Atomic Habits

🧢 Tags:: #Personal_Notes #Books
Resources::
Links:: Atomic Habits

πŸš€ The Book In 3 Sentences

  1. Easy to understand.
  2. Implementing is easier if you follow the points.
  3. Simplified a complex issue.

🎨 Impressions

Key Insights

1.

🧢 Tags::
Resources:: Atomic Habits
Links::
2021-10-14 - 11:30

  1. The power of compounding is the key. If we get better 1% every day, we can get 37 times better by the end of the year.
  2. We also have a plateau of latent potential. Our habits don't seem to make a difference until we cross a critical threshold.
  3. We expect progress to be linear, But the key aspect of any compounded effect is that the outcomes are delayed.
    1_iLQ89nhDmku3z3EMgIZI3A.png

2.

🧢 Tags::
Resources:: Atomic Habits
Links::
2021-10-14 - 11:40

  1. Winners and losers have the same goals.
  2. When we set or achieve a goal, we only change our life for a moment. These results are temporary.
  3. Instead, what you need to change is the systems that cause those results in the first place.
  4. We put off happiness for achieving a certain goal, like "when I achieve this goal, then I'll be happy."
  5. The score takes care of itself if, you focus on playing the game better.

3.

🧢 Tags:: #Fleeting_Notes #🌿
Resources:: Atomic Habits
Links::
2021-10-14 - 11:55

Untitled.png

Most of us work from outcome to identity, but we should work to make our habits an identity of ourselves.

When we solve problems for outcomes and results, we only solve them temporarily, but when we make it our identity we work beyond that and solve things on systemic level.

When it's part of our identity, work for it all the time.

Example

"I want to get fit because I want to lose weight", is an outcomes based habit, Vs "I'm a person who wants to be healthy, so I'll go to the gym and take care of my body", is an identity based approach.

Once you reach your weight goal in the first one, you'll start doing unhealthy things again, but with the second one even when you reach your ideal weight you'll continue to keep the good habits because you identify yourself as a healthy person.

Here are some things that you'll come across as you try this method:

You Might Think You're a Fake

At first, it'll be hard to accept the identity you're trying to achieve. You might also feel like you're a faker in the beginning. Or it might seem unfathomable to visualize yourself as that person.

This will happen for some time and can be easy or hard to manage depending on how big of a jump it is from your current reality.

Don't Create a Rigid Identity

It's easy to think about how you want to be and create very rigid constraints around that identity.

For example: If you're trying to become a healthy person who goes to the gym 5 times a week, but for some reason you couldn't do it at some point. You might think of it as a big failure, but you need to realize that, these kinds of things will happen to everyone at some point or another.

The point is not to be perfect, the point is to be as consistent as humanly possible, given your circumstances.

3.1

🧢 Tags:: #Fleeting_Notes #🌱
Resources:: Atomic Habits
Links::
2021-10-14 - 12:04

  1. How do we build these habits, and how do we overcome difficulty? For this, we can split up the process of building habit into 4 stages.
    1. Cue
    2. Craving
    3. Response
    4. Reward

Cue

Cue is when we notice that we need to change something in our life. This can be anything like weight gain, etc.

This cue is responsible for us taking the future action, It means we notice something is wrong that we want to change.

Craving

Craving is the desire for change.
Now, it's important to notice that even though you might have a cue, you can still be someone who will not take any action to change yourself.
This happens with many people who see that they need to improve, but never take the action to change their habits at all.
You can have a craving, but never crave it enough to actually take an action to achieve it.

Response

Response is the action we take in order to change our habit.
This is where many people fail. To change our old bad habit is where many have a really hard time.
To replace an old habit with a new one, especially when we have been practicing the old habit for a really long time.
This is where 2-Minutes Reset rule can come in handy. This is where you gradually change a habit by taking it slow but, doing it consistently.

Reward

No need to explain it too much, but, this is where you start to see the results of your hard work.
With time, you can get used to these results and be bored with it and even fall back to your old 'bad' habits but, if you stay consistent you can get used to this activity enough to call it a habit.

4.

