TEBI university

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Summary Notes
By Jerry Patrick onuokaibe
(CEO TEBI)

Your outcomes are a lagging measure of your habits. Your net worth is a lagging measure of your financial habits. Your weight is a lagging measure of your eating habits. Your knowledge is a lagging measure of your learning habits. Your clutter is a lagging measure of your cleaning habits. You get what you repeat.

Goals vs. Systems

Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that lead to those results.
Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress.
Winners and losers have the same goals.
Achieving a goal is only a momentary change.
Goals restrict your happiness.
Goals are at odds with long-term progress.
The purpose of setting goals is to win the game. The purpose of building systems is to continue playing the game.
You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.
Changing our habits is challenging for two reasons:

We try to change the wrong thing.
We try to change our habits in the wrong way.
Three Layers of Behavior Change

The first layer is changing your outcomes. This level is concerned with changing your results: losing weight, publishing a book, winning a championship. Most of the goals you set are associated with this level of change.
The second layer is changing your process. This level is concerned with changing your habits and systems: implementing a new routine at the gym, decluttering your desk for better workflow, developing a meditation practice. Most of the habits you build are associated with this level.
The third and deepest layer is changing your identity. This level is concerned with changing your beliefs: your worldview, your self-image, your judgments about yourself and others. Most of the beliefs, assumptions, and biases you hold are associated with this level.
The alternative is to build identity-based habits. With this approach, we start by focusing on who we wish to become.

Behavior that is incongruent with the self will not last. You may want more money, but if your identity is someone who consumes rather than creates, then you’ll continue to be pulled toward spending rather than earning.

Nail biting: “I asked my wife to schedule my first-ever manicure,” he said. “My thought was that if I started paying to maintain my nails, I wouldn’t chew them. And it worked, but not for the monetary reason. What happened was the manicure made my fingers look really nice for the first time. The manicurist even said that—other than the chewing—I had really healthy, attractive nails. Suddenly, I was proud of my fingernails.

The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity. It’s one thing to say I’m the type of person who wants this. It’s something very different to say I’m the type of person who is this.

New identities require new evidence. If you keep casting the same votes you’ve always cast, you’re going to get the same results you’ve always had. If nothing changes, nothing is going to change. It is a simple two-step process: Decide the type of person you want to be. Prove it to yourself with small wins.

I have a friend who lost over 100 pounds by asking herself, “What would a healthy person do?”

The formation of all habits is a feedback loop (a concept we will explore in depth in the next chapter), but it’s important to let your values, principles, and identity drive the loop rather than your results. The focus should always be on becoming that type of person, not getting a particular outcome.

The process of building a habit can be divided into four simple steps:

Cue
Craving
Response
Reward.
You do not crave smoking a cigarette, you crave the feeling of relief it provides. You are not motivated by brushing your teeth but rather by the feeling of a clean mouth. You do not want to turn on the television, you want to be entertained.

Every craving is linked to a desire to change your internal state.

The thoughts, feelings, and emotions of the observer are what transform a cue into a craving.

The response is the actual habit you perform, which can take the form of a thought or an action. Whether a response occurs depends on how motivated you are and how much friction is associated with the behavior.

Rewards are the end goal of every habit. The cue is about noticing the reward. The craving is about wanting the reward. The response is about obtaining the reward.

The first purpose of rewards is to satisfy your craving.

Second, rewards teach us which actions are worth remembering in the future.

If a behavior is insufficient in any of the four stages, it will not become a habit.

Eliminate the cue and your habit will never start.
Reduce the craving and you won’t experience enough motivation to act.
Make the behavior difficult and you won’t be able to do it.
And if the reward fails to satisfy your desire, then you’ll have no reason to do it again in the future.
Without the first three steps, a behavior will not occur. Without all four, a behavior will not be repeated.

The problem phase includes the cue and the craving, and it is when you realize that something needs to change. The solution phase includes the response and the reward, and it is when you take action and achieve the change you desire.

you don’t need to be aware of the cue for a habit to begin. You can notice an opportunity and take action without dedicating conscious attention to it.

