:
1. Make it obvious
2. Make it attractive
3. Make it easy
4. Make it satisfying
CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4 – SUMMARY

 With enough practice, your brain will pick up on the cues that predict certain
outcomes without consciously thinking about it.
 Once our habits become automatic, we stop paying attention to what we are
doing.
 The process of behavior change always starts with awareness. You need to be
aware of your habits before you can change them.
 Pointing-and-Calling raises your level of awareness from a nonconscious habit to
a more conscious level by verbalizing your actions.
 The Habits Scorecard is a simple exercise you can use to become more aware of
your behavior.

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 5 – SUMMARY

 The 1st Law of Behavior Change is make it obvious.

 The tow most common cues are time and location.
 Creating an implementation intention is a strategy you can use to pair a new
habit with a specific time and location.
 The implementation intention formula is: I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in
[LOCATION].
 Habit stacking is a strategy you can use to pair a new habit with a current habit.
 The habit stacking formula is: After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 6 – SUMMARY

 Small changes in context can lead to large changes in behavior over time.
 Every habit is initiated by a cue. We are more likely to notice cues that stand out.
 Make the cues of good habits obvious in your environment.
 Gradually, your habits become associated not with a single trigger but with the
entire context surrounding the behavior. The context becomes the cue.
 It is easier to build new habits in a new environment because you are not fighting
against old cues.
CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 7 – SUMMARY

 The inversion of the 1st Law of Behavior Change is make it invisible.

 Once a habit is formed, it is unlikely to be forgotten.
 People with high self-control tend to spend less time in tempting situations. It’s
easier to avoid temptation than resist it.
 One of the most practical ways to eliminate a bad habit is to reduce exposure to
the cue that causes it.
 Self-control is a short-term strategy, not a long-term one.

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 8 – SUMMARY

 The 2nd Law of Behavior Change is make it attractive.

 The more attractive an opportunity is, the more likely it is to become habit-
forming.
 Habits are a dopamine-driven feedback loop. When dopamine rises, so does our
motivation to act.
 It is the anticipation of a reward – not the fulfillment of it – that gets us to take
action. The greater the anticipation, the greater the dopamine spike.
 Temptation bundling is one way to make your habits more attractive. The
strategy to pair an action you want to do with an action you need to do.

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 9 – SUMMARY

 The culture we live in determines which behaviors are attractive to us.

 We tend to adopt habits that are praised and approved of by our culture because
we have a strong desire to fit in and belong to the tribe.
 We tend to imitate the habits of three social groups: the close (family and
friends), the many (the tribe), and the powerful (those with status and prestige).
 One of the most effective things you can do to build better habits is to join a
culture where (1) your desired behavior is the normal behavior and (2) you
already have something in common with the group.
  The normal behavior of the tribe often overpowers the desired behavior of the
individual. Most days, we’d rather be wrong with the crowd than be right by
ourselves.
 If a behavior can get us approval, respect and praise, we find it attractive.

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 10 -SUMMARY

 The inversion of the 2nd Law of Behavior Change is make it unattractive.

 Every behavior has a surface level craving and a deeper underlying motive.
 Your habits are modern-day solutions to ancient desires.
 The cause of your habits is actually the prediction that precedes them. The
prediction leads to a feeling.
 Highlight the benefits of avoiding a bad habit to make it seem unattractive.
 Habits are attractive when we associate them with positive feelings and
unattractive when we associate them with negative feelings. Create a motivation
ritual by doing something you enjoy immediately before a difficult habit.

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 11 – SUMMARY

 The 3rd Law of Behavior Change is make it easy.

 The most effective form of learning is practice, not planning.
 Focus on taking action, not being in motion.
 Habit formation is the process by which a behavior becomes progressively more
automatic through repetition.
 The amount of time you have been performing a habit is not as important as the
number of time you have performed it.

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 12 – SUMMARY

 Human behavior follows the Law of Least Effort. We will naturally gravitate
toward the option that requires the least amount of work.
 Create an environment where doing the right thing is as easy as possible.
  Reduce the friction associate with good behaviors. When friction is low, habits
are easy.
 Increase the friction associated with bad behaviors. When friction is high, habits
are difficult.
 Prime your environment to make future actions easier.