2021-10-14 - 12:23

Make It Obvious

  1. Make it easy to do the good habits. Put fewer steps between you and the good habits and more steps between you and the bad one.
  2. For that, you can create an environment in which you can easily practice your good habits without taking any steps.
  3. By creating an environment like that can have a compounded effect on your overall habits. Thereby making it easy for you to do better with other good habits as well.

Make It Attractive

  1. Make your habits attractive, especially when you're first beginning to form a new habit, doing this can reduce the chances of you stopping midway.
  2. You can also give yourself a small reward at the end of completing a habit to keep yourself motivated, but can also have a negative effect as you'll only work for it if you get an instant reward at the end of the activity.

Make It Easy

  1. "Friction is the most powerful force in the universe."
  2. Make it as easy as you can to do the thing that you desire. Like keeping the dumbbells somewhere where you can see them. This will create a visual cue that you need to workout.

Make It Immediately Rewarding

  1. Our brains have evolved to prioritize of immediate rewards over delayed rewards.
  2. "What is Immediately rewarded is repeated. What is Immediately punished is avoided."
  3. Make things rewarding Immediately by giving yourself something that you like. EG- Taking a nice break after a hard workout session, while you watch a show you like, etc.

🧢 Tags -


Resources - Atomic Habits

Rewritten

Habits are a crucial part of our daily lives. We all have habits that we want to get rid of or start implementing. The good news is that with the 4 laws of habit change, we can do just that!

The 4 laws of habit change are designed to make habit formation as effortless as possible. The laws are Make It Obvious, Make It Attractive, Make It Easy, and Make It Immediately Rewarding. When these four laws are followed, habit formation becomes a whole lot easier.

In this article, we will dive into each of the four laws of habit change and explore how we can apply them to our daily lives. By the end of this article, you will have a clear understanding of how to make habits stick and achieve the changes you desire.

So, whether you're trying to create a new habit or get rid of an old one, these four laws can help you make it happen. Let's dive into the details!

Make it Obvious

Let's dive into the first law of habit change - Make it Obvious. This law essentially means making it easy to do good habits by putting fewer steps between you and the good habits, and more steps between you and the bad ones.

To implement this law, you can create an environment that promotes good habits without requiring any effort on your part. For example, if you want to start exercising in the morning, you can lay out your workout clothes and shoes the night before. This will serve as a visual cue to remind you of your goal and make it easier for you to follow through.

Another strategy is to remove any obstacles that might hinder your progress. If you want to eat healthier, for instance, you can make sure your fridge is stocked with healthy foods, and avoid buying junk food altogether.

The idea is to make the good habit obvious and appealing, while making the bad habit less visible and less attractive. By creating an environment that promotes good habits, you'll find that it's easier to stick to your goals over time.

Incorporating this law into your daily life can have a compounding effect on your overall habits. As you create a more conducive environment for good habits, you'll find it easier to adopt other positive behaviors as well. Remember, making it obvious is all about reducing the friction between you and your desired habits. So, take a look at your daily routine and see where you can apply this law to help you achieve your goals.

Make it Attractive

Now that we’ve covered the importance of making good habits obvious, let's move on to the next law of habit change - making it attractive.

Making a habit attractive means linking it to something you already enjoy, or finding ways to make it enjoyable in itself. The idea is to create a positive association with the habit, which makes it easier to stick to in the long run.

One way to make a habit attractive is by adding an element of fun to it. For instance, if you’re trying to develop a habit of working out regularly, you could try doing it with a friend or listening to music that gets you pumped up. This can help create a positive and enjoyable experience around exercise, which can make it easier to stick to over time.

Another way to make a habit attractive is to use visual cues. For example, if you’re trying to drink more water, you could get a water bottle that you find visually appealing, or use a reminder app that has a pleasing interface. This can help make the habit more enjoyable, and also serve as a reminder to practice it regularly.

Finally, it can also be helpful to reward yourself for sticking to a habit. This could be something small like treating yourself to a favorite snack after completing a task, or something bigger like a weekend getaway after reaching a major goal. The key is to find a reward that you find genuinely attractive, which can motivate you to stick to your habit even when it gets tough.

Making a habit attractive is all about finding ways to make it enjoyable and creating positive associations with it. By doing so, you increase your chances of sticking to the habit in the long run, and making it a natural part of your daily routine.