Habit Scorecard

We need a “point-and-call” system for our personal lives. That’s the origin of the Habits Scorecard, which is a simple exercise you can use to become more aware of your behavior.

Make a list of your daily habits.
Ask yourself, “Is this a good habit, a bad habit, or a neutral habit?”
If it is a good habit, write “+” next to it. If it is a bad habit, write “–”. If it is a neutral habit, write “=”.
If you’re having trouble determining how to rate a particular habit, here is a question I like to use: “Does this behavior help me become the type of person I wish to be? Does this habit cast a vote for or against my desired identity?”

The first step to changing bad habits is to be on the lookout for them. If you feel like you need extra help, then you can try Pointing-and-Calling in your own life. Say out loud the action that you are thinking of taking and what the outcome will be.

they were also asked to formulate a plan for when and where they would exercise over the following week. Specifically, each member of the third group completed the following sentence: “During the next week, I will partake in at least 20 minutes of vigorous exercise on [DAY] at [TIME] in [PLACE].”… 91 percent of the third group exercised at least once per week—more than double the normal rate.

The sentence they filled out is what researchers refer to as an implementation intention, which is a plan you make beforehand about when and where to act. That is, how you intend to implement a particular habit.

Many people think they lack motivation when what they really lack is clarity. It is not always obvious when and where to take action. Some people spend their entire lives waiting for the time to be right to make an improvement.

The simple way to apply this strategy to your habits is to fill out this sentence: I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION].

The Diderot Effect states that obtaining a new possession often creates a spiral of consumption that leads to additional purchases.

Habit stacking: identify a current habit you already do each day and then stack your new behavior on top.

The habit stacking formula is: “After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].”

Creating a habit list for creating new habits

Make a list with two columns. In the first column, write down the habits you do each day without fail.
In the second column, write down all of the things that happen to you each day without fail.
Armed with these two lists, you can begin searching for the best place to layer your new habit into your lifestyle.
Habits like “read more” or “eat better” are worthy causes, but these goals do not provide instruction on how and when to act. Be specific and clear: After I close the door. After I brush my teeth. After I sit down at the table. The specificity is important. The more tightly bound your new habit is to a specific cue, the better the odds are that you will notice when the time comes to act.

habits can be easier to change in a new environment. It helps to escape the subtle triggers and cues that nudge you toward your current habits. Go to a new place—a different coffee shop, a bench in the park, a corner of your room you seldom use—and create a new routine there.

“disciplined” people are better at structuring their lives in a way that does not require heroic willpower and self-control. In other words, they spend less time in tempting situations.

I have never seen someone consistently stick to positive habits in a negative environment.

One of the most practical ways to eliminate a bad habit is to reduce exposure to the cue that causes it.

Remove a single cue and the entire habit often fades away.

The more attractive an opportunity is, the more likely it is to become habit-forming.

When it comes to habits, the key takeaway is this: dopamine is released not only when you experience pleasure, but also when you anticipate it. Gambling addicts have a dopamine spike right before they place a bet, not after they win.

It is the anticipation of a reward—not the fulfillment of it—that gets us to take action.

The habit stacking + temptation bundling formula is:

After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [HABIT I NEED]. After [HABIT I NEED], I will [HABIT I WANT].
If you want to watch sports, but you need to make sales calls: After I get back from my lunch break, I will call three potential clients (need). After I call three potential clients, I will check ESPN (want).
The hope is that eventually you’ll look forward to calling three clients or doing ten burpees because it means you get to read the latest sports news or check Facebook.
Join a culture where (1) your desired behavior is the normal behavior and (2) you already have something in common with the group.

Whenever we are unsure how to act, we look to the group to guide our behavior. We are constantly scanning our environment and wondering, “What is everyone else doing?”

The normal behavior of the tribe often overpowers the desired behavior of the individual. For example, one study found that when a chimpanzee learns an effective way to crack nuts open as a member of one group and then switches to a new group that uses a less effective strategy, it will avoid using the superior nut cracking method just to blend in with the rest of the chimps.

Your habits are modern-day solutions to ancient desires. New versions of old vices. The underlying motives behind human behavior remain the same. The specific habits we perform differ based on the period of history.

