By Gavin Chen
Have you ever tried finding a flow with work but struggle then give up altogether? Well, that was the case for me…until I read Atomic Habits by James Clear. Today, let’s discuss how Atomic Habits helped me build good habits and procrastinate less.
Among his theories, the one that stood out the most to me was: to change a bad habit or to adopt a good habit, we must first redefine our identity. For example, if someone wants to study more, they should first envision themselves as an “intelligent” or “studious” person. Then, they can work towards bringing this persona to life.
Atomic Habits emphasizes consistency over small bursts of motivation. Clear wrote “If you can get 1% better each day for one year, you’ll end up 37 times better by the time you’re done.” A problem with most teenagers today is their short attention-span and focus due to social media. We lose our patience rapidly, which means becoming unmotivated easily when things aren’t going our way. Sometimes we vow to do one thing and to make change in our lives, but after a while just slack off because of the absence of immediate reward. So rather than investing large amounts of energy when we “feel like it,” we should maximize the end results by investing effort little by little consistently.
Clear also talks about 4 laws of behavioral changes that will help us form good habits.
The first law: have a clear idea of the habit you are trying to build. This means you should be constantly reminded about this task until it becomes a habit. For example, having sticky notes on your wall or computer or setting reminders on your phone. One idea conveyed in the book—habit stacking—is where you add a new habit to an old one. For example, if you want to check your email consistently every day, make sure to do so when catching the bus everyday—an already existing habit or routine. After a while, you will naturally check your email every time you take the bus.
The second law: make it attractive. This is self-explanatory—make your habits appear more positive and appealing. If you want to exercise, don’t think about it as self-extorted labor, instead, workout with a friend to make it fun, or try creative exercises you find enjoyable.
The third law: make your goals straightforward/give yourself lucid instructions. Personally, I tried cleaning up my desk and organizing my computer desktop to increase efficiency while doing my homework—it really helped.
The fourth and final law: always reward yourself after completing a goal. It could be in the form of food, leeway (gaming for example), or some other way to decompress. Be aware of what propels you to build good habits.
Overall, I think this book is a great guide for anyone who has a genuine wish for self-improvement and growth on a lifetime scale. Whether it’s wanting to improve at a specific sport, start a new hobby, or “find a flow” with studying, this book will enlighten you.