Make it Easy

This law is all about making it easy for yourself to perform the habits that you want to stick to. As the saying goes, "friction is the most powerful force in the universe". If there's too much friction involved in performing a habit, you're much less likely to do it. But if you can remove the friction and make it easy, then you're much more likely to follow through.

One strategy for making good habits easy is to reduce the number of steps involved. For example, if you want to start exercising in the morning, you could lay out your workout clothes the night before. That way, when you wake up, you don't have to waste any time thinking about what to wear - you can just put on your workout clothes and get started.

Another strategy is to make use of technology. For example, if you want to drink more water throughout the day, you could set reminders on your phone to drink a glass of water every hour.

Finally, you can also use the power of your environment to make good habits easier. For example, if you want to eat healthier, you could make sure that you always have healthy snacks available in your home or office. This makes it more likely that you'll choose a healthy snack over an unhealthy one.

Incorporating the Make It Easy law into your life can help you form good habits that stick. By reducing the friction involved in performing good habits, you make it much more likely that you'll follow through and achieve your goals.

Make it Immediately Rewarding

Have you ever struggled to stick to a new habit or goal? It's common to start out with great intentions, but then quickly lose motivation and fall back into old habits. That's where the fourth law of habit change comes in: Make It Immediately Rewarding.

The idea behind this law is simple: our brains are wired to prioritize immediate rewards over delayed ones. So, if you want to make a new habit stick, you need to find ways to make it immediately rewarding.

One strategy is to give yourself a small reward after completing a habit. For example, if your goal is to exercise regularly, you could treat yourself to a favorite snack or TV show after each workout. Just be careful not to rely too heavily on external rewards, as this can backfire and make you less motivated in the long run.

Another way to make habits immediately rewarding is to focus on the intrinsic benefits of the habit itself. For instance, if you're trying to eat healthier, you could savor the taste of a delicious salad or take pride in making a positive choice for your body.

It's also important to remember that what counts as a reward will vary from person to person. For some, a social connection or sense of accomplishment might be more rewarding than a tangible treat.

Ultimately, the key to making habits immediately rewarding is to experiment and find what works best for you. When you can associate positive feelings with your new habit, you'll be much more likely to stick with it over time.

Conclusion

Well done! You've now learned about the four laws of habit change and how to apply them in your daily life. Remember, making good habits obvious, attractive, easy, and immediately rewarding is key to building long-lasting habits that will improve your life.

Start by identifying a habit that you want to form and apply the four laws. Make it obvious by setting up your environment for success, making it attractive by giving yourself a small reward or creating a positive association, making it easy by removing any barriers, and making it immediately rewarding by treating yourself to something you enjoy.

Be patient and consistent in your efforts, as building good habits takes time and effort. Don't be too hard on yourself if you slip up, as it's natural to experience setbacks along the way. Use them as an opportunity to learn and adjust your approach.

Remember, the benefits of building good habits are numerous, from improved health and well-being to increased productivity and success in all areas of life. By implementing these four laws, you can build habits that will help you achieve your goals and lead a fulfilling life.

So, take action today and start building those good habits. You won't regret it!

Behaviors are effortless here Behaviors are difficult here
Obvious Invisible
Attractive Fugly
Easy Hard
Satisfying Unsatisfying

How I Discovered It


Who Should Read It?


🍁 How The Book Changed Me

πŸ’‘ How my life/ thoughts/ behavior/ ideas have changed as a result of reading this Book

It made following habits easier than before, but if you forget the rules described in the book and fall back to old routines, it can create the same issues as before.
It's better to come back to it from time to time or read the points described in the book to make sure you make the habit of forming new habits a habit in itself.


πŸ“ My Top 3 Quotes

  1. "Time magnifies the margin between success and failure. It will multiply whatever you feed it."
  2. "Good habits make time your ally. Bad habits make time your enemy"
  3. "The purpose of setting goals is to win the game. The purpose of building systems is to continue playing the game."
  4. "Identity change is the north star of habit change."
  5. "What is Immediately rewarded is repeated. What is Immediately punished is avoided."