Even the tiniest action is tinged with the motivation to feel differently than you do in the moment. When you binge-eat or light up or browse social media, what you really want is not a potato chip or a cigarette or a bunch of likes. What you really want is to feel different.

Find something that makes you truly happy—like petting your dog or taking a bubble bath—and then create a short routine that you perform every time before you do the thing you love. Maybe you take three deep breaths and smile. Three deep breaths. Smile. Pet the dog. Repeat. Eventually, you’ll begin to associate this breathe-and-smile routine with being in a good mood.

If you want to master a habit, the key is to start with repetition, not perfection. You don’t need to map out every feature of a new habit. You just need to practice it. This is the first takeaway of the 3rd Law: you just need to get your reps in.

One of the most common questions I hear is, “How long does it take to build a new habit?” But what people really should be asking is, “How many does it take to form a new habit?” That is, how many repetitions are required to make a habit automatic?

Habits like scrolling on our phones, checking email, and watching television steal so much of our time because they can be performed almost without effort. They are remarkably convenient.

One of the most effective ways to reduce the friction associated with your habits is to practice environment design.

when deciding where to practice a new habit, it is best to choose a place that is already along the path of your daily routine. Habits are easier to build when they fit into the flow of your life.

create an environment where doing the right thing is as easy as possible.

Resetting the room: For instance, when he finishes watching television, he places the remote back on the TV stand, arranges the pillows on the couch, and folds the blanket.

If you find yourself watching too much television, for example, then unplug it after each use. Only plug it back in if you can say out loud the name of the show you want to watch.

When I hide beer in the back of the fridge where I can’t see it, I drink less. When I delete social media apps from my phone, it can be weeks before I download them again and log in.

Your options are constrained by what’s available. They are shaped by the first choice.

The Two-Minute Rule: “When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.”

A new habit should not feel like a challenge. The actions that follow can be challenging, but the first two minutes should be easy. What you want is a “gateway habit” that naturally leads you down a more productive path.

Your goal might be to run a marathon, but your gateway habit is to put on your running shoes. That’s how you follow the Two-Minute Rule.

Becoming an Early Riser

Be home by 10 p.m. every night.
Have all devices (TV, phone, etc.) turned off by 10 p.m. every night.
Be in bed by 10 p.m. every night (reading a book, talking with your partner).
Lights off by 10 p.m. every night.
Wake up at 6 a.m. every day.
As mathematician and philosopher Alfred North Whitehead wrote, “Civilization advances by extending the number of operations we can perform without thinking about them.”

Stories like these are evidence of the Cardinal Rule of Behavior Change: What is rewarded is repeated. What is punished is avoided. You learn what to do in the future based on what you were rewarded for doing (or punished for doing) in the past. Positive emotions cultivate habits. Negative emotions destroy them.

One solution is to turn the situation on its head. You want to make avoidance visible. Open a savings account and label it for something you want—maybe “Leather Jacket.” Whenever you pass on a purchase, put the same amount of money in the account. Skip your morning latte? Transfer $5. Pass on another month of Netflix? Move $10 over. It’s like creating a loyalty program for yourself.

One of my readers and his wife used a similar setup. They wanted to stop eating out so much and start cooking together more. They labeled their savings account “Trip to Europe.” Whenever they skipped going out to eat, they transferred $50 into the account.

In summary, a habit needs to be enjoyable for it to last. Simple bits of reinforcement—like soap that smells great or toothpaste that has a refreshing mint flavor or seeing $50 hit your savings account—can offer the immediate pleasure you need to enjoy a habit. And change is easy when it is enjoyable.

Never miss twice. The first mistake is never the one that ruins you. It is the spiral of repeated mistakes that follows.

The more immediate the pain, the less likely the behavior. If you want to prevent bad habits and eliminate unhealthy behaviors, then adding an instant cost to the action is a great way to reduce their odds.

