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Atomic Habits

By: James Clear

Reflection By: Paul Foster

Why I read it? With our “always on” mentality, there’s no time to waste! The author of this book, James Clear, is a writer, entrepreneur, and behavioral science expert, and I wanted to know more about his perspective on how to become a more efficient person.

What is it all about?  Atomic Habits is about how to use and develop habits in your favor to achieve what you want.  By being conscious of how our environment affects us, we can choose to take control to make our habits congruent with our goals.  The idea is that by starting at more of a micro level, you can change your habits.  Creating small, attainable goals is more sustainable over time and sets you up to be able to add to those goals, rather than setting one big goal and not attaining it.  Change little things for short periods until it is easier to do them for longer periods, and then the habit of success becomes engrained.

What caused me to pause?  The best “life advice” books I’ve read usually just break down obvious concepts that we may not have taken time to consider for ourselves, and this one was no different.  We run so hard in our daily life that we never slow down enough to analyze and set ourselves up for future success.  A concept that really resonated with me was shifting your mindset from “I have to do…” to “I get to do…” because it’s a reminder of the opportunities we have available to us rather than just getting through a checklist.  For example, I get to take my kid to baseball practice because he’s healthy and I have the time.

How will this book change my habits or influence me?  The details matter – from what time you go to bed to what your work environment looks and feels like, they matter!  After reading this book, I realize that I am only as good as my habits.  The author writes, “Each habit is like a suggestion: ‘Hey, maybe this is who I am.’ … Every action you take is a vote for who you wish to become.”

Add this to your reading list if… you want to evolve and grow.  This book will cause you to look at all of the things that seem unimportant and realize that the sum of our habits makes us who we are.

Pickle Rating: 4.75

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