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 13 – SUMMARY

 Habits can be completed in a few seconds but continue to impact your behavior
for minutes or hours afterward.
 Many habits occur at decisive moments – choices that are like a fork in the road-
and either send you in the direction of a productive day or an unproductive one.
 The Two-Minute Rule states, “When you start a new habit, it should take less
than two minutes to do.”
 The more you ritualize the beginning of a process, the more likely it becomes that
you can slip into the state of deep focus that is required to do great things.
 Standardize before you optimize. You can’t improve a habit that doesn’t exist.

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 14 – SUMMARY

 The inversion of the 3rd Law of Behavior Change is make it difficult.

 A commitment device is a choice you make in the present that locks in better
behavior in the future.
 The ultimate way to lock in future behavior is to automate your habits.
 Onetime choices – like buying a better mattress or enrolling in an automatic
savings plan – are single actions that automate your future habits and deliver
increasing returns over time.
 Using technology to automate your habits is the most reliable and effective way
to guarantee the right behavior.
CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 15 – SUMMARY

 The 4th Law of Behavior Change is make it satisfying.

 We are more likely to repeat a behavior when the experience is satisfying.
 The human brain evolved to prioritize immediate rewards over delayed rewards.
 The Cardinal Rule of Behavior Change: What is immediately rewarded is
repeated. What is immediately punished is avoided.
 To get a habit to stick you need to feel immediately successful – even if it’s in a
small way.
 The first three laws of behavior change – make it obvious, make it attractive and
make it easy – increase the odds that a behavior will be performed this time. The
fourth law of behavior change – make it satisfying – increases the odds that a
behavior will be repeated next time.

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 16 – SUMMARY

 One of the most satisfying feelings is the feeling of making progress.

 A habit tracker is a simple way to measure whether you did a habit – like marking
an X on a calendar.
 Habit trackers and other visual forms of measurement can make your habits
satisfying by providing clear evidence of your progress.
 Don’t break the chain. Try to keep your habit streak alive.
 Never miss twice. If you miss one day, try to get back on track as quickly as
possible.
 Just because you can measure something doesn’t mean it’s the most important
thing.

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 17 – SUMMARY

 The inversion of the 4th Law of Behavior Change is make it unsatisfying.

 We are less likely to repeat a bad habit if it is painful or unsatisfying.
  An accountability partner can create an immediate cost to inaction. We care
deeply about what others think of us, and we do not want others to have a lesser
opinion of us.
 A habit contract can be used to add a social cost to any behavior. It makes the
costs of violating your promises public and painful.
 Knowing that someone else is watching you can be a powerful motivator.

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 18 – SUMMARY

 The secret to maximizing your odds of success is to choose the right field of
competition.
 Pick the right habit and progress is easy. Pick the wrong habit and life is a
struggle.
 Genes cannot be easily changed, which means they provide a powerful
advantage in favorable circumstances and a serious disadvantage in unfavorable
circumstances.
 Habits are easier when they align with your natural abilities. Choose the habits
that best suit you.
 Play a game that favors your strengths. If you can’t find a game that favors you,
create one.
 Genes do no eliminate the need for hard work. They clarify it. They tell us what
to work hard on.

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 19 – SUMMARY

 The Goldilocks Rules states that humans experience peak motivation when
working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities.
 The greatest threat to success is not failure but boredom.
 As habits become routine, they become less interesting and less satisfying. We
get bored.
 Anyone can work hard when they feel motivated. It’s the ability to keep going
when work isn’t exciting that makes the difference.
 Professionals stick to the schedule; amateurs let life get in the way.
CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 20 – SUMMARY

 The upside of habits is that we can do things without thinking. The downside is
that we stop paying attention to little errors.
 Habits + Deliberate Practice = Mastery
 Reflection and review is a process that allows you to remain conscious of your
performance over time.
 The tighter we cling to an identity, the harder it becomes to grow beyond it.

Little Lessons from the Four Laws

Problem phase

1. Cue
2. Craving

Solution phase

3. Response
4. Reward

Awareness comes before desire.

Happiness is simply the absence of desire.

It is the idea of pleasure that we chase.

Peace occurs when you don’t turn your observations into problems.

With a big enough why you can overcome any how.

Being curious is better than being smart.

Emotions drive behavior.

We can only be rational and logical after we have been emotional.

Your response tends to follow your emotions.

Suffering drives progress.

Your actions reveal how badly you want something.

Reward is on the other side of sacrifice.

Self-control is difficult because it is not satisfying.

Our expectations determine our satisfaction.

The pain of failure correlates to the height of expectation.

Feelings come both before and after the behavior.

Desire initiates. Pleasure sustains.

Hope declines with experience and is replace by acceptance.