As soon as actions incur an immediate consequence, behavior begins to change. Customers pay their bills on time when they are charged a late fee. Students show up to class when their grade is linked to attendance. We’ll jump through a lot of hoops to avoid a little bit of immediate pain.

habit contract can be used to add a social cost to any behavior. It makes the costs of violating your promises public and painful.

HOW TO CREATE A GOOD HABIT

1. Make It Obvious

Fill out the Habits Scorecard. Write down your current habits to become aware of them.
Use implementation intentions: “I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION].”
Use habit stacking: “After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].”
Design your environment. Make the cues of good habits obvious and visible.
2. Make It Attractive

Use temptation bundling. Pair an action you want to do with an action you need to do.
Join a culture where your desired behavior is the normal behavior.
Create a motivation ritual. Do something you enjoy immediately before a difficult habit.
3. Make It Easy

Reduce friction. Decrease the number of steps between you and your good habits.
Prime the environment. Prepare your environment to make future actions easier.
Master the decisive moment. Optimize the small choices that deliver outsized impact.
Use the Two-Minute Rule. Downscale your habits until they can be done in two minutes or less.
Automate your habits. Invest in technology and onetime purchases that lock in future behavior.
4. Make It Satisfying

Use reinforcement. Give yourself an immediate reward when you complete your habit.
Make “doing nothing” enjoyable. When avoiding a bad habit, design a way to see the benefits.
Use a habit tracker. Keep track of your habit streak and “don’t break the chain.”
Never miss twice. When you forget to do a habit, make sure you get back on track immediately.
HOW TO BREAK A BAD HABIT

1. Make It Invisible

1. Reduce exposure. Remove the cues of your bad habits from your environment.

2. Make It Unattractive

1. Reframe your mind-set. Highlight the benefits of avoiding your bad habits.

3. Make It Difficult

1. Increase friction. Increase the number of steps between you and your bad habits.

2. Use a commitment device. Restrict your future choices to the ones that benefit you.

4. Make It Unsatisfying

1. Get an accountability partner. Ask someone to watch your behavior.

2. Create a habit contract. Make the costs of your bad habits public and painful.

The greatest threat to success is not failure but boredom. We get bored with habits because they stop delighting us. The outcome becomes expected. And as our habits become ordinary, we start derailing our progress to seek novelty.

You need just enough “winning” to experience satisfaction and just enough “wanting” to experience desire. This is one of the benefits of following the Goldilocks Rule. If you’re already interested in a habit, working on challenges of just manageable difficulty is a good way to keep things interesting.

I know of executives and investors who keep a “decision journal” in which they record the major decisions they make each week, why they made them, and what they expect the outcome to be. They review their choices at the end of each month or year to see where they were correct and where they went wrong.

I reflect on my progress (or lack thereof) by answering three questions:

What went well this year?
What didn’t go so well this year?
What did I learn?
My yearly Integrity Report answers three questions:

What are the core values that drive my life and work?
How am I living and working with integrity right now?
How can I set a higher standard in the future?

You are invited !!!

Its your turn this year

Tebi school of leadership

10 Steps to Effective Coronavirus Crisis Leadership

During a crisis, leaders lead. In every crisis, there is opportunity for leaders to make something good when it seems impossible. Like firefighters rushing into a burning building, we have to make quick decisions because lives--and businesses--depend on it.

10 Ways leaders can rise to the challenge

1. Align expectations

In a crisis, you will not have all the answers but will need to address the unknown and speak confidently. People will expect actions from you. Aligning expectations and realities takes skill, insight and patience, as well as the ability to admit you don't have all the answers. Leaders conquer communications barriers and communicate early and often.

2. All eyes are on you

Leaders often forget that all eyes are on them. This is especially true as the intensity of a situation grows. In such moments, people look to leaders, searching their words, actions and body language for guidance. It's like when you experience turbulence on a flight--you look to the flight crew and their non-verbal cues.

Leaders know themselves. You need to be more of what makes you who you are: Those values, qualities, talents and experiences that people already appreciate about you. Your challenge is to see yourself outside of yourself to gain an understanding of how others see and perceive you as a leader. Self-awareness is a critical capability that leaders must develop.

