Atomic Habits review
“Get 1% better every day”.
I am slightly biased in writing this review because prior to reading the book I already possessed a near religious belief in habits and how they impact our lives. Having read previous habit books like Charles Duhigg Power of Habits and Marshall Goldsmith “triggers”, I felt I was at least relatively intermediate on my knowledge of the topic.
Why did I read the book then? Because learning (or reinforcing learning) about habits is one of the most powerful ways for you to improve in the game of life. Your habits shape your destiny is one of my core beliefs so I am always happy to try to get a new “edge” or ways to improve them. I also
expected to find new gems that would help reinforce the message of why habits are so powerful and I was not disappointed.
But enough of my own habits and life, the question is whether you should read this book? The resounding answer is YES.
Honestly, who doesn’t want to get better at something? Or who doesn't want to stop doing something?
James Clear is a fantastic writer who I have followed his informative articles on a variety of topics for nearly a year. A lot of what is in the book is material he has written about on his website as other reviewers have stated but he puts it together in a very neat format for the book so even his regular readers should get something out of this. I actually took so many notes/highlights from the Kindle edition that I almost reached the publisher limit of 10% - a sign that I believe highly in what I am reading and want to reflect upon it for years to come.
The opening pages of the book lay down a quote I will now repeat forever “if you can get 1% better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty- seven times better by the time you’re done. Conversely, if you get 1% worse each day for one year, you’ll decline nearly down to zero.” The beginning lays out why habits are so powerful and how habits shape who we are as people before getting into the HOW of starting to build better habits.
The core of the book is based on the author’s “4 Laws” of habit change - Make it obvious, Make it Attractive, Make it Easy, Make it Satisfying”. By following the laws of habit creation we improve our chances of success in creating new habits.
Without droning on too long, I must highly recommend this book. Even if you have no idea about what a habit is or if you are already advanced in the practising of habit change then this book will still teach you so much. If not just a refresher on the topic to keep you motivated. Seriously, anyone of any age could benefit from this book. It gives you the tools to start thinking more clearly about your life and improving it. I would recommend it to anyone over the other habit books I have read (see above) as it is relatively short and provides the “how to” parts on a silver platter.
I will end my post on a few excellent quotes of the book towards the end (Ch.19 ”How to Stay Motivated” as this is the golden question for once you finish the book. A coach was asked by Clear what is the difference between the best athletes and everyone else? The coach said: ‘the factors you might expect: genetics, luck, talent. But then he said something I wasn’t expecting: “At some point it comes down to who can handle the boredom of training every day, doing the same lifts over and over and over.”
“Mastery requires practice. But the more you practice something, the more boring and routine it becomes. Once the beginner gains have been made and we learn what to expect, our interest starts to fade.
It is a fantastic book but the key thing will be can you then translate that into action? The book gives you the best leg up you can get - it’s then up to you to turn knowledge into action and go and get 1% better every darn day.
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Great book
I like the book lots of interesting perspective but the thing is it was a little bit overrated for me. But it was a good book, I had a good time reading this book. I read it through kindle.
Top reviews from Australia
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Reviewed in Australia on 21 December 2023
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Reviewed in Australia on 15 January 2024
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I like the book lots of interesting perspective but the thing is it was a little bit overrated for me. But it was a good book, I had a good time reading this book. I read it through kindle.
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Reviewed in Australia on 25 August 2023
I’ve been on the path of self-improvement for some time.
Apart from a 9 day meditation retreat and the extractive teachings of Thomas Richardson on Insight Timer, nothing has catapulted my personal development the way this book has.
James has a great style of writing with lots of examples. You can apply his teachings and layer habits.
The revelation that you identify your values and beliefs before you establish your processes/systems and finally your goals(which are only indicators, as in the words of Simon Sinek, the game is infinite) was the biggest game changer for my wife and I.
As a suggestion from a mate, I downloaded both the audible file and bought the physical book. The lessons sunk in by reading the book and listening to James read it to you. Expensive exercise, but fully worth it.
One exceptional thing James does in his writing, are the “hero sentences” at the start of a paragraph. You know what the paragraph is about from the beginning and your brain is ready to absorb the concepts because it knows the context and purpose from the onset.
Invest in yourself and buy this book.
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This book changed my and my family’s life for the better.
Reviewed in Australia on 25 August 2023
Once in a while, you come across a book that completely changes your life and you are never the same.Reviewed in Australia on 25 August 2023
I’ve been on the path of self-improvement for some time.
Apart from a 9 day meditation retreat and the extractive teachings of Thomas Richardson on Insight Timer, nothing has catapulted my personal development the way this book has.
James has a great style of writing with lots of examples. You can apply his teachings and layer habits.
The revelation that you identify your values and beliefs before you establish your processes/systems and finally your goals(which are only indicators, as in the words of Simon Sinek, the game is infinite) was the biggest game changer for my wife and I.
As a suggestion from a mate, I downloaded both the audible file and bought the physical book. The lessons sunk in by reading the book and listening to James read it to you. Expensive exercise, but fully worth it.
One exceptional thing James does in his writing, are the “hero sentences” at the start of a paragraph. You know what the paragraph is about from the beginning and your brain is ready to absorb the concepts because it knows the context and purpose from the onset.
Invest in yourself and buy this book.
Images in this review
Reviewed in Australia on 26 November 2023
Verified Purchase
One of the best book that I ever invested on.
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Top reviews from other countries
A mesa chegou danificada!
ótimo livro
Reviewed in Brazil on 5 January 2024Verified Purchase
Denisse Ramirez
Excelente
Reviewed in Mexico on 19 December 2023Verified Purchase
L. J. Oja
"Atomic Habits Unveiled: A Philosopher's Take on Personal Transformation"
Reviewed in Canada on 2 December 2023Verified Purchase
Karan
One of the greatest books of all time
Reviewed in India on 18 January 2024Verified Purchase
Karan
Reviewed in India on 18 January 2024
The ideas given by the book are deceptively simple, yet profound. Anyone looking to dramatically improve his/her life should not miss this book.
I have been following James Clear’s newsletters way before this book was published and it’s safe to say he practices what he preaches in the book.
The quality of the paper and print is very good too. This deserves 5 stars in every aspect.
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lazylenny
Much cheaper than Wsmith
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 January 2024Verified Purchase
