#Summary of atomic habits book how to#

Toothpaste became a success when they added mint flavor. We're more likely to repeat satisfying experiences. Watching too much TV? Unplug it after each use.Īddicted to social media? Delete the apps from your phone.Ĭ- Do one-time actions that lock you in: When you remove the mental candy from your environment, it's much easier to do the healthy stuff. Want to exercise? Prepare your workout clothes ahead of time.

Want to draw more? Put drawing tools on the top of your desk. Then eventually scale it up toward your ultimate goal.ī- Design an environment where it's easy to do the right thing: Instead of trying to engineer a perfect habit from the start, do the easy thing on a more consistent basis. When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do. They didn't try to be perfect.Ī- Start with lowest effort possible: The more energy an action requires, the less likely it is to occur. At the end of the term, the best photos were produced by the quantity group They sharpened their skills with repetition. One is graded on quantity of photos, and the second on quality. A photography class was divided into two groups. If you want to master a habit, start with repetition not perfection. If you put on your headphones and play music before doing focused work, it will eventually become associated with increased focus. When changing your habits means fitting into your tribe, it becomes very attractive.Ĭ- Create a motivation ritual: Do something you enjoy immediately before your desired habit. Nothing sustains motivation better than belonging to the tribe. Surround yourself with people who have the habits you want to have. I will check Twitter after I do ten pushups.ī- Get into a group with your desired behavior: We pick up habits from people around us.After I call three clients, I will check ESPN.You'll find a behavior more attractive if you get to do one of your favorite things at the same time.

Here are 3 tips to make your habits attractive:Ī- Bundle your temptations: Link the action you want to do with an action you need to do. Habit-forming behaviors like social media, junk food, drugs and video games are all associated with high levels of dopamine. Junk food is an exaggerated version of healthy food. Social media gets you more likes that you could get in real life. The more attractive an opportunity, the more habit-forming it is. 'Disciplined' people don't necessarily have more willpower, they just spend less time in tempting situations.

To stop a bad habit, escape places or situations that trigger it. To develop a new habit, it's easier to go to a new place (like different coffeeshop). Habits can be easier to change in a new environment. To remember practicing your guitar, place it in the middle of your living room. Example: After I pour my cup of coffee each morning, I will meditate for one minute.Ĭ- Design your environment for success: If you want to make a habit a big part of your life, make it a big part of your environment. Example: I will meditate for one minute at 7 AM in my kitchen.Īnother way is to stack your habit onto another thing you already do. For every particular habit you have, ask yourself: 'does it help me become the person I wish to be?'ī- Make a specific plan: When starting to create a habit, specify when and where are you going to do it. Here are 3 tips to make your habits obvious:Ī- Point out your current habits: To change your habits, you need to be aware of what you are currently doing. To successfully build a habit, you need to make the steps actually work: Habit StepĮvery habit starts by noticing cues around you. Habits follow 4 simple steps: cue, craving, response and reward. Every action you take is a vote for the person you wish to become. It's not having something, it's becoming someone. Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are the way you make progress.įocus on the person you want to become! Your goal isn't to read a book, it's to become a reader. When starting your self-improvement journey, it's best to focus on your day-to-day habits and systems rather than long-term goals.

#Summary of atomic habits book how to#

Small changes in your habits will take you to a much better destination You get what you repeat! This is a guide on how to build good habits, and break bad ones. Success is the result of daily habits, not huge transformations.