3. Stay positive

"The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails." -- John Maxwell

Remain as optimistic as possible. How you show up in a crisis has a significant impact. Positive thoughts and actions focus on strengths, successes, opportunities and collaboration. Leaders radiate trust, hope and optimism that leads to positive energy, confidence and purpose.

4. Tell the truth

Communication is your kryptonite. Crisis often includes misinformation that leads to confusion. Explain the problem honestly in a straightforward way, focusing on positive steps to overcome it. Choose words wisely, be consistent and clear. Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. If you are confusing, you are losing.

5. Know what you stand for

When someone asks what you as a leader stand for--what do you say? What is your purpose, mission and values? Every action should reflect this. It's not just about standing for something; it's about the difference you make in the world and stepping up to share what you stand for to encourage others to do the same. Leaders work from a place of purpose. A higher mission that motivates and inspires teams for action. You, as a leader, are a brand. Don't miss an opportunity to lead and build your brand equity in a crisis.

6. Demonstrate empathy

Listen to understand. Show people that you genuinely care by relating to their perspective. Recognize behaviors and respond to emotions. Remember: Empathy isn't about what you want--it's about what the other person needs. Your actions should benefit them.

7. See the big picture

Leaders can see the big picture and visualize the potential impact long before others do. It's crucial to step back, observe and make sense of the situation. My dad always said, "You don't know what you don't know." Leaders must be comfortable with what they can't see. One of the hardest things to do in a crisis is to step back from managing the urgent problems while maintaining focus on the bigger picture.

8. Slow down and stay calm

Keep calm and carry on! People need to feel safe and secure. The composure of leaders must embody agility and patience to minimize the impact of uncertainty. Take care of yourself, mentally and physically, so that you can be fully present. People feed off of emotions and erratic behaviors. Crisis is fueled when composure is missing.

9. Have a plan

"The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You can't blow an uncertain trumpet." --Theodore M. Hesburgh

If you don't know where you're going, you'll never get there. Focus and discipline are essential. Envision success and build a plan that is easy to understand and flexible in responding to the unknown.

10. Simply lead

Leaders simply lead. They work from within themselves, with the courage, emotional intelligence and integrity to navigate the crisis around them. They are prepared; they don't panic. They care and communicate in service of others. Leaders are ordinary people doing extraordinary things. They see the opportunity in a crisis to transform themselves and the world around them.

Don't miss an opportunity to lead--to rise above the chaos and crisis when everything seems impossible. The world needs you.

Jerry Patrick onuokaibe

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Atomic Habits Summary

The Book in Three Sentences
An atomic habit is a regular practice or routine that is not only small and easy to do but is also the source of incredible power; a component of the system of compound growth.
Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change.
Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them for years.
The Five Big Ideas
Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.
If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead.
The most effective way to change your habits is to focus not on what you want to achieve, but on who you wish to become.
The Four Laws of Behavior Change are a simple set of rules we can use to build better habits. They are (1) make it obvious, (2) make it attractive, (3) make it easy, and (4) make it satisfying.
Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior.
Atomic Habits Summary
Chapter 1: The Surprising Power of Tiny Habits
“Success is the product of daily habits—not once-in-a-lifetime transformations.”

“You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results.”

“Your outcomes are a lagging measure of your habits. Your net worth is a lagging measure of your financial habits. Your weight is a lagging measure of your eating habits. Your knowledge is a lagging measure of your learning habits. Your clutter is a lagging measure of your cleaning habits. You get what you repeat.”

“Time magnifies the margin between success and failure. It will multiply whatever you feed it. Good habits make time your ally. Bad habits make time your enemy.”

“Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that lead to those results.”

“If you want to predict where you’ll end up in life, all you have to do is follow the curve of tiny gains or tiny losses, and see how your daily choices will compound ten or twenty years down the line.”

“Breakthrough moments are often the result of many previous actions, which build up the potential required to unleash a major change.”

If you find yourself struggling to build a good habit or break a bad one, it is not because you have lost your ability to improve. It is often because you have not yet crossed what James calls, “Plateau of Latent Potential.”

The Plateau of Latent Potential
“When you finally break through the Plateau of Latent Potential, people will call it an overnight success.”

