Atomic Habits: My Key Takeaways

What I learned from reading Atomic Habits

Recently, I read James Clear’s popular book Atomic Habits. As I was reading, I took some notes on things I thought I should remember to apply in my everyday life. Building good habits—and losing bad ones—can be difficult, but simple techniques, like the ones presented in Atomic Habits, can help ease these processes. Below, I share 4 of my key takeaways from reading this amazing book.

Progress is not linear

It is very easy to lose motivation when we don’t obtain the results we want; sometimes we may feel as though we’ve put too much effort trying to achieve something, without actually seeing any positive outcomes. This is a trap that may lead us to fall into the valley of disappointment, and that is why it is very important to remember that progress is not linear. Success is the result of daily efforts—even tiny ones—that will lead to remarkable results in the long term.

“Success is the product of daily habits — not once-in-a-lifetime transformations.” — James Clear

Progress is not linear.

We can look at habits the same way we look at investments. We probably won’t see big returns in the short-term, but that doesn’t mean we’re not making any progress. In fact, one little turning point can make all the difference between seeing a return or nothing at all. If we think of habits in financial terms, this is very similar to the famous saying: time in the market beats timing the market. The longer we stick to building good habits (or breaking bad ones), the closer we get to obtaining the results we want.

Habits occur in a loop

Any habit follows a 4-step process:

1. Cue–in other words, we become aware of it (e.g. you feel the smell of donuts as you walk past Dunkin’)
2. Craving–you want it (e.g. you want to eat a donut)
3. Response–this is the action you take (e.g. buy a donut)
4. Reward–what you get out of your habit (e.g. you’re…