Suman Saha's Key Ideas from Atomic Habits
by James Clear

To create a new good habit or destroy an old bad one you just need to change your identity to yourself and others.

If you want to quit smoking, then whenever anyone offers you a cigarette, say "I'm not a Smoker."

If you want to build a good reading habit, tell others that you are a good reader.

When you start saying like that your subconscious takes it as an order and tries to act according to that.

Any habit can be broken down into a feedback loop that involves four steps: 

1. Cue: is that thing (mainly visual) that reminds you about the thing you about to do.
2. Craving: Then you wanted (thinking) to do that thing.
3. Response: You do that thing.
4. Reward: You get a reward after completing that thing.

If the cycle is completed successfully then you have created a habit to do that particular thing.

1. Make the CUE visible.
2. Make it attractive (more CRAVING).
3. Make your RESPONSE easy.
4. Give yourself a satisfying REWARD. 

1. Make the CUE invisible.
2. Make it unattractive (less CRAVING).
3. Make your RESPONSE very hard.
4. Give yourself a unsatisfying REWARD.

Winners and Losers have the same Goal but the difference is in their System. Achieving a goal is a monetary thing and goals also restrict our happiness.

Goals are just important for setting up the direction.

But System is important for moving along that direction and accomplishing the goal. 

Set Goals at first, then focus on the system.

Install a new habit after an old habit. Here the old habit will act as the CUE or the trigger for the new habit.

When you completed the old habit, you can use that momentum of that habit to start a new habit and that extra momentum will help to overcome the initial friction of a new habit.

'Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior.'

Habits become easy to perform when you do that thing in a particular place everyday. Create your environment in such a way that the CUE will be better visible to you. 

Gradually, the habits become associated not with a single trigger but with the entire context surrounding the behavior. The context becomes the cue. 

And also it is easier to build new habits in a new environment because you are not fighting against old cues.

'People with high self-control tend to spend less time in tempting situations. It’s easier to avoid temptation than resist it.'

So make the CUE invisible or remove those things from which you are more distracted.

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).

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.

When you know someone is watching, that can be a powerful motivator!

The Two-Minute Rule states, ‘When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.'

The more the beginning of a process will be ritualized, the more likely it becomes that you can slip into the state of deep focus that is required to do great things.

So for new habits just try to do it only for minutes but every day. If someday it feels like you can't do that day, then just do it for 2 minutes.

A habit tracker is a simple way to measure whether you did a habit—like marking an X on a calendar or use any app for that.

Habit trackers and other visual measurements can make your habits satisfying by providing clear evidence of your progress.

“Never miss twice. If you miss one day, try to get back on track as quickly as possible.”

The Goldilocks Rule states that humans experience peak motivation when working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities.

Anyone can work hard when they feel motivated. It’s the ability to keep going when work isn’t exciting that makes the difference. 

So try to set up the level of your habit in that way so that it matches the Goldilocks Zone. If you can increase the level then just shorten the time, it will also work.