“The purpose of setting goals is to win the game. The purpose of building systems is to continue playing the game. True long-term thinking is goal-less thinking. It’s not about any single accomplishment. It is about the cycle of endless refinement and continuous improvement.”

“Ultimately, it is your commitment to the process that will determine your progress.”

“Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.”

“Getting 1 percent better every day counts for a lot in the long-run.”

1% Better Every Day
“Habits are a double-edged sword. They can work for you or against you, which is why understanding the details is essential.”

“Small changes often appear to make no difference until you cross a critical threshold. The most powerful outcomes of any compounding process are delayed. You need to be patient.”

“An atomic habit is a little habit that is part of a larger system. Just as atoms are the building blocks of molecules, atomic habits are the building blocks of remarkable results.”

“If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead.”

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

Chapter 2: How Your Habits Shape Your Identity (and Vice Versa)
“Changing our habits is challenging for two reasons: (1) we try to change the wrong thing and (2) we try to change our habits in the wrong way.”

“There are three layers of behavior change: a change in your outcomes, a change in your processes, or a change in your identity.”

Three Layers of Behavior Change

“Outcomes are about what you get. Processes are about what you do. Identity is about what you believe.”

“With outcome-based habits, the focus is on what you want to achieve. With identity-based habits, the focus is on who you wish to become.”

“The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity.”

“It is a simple two-step process: Decide the type of person you want to be. Prove it to yourself with small wins.”

“Ask yourself, “Who is the type of person that could get the outcome I want?”

“The most effective way to change your habits is to focus not on what you want to achieve, but on who you wish to become.”

“Your identity emerges out of your habits. Every action is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”

“Becoming the best version of yourself requires you to continuously edit your beliefs, and to upgrade and expand your identity.”

“The real reason habits matter is not because they can get you better results (although they can do that), but because they can change your beliefs about yourself.”

Chapter 3: How to Build Better Habits in 4 Simple Steps
Whenever you want to change your behavior, ask yourself:

How can I make it obvious?
How can I make it attractive?
How can I make it easy?
How can I make it satisfying?
“A habit is a behavior that has been repeated enough times to become automatic.”

“The ultimate purpose of habits is to solve the problems of life with as little energy and effort as possible.”

“Any habit can be broken down into a feedback loop that involves four steps: cue, craving, response, and reward.”

“The Four Laws of Behavior Change are a simple set of rules we can use to build better habits. They are (1) make it obvious, (2) make it attractive, (3) make it easy, and (4) make it satisfying.”

Chapter 4: The Man Who Didn’t Look Right
“If you’re having trouble determining how to rate a particular habit, ask yourself: ‘Does this behavior help me become the type of person I wish to be? Does this habit cast a vote for or against my desired identity?’”

“With enough practice, your brain will pick up on the cues that predict certain outcomes without consciously thinking about it.”

“Once our habits become automatic, we stop paying attention to what we are doing.”

“The process of behavior change always starts with awareness. You need to be aware of your habits before you can change them.”

“Pointing-and-Calling raises your level of awareness from a nonconscious habit to a more conscious level by verbalizing your actions.”

“The Habits Scorecard is a simple exercise you can use to become more aware of your behavior.”

Chapter 5: The Best Way to Start a New Habit
“The 1st Law of Behavior Change is make it obvious.”

“Many people think they lack motivation when what they really lack is clarity.”

“The Diderot Effect states that obtaining a new possession often creates a spiral of consumption that leads to additional purchases.”

“One of the best ways to build a new habit is to identify a current habit you already do each day and then stack your new behavior on top. This is called habit stacking.”

Habit Stacking

“The habit stacking formula is: ‘After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].’”

“The two most common cues are time and location.”

“Creating an implementation intention is a strategy you can use to pair a new habit with a specific time and location.”

“The implementation intention formula is: I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION].”

“Habit stacking is a strategy you can use to pair a new habit with a current habit.”

“The habit stacking formula is: After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].”

Chapter 6: Motivation is Overrated; Environment Often Matters More
“Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior.”

