A Book Review of James Clear’s Atomic Habits
I enjoy books about being organized, time management, and habit formation. I see value and relevance in my marketing consulting work whenever I gain insight into human behavior.
Changing behavior is a big part of a marketer’s job. Let’s face it – we are all in the change business.
When you understand what motivates someone, you can see clear paths to shifting behavior or attitudes.
Simple. Clear. Terrific.
James Clear’s book is, in a phrase, habit forming.
Simple. Clear. And the ideas are easy to put into action. And unlike most self-help books, this is practical and incremental in his approach to change. BTW, this book has sold five million copies in 50 languages.
I found this excellent summary of the book here.
- An atomic habit is a regular practice or routine that is not only small and easy to do but is also the source of incredible power, a component of the system of compound growth.
- Bad habits repeat themselves repeatedly, not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change.
- Changes that seem small and unimportant initially will compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them for years.
The Five Big Ideas
- Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.
- If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead.
- 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.
- The four laws of behavior change are simple rules we can use to build better habits. They are (1) making it obvious, (2) making it attractive, (3) making it easy, and (4) making it satisfying.
- The environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior.
I listened to this book for a few days during my morning walks. If you are thinking about how to change your behavior around anything, pop in your air pods and take a walk.
Below is a speech James Clear gave about how to get 1% better every day. If you don’t see the video, click here.
Photo by Drew Beamer on Unsplash
Credit to Samuel Thomas Davies for the brief summary of this book. Here is a link to that work.
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free, and we can explore if working together makes sense. Watch a short video about working with me.
