Small improvements amount to big results & can assist you in achieving bigger goals. This is demonstrated by the author highlighting the impact coach Dave Brailsford, performance director of the British cycling team had in 2003 after 100 years of mediocrity. He was different than other coaches due to his commitment to a strategy he called the aggregation of marginal gain, the philosophy of looking for any tiny improvement in everything you do. The changes were perceived as minuscule on their own but all together would improve the overall performance of the cyclist winning them gold in 2008.

Chapter 1. The Surprising Power Or Atomic Habits.

Only 5 years after Dave Brailsford was hired the British team won gold in the 2008 Olympic Games. This success was attributed to the strategy of aggregation of marginal gain.This shows the importance of minuscule goals & becoming 1% better. The importance of small habits are overlooked because the 1% change may not be noticeable to others & we are used to wanting to make huge change that is seen but one must remember that the long term benefit & satisfaction will be worth it & more meaningful in the long run. Getting 1% better each day makes you 37% better at the end of the year.

Great Britain Winning Gold In The 2008 Beijing Olympics

“Habits are the compound interest of self improvement.”&“The effects of your habits multiply as you repeat them.”

Small habits seem to give little difference in any given day but the impact they have over time can be huge. Usually this does not become apparent until many years later in one’s life when reflecting back on their life or consequences of such habits. James elaborates on this point of view by sharing with the readers a melting ice cube visual to shows us how impactful a tiny change can have when compounded. The visual made you imagine an ice cube in a room that began a to heat up. 26 degrees then 27, then 28 and so on until the ice cube finally began to melt once reaching 32 degrees.

Compounded Habits

“Time magnifies the margin between failure and success. It will multiple whatever you feed it.”“Good habits will make time your allied while bad habits will make time your enemy.”

It was only one degree higher than the last temperature shift & despite not seeming like the small change would have such a significant impact, it did. This amplifies the impact compounded habits have & is a key lesson on patience in any process that involves small habits that may not seem as important while doing them but compounded most definitely are. This is why many tend to give up right before they get to see any big change/impact. It’s like giving up at the 31 degree mark & not getting to see the impact that one degree higher would have had on the ice cube but for your personal life.

Melting Ice Cube

“Complaining about not achieving success but working so hard is like complaining that the ice cube will not melt when only heating it up from 26° to 31°. Your work was not wasted, it was just being stored because all the action happens at 32°”

Many of us give up right before the big moment  thinking the compound of all those habits/actions went to waste because the desired result was not met the way you expected.You cannot give up when things aren’t reaping the exact results you want as everyone hits valleys of disappointment before they can reach their breakthrough or level up. Instead remember the importance of patience during this time while you are building compounded habits because short term gratification is nothing compared to long term gain/success or achievements.

But what makes some slide into bad habits while others are able to stick through the process & reach their goals or see results?Systems. James explains that the difference between systems & goals is that goals are about the results that you want to achieve. While systems are about the process that leads you to those results.

Systems

“Goals are good for setting a direction while systems are best for making progress.”

The goal may be to have your room clean, but if you only do it when you have a burst of motivation to do so, this will only result in your room eventually becoming messy again. This is due to the fact that you did not focus on setting a good system to keep your room clean but only set the goal when motivation hit.This chapter highlights the importance of understanding not to change the result/goal, but to change the systems and to not withhold your satisfaction/happiness because the real life goal isn’t being achieved exactly how you envisioned but instead enjoy the journey of building it.

Messy Room Example

“The purpose of setting goals is to win the game. The purpose of building systems it to continue playing the game. True long term thinking is goalless thinking. It’s not about any single accomplishment it’s about the cycle of endless refinement and continuous improvement. Ultimately it is your commitment to the process, that will determine your progress.”

Atomic habits refer to tiny habits & changes that although underestimated on their own, are mighty & powerful as they are the building blocks to reach your bigger goals. And if you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem is not you. The problem is your systems. Bad habits will repeat themselves when you have a bad system to change these bad habits.  Remember as James said in this book “You do not rise to the level of your goals, but you do fall to the level of systems.” Therefore focus on the systems you have in place rather than the goal.

A System Of Atomic Habits

This chapter elaborates on the fact that most of us attempt to change habits by focusing on the wrong aspect.This is demonstrated by the visual of an onion, which shows the three levels at which change can occur:Layer 1 is changing outcomes. These are your goals, such as running a marathon or losing weight.Layer 2 is changing processes. These are your habits and systems, such as a new gym routine or decluttering your desk or room.Layer 3 is identity. This includes your beliefs and biases about the world, yourself, and others.

Chapter 2. How Habits Change Your Identity & Vise Versa.

“The outcome is what you get.The process is what you do.The identity is what you believe.“

So remember, what you get (outcome) is influenced by what you do (process), which is shaped by what you believe identity).

A thorough summary and my take aways of Atomic Habits by James Clear.

The #1 New York Times bestseller. Over 10 million copies sold! Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. 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. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you'll get a proven system that can take you to new heights. Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field. Learn how to: <ul><li>make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy);</li></ul><ul><li>overcome a lack of motivation and willpower;</li></ul><ul><li>design your environment to make success easier;</li></ul><ul><li>get back on track when you fall off course;</li></ul>...and much more. Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits--whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.

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James Clear is the author of "Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones" He writes about habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement at jamesclear.com. His website receives millions of visitors each month and hundreds of thousands subscribe to his popular email newsletter.His work has appeared in the New York Times, Entrepreneur, Time, and on CBS This Morning. He is a regular speaker at Fortune 500 companies and his work is used by teams in the NFL, NBA, and MLB. Learn more at jamesclear.com

Atomic Habits

Laura Tatiana