“Small changes in context can lead to large changes in behavior over time.”

“Every habit is initiated by a cue. We are more likely to notice cues that stand out.”

“Make the cues of good habits obvious in your environment.”

“Gradually, your habits become associated not with a single trigger but with the entire context surrounding the behavior. The context becomes the cue.”

“It is easier to build new habits in a new environment because you are not fighting against old cues.”

Chapter 7: The Secret to Self-Control
“The inversion of the 1st Law of Behavior Change is make it invisible.”

“Once a habit is formed, it is unlikely to be forgotten.”

“People with high self-control tend to spend less time in tempting situations. It’s easier to avoid temptation than resist it.”

“One of the most practical ways to eliminate a bad habit is to reduce exposure to the cue that causes it.”

“Self-control is a short-term strategy, not a long-term one.”

Chapter 8: How to Make a Habit Irresistible
“The 2nd Law of Behavior Change is make it attractive.”

“The more attractive an opportunity is, the more likely it is to become habit-forming.”

“Habits are a dopamine-driven feedback loop. When dopamine rises, so does our motivation to act.”

“It is the anticipation of a reward—not the fulfillment of it—that gets us to take action. The greater the anticipation, the greater the dopamine spike.”

“Temptation bundling is one way to make your habits more attractive. The strategy is to pair an action you want to do with an action you need to do.”

Chapter 9: The Role of Family and Friends in Shaping Your Habits
“The culture we live in determines which behaviors are attractive to us.”

“We tend to adopt habits that are praised and approved of by our culture because we have a strong desire to fit in and belong to the tribe.”

“We tend to imitate the habits of three social groups: the close (family and friends), the many (the tribe), and the powerful (those with status and prestige).”

“One of the most effective things you can do to build better habits is to join a culture where (1) your desired behavior is the normal behavior and (2) you already have something in common with the group.”

“The normal behavior of the tribe often overpowers the desired behavior of the individual. Most days, we’d rather be wrong with the crowd than be right by ourselves.”

“If a behavior can get us approval, respect, and praise, we find it attractive.”

Chapter 10: How to Find and Fix The Cause of Your Bad Habits
“The inversion of the 2nd Law of Behavior Change is make it unattractive.”

“Every behavior has a surface level craving and a deeper underlying motive.”

“Your habits are modern-day solutions to ancient desires.”

“The cause of your habits is actually the prediction that precedes them. The prediction leads to a feeling.”

“Highlight the benefits of avoiding a bad habit to make it seem unattractive.”

“Habits are attractive when we associate them with positive feelings and unattractive when we associate them with negative feelings. Create a motivation ritual by doing something you enjoy immediately before a difficult habit.”

Chapter 11: Walk Slowly, But Never Backward
“The 3rd Law of Behavior Change is make it easy.”

“The most effective form of learning is practice, not planning.”

“Focus on taking action, not being in motion.”

“Habit formation is the process by which a behavior becomes progressively more automatic through repetition.”

“The amount of time you have been performing a habit is not as important as the number of times you have performed it.”

Chapter 12: The Law of Least Effort
“Human behavior follows the Law of Least Effort.”

“We will naturally gravitate toward the option that requires the least amount of work.”

“Create an environment where doing the right thing is as easy as possible.”

“Reduce the friction associated with good behaviors. When friction is low, habits are easy.”

“Increase the friction associated with bad behaviors. When friction is high, habits are difficult.”

“Prime your environment to make future actions easier.”

Chapter 13: How to Stop Procrastinating by Using the Two-Minute Rule
Every day, there are a handful of moments that deliver an outsized impact. James refers to these little choices as “decisive moments.”

“Decisive moments set the options available to your future self.”

“A habit must be established before it can be improved.”

“Habits can be completed in a few seconds but continue to impact your behavior for minutes or hours afterward.”

“Many habits occur at decisive moments—choices that are like a fork in the road—and either send you in the direction of a productive day or an unproductive one.”

“The Two-Minute Rule states, ‘When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.’”

“The more you ritualize the beginning of a process, the more likely it becomes that you can slip into the state of deep focus that is required to do great things.”

“Standardize before you optimize. You can’t improve a habit that doesn’t exist.”

Chapter 14: How to Make Good Habits Inevitable and Bad Habits Impossible
“The inversion of the 3rd Law of Behavior Change is make it difficult.”

“A commitment device is a choice you make in the present that locks in better behavior in the future.”

“The ultimate way to lock in future behavior is to automate your habits.”

“Onetime choices—like buying a better mattress or enrolling in an automatic savings plan—are single actions that automate your future habits and deliver increasing returns over time.”

“Using technology to automate your habits is the most reliable and effective way to guarantee the right behavior.”

Chapter 15: The Cardinal Rule of Behavior Change
“The 4th Law of Behavior Change is make it satisfying.”

“We are more likely to repeat a behavior when the experience is satisfying.”

“The human brain evolved to prioritize immediate rewards over delayed rewards.”

“The Cardinal Rule of Behavior Change: What is immediately rewarded is repeated. What is immediately punished is avoided.”

“To get a habit to stick you need to feel immediately successful—even if it’s in a small way.”

“The first three laws of behavior change—make it obvious, make it attractive, and make it easy—increase the odds that a behavior will be performed this time. The fourth law of behavior change—make it satisfying—increases the odds that a behavior will be repeated next time.”

Chapter 16: How to Stick with Good Habits Every Day
“Named after the economist Charles Goodhart, Goodhart’s Law states, ‘When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.’”

“One of the most satisfying feelings is the feeling of making progress.”

“A habit tracker is a simple way to measure whether you did a habit—like marking an X on a calendar.”

“Habit trackers and other visual forms of measurement can make your habits satisfying by providing clear evidence of your progress.”

“Don’t break the chain. Try to keep your habit streak alive.”

“Never miss twice. If you miss one day, try to get back on track as quickly as possible.”

“Just because you can measure something doesn’t mean it’s the most important thing.”

Chapter 17: How an Accountability Partner Changes Everything
“The inversion of the 4th Law of Behavior Change is make it unsatisfying.”

“We are less likely to repeat a bad habit if it is painful or unsatisfying.”

“An accountability partner can create an immediate cost to inaction. We care deeply about what others think of us, and we do not want others to have a lesser opinion of us.”

“A habit contract can be used to add a social cost to any behavior. It makes the costs of violating your promises public and painful.”

“Knowing that someone else is watching you can be a powerful motivator.”

Chapter 18: The Truth About Talent (When Genes Matter and When They Don’t)
“The secret to maximizing your odds of success is to choose the right field of competition.”

“Pick the right habit and progress is easy. Pick the wrong habit and life is a struggle.”

“Genes cannot be easily changed, which means they provide a powerful advantage in favorable circumstances and a serious disadvantage in unfavorable circumstances.”

“Habits are easier when they align with your natural abilities. Choose the habits that best suit you.”

“Play a game that favors your strengths. If you can’t find a game that favors you, create one.”

“Genes do not eliminate the need for hard work. They clarify it. They tell us what to work hard on.”

Chapter 19: The Goldilocks Rule—How to Stay Motivated in Life and Work
“The Goldilocks Rule states that humans experience peak motivation when working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities.”

The Goldilocks Rule
“The greatest threat to success is not failure but boredom.”

“As habits become routine, they become less interesting and less satisfying. We get bored.”

“Anyone can work hard when they feel motivated. It’s the ability to keep going when work isn’t exciting that makes the difference.”

“Professionals stick to the schedule; amateurs let life get in the way.”

Chapter 20: The Downside of Creating Good Habits
“The upside of habits is that we can do things without thinking. The downside is that we stop paying attention to little errors.”

“Habits + Deliberate Practice = Mastery”

“Reflection and review is a process that allows you to remain conscious of your performance over time.”

“The tighter we cling to an identity, the harder it becomes to grow beyond it.”

Recommended Reading
If you like Atomic Habits, you may also enjoy the following books:

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey
Better Than Before: Mastering The Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin
Mini Habits: Smaller Habits, Bigger Results by Stephen Guise
Buy The Book: Atomic Habits
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