This is my personal summary of Atomic Habits.
The Power of Small Changes
We often see in movies that a main character transforms through one radical event. But in reality, that's usually misleading. The path to success isn't typically one major moment that changes everything. Instead, it's an accumulation of many small changes over a long period that eventually leads to success. "Atomic Habits" explains exactly this: small habits can make a huge difference. They often seem negligible, but in the long run, they determine whether we succeed or completely fail.
The math backs this up: if you improve by just 1% every day, you'll be 37 times better by the end of the year. If you get 1% worse every day, you'll end up as a complete failure. We can see real-life examples of these "aggregation of marginal gains" in the British cycling team. They improved very small, overlooked things by just 1% and, in the following 10 years, went from 110 years of mediocrity in cycling to winning 178 world championships, 66 Olympic and Paralympic gold medals, and five Tour de France victories. This is regarded as one of the most successful runs in cycling history.
Focus on Systems, Not Just Goals
Instead of simply setting goals, you should set up systems. Goals are what you want to achieve. Maybe you want to get good grades, start a business, get in shape, or adopt a good habit. These are just goals, or you could even say they're just wishes. But systems are what will actually lead you to those goals. If a goal is the destination, then the system is the journey. So, instead of focusing on the goals, focus on the systems. Focus on how you want to get to that goal, not just the fact that you want to get there! Here are some problems with only setting goals and never setting up a system:
- Problem 1: Winners and losers often have the same goals. The ones who actually achieve those goals are the ones with better systems. Every Olympian wants a gold medal, every candidate wants the job, every student wants good grades, and every CEO wants their company to generate more revenue. But who actually gets those goals? Those with a system that promotes continuous, consistent improvements will get there, not just the ones who "have" those goals.
- Problem 2: Achieving a goal doesn't fix the root cause. Let's say you achieved your goal of passing an exam. The problem is that even if you passed this time with some motivation or external force, you'll likely return to your old bad habits of not studying, playing video games, and wasting time until the last minute. In a way, you treated a symptom but not the root cause! If you treat the root cause (your systems: study time, focus sessions, study technique), you won't have to worry about the goal; the scores will take care of themselves.
- Problem 3: Focusing only on goals can lead to unhappiness. Laozi, in the Tao Te Ching, said, "A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving." This shows us that instead of focusing solely on goals, we must focus on the journey. Only fixating on goals can lead to unhappiness. We trick ourselves into thinking, "Once I get to this goal, then I'll be happy," but life is just goals after goals, and that "perfect time" to feel happy might never come. If we focus on the systems, on the everyday life that will eventually lead us to the goals, you don't have to wait to give yourself permission to be happy. You can be satisfied every time your system is running.
- Problem 4: Goal obsession hinders long-term progress. Let's say a runner who trains for months to win a competition actually wins. But what happens later? They might start their lazy habits again and stop training because they were in love with the goal, not the system itself. Therefore, the runner who runs for the joy of running will outlast the one who runs to beat others. It's never about one accomplishment; it's about the cycle of constant improvement.
Build an Identity Around Your Habits
To create lasting habits, you should build an identity around that habit. For example, if you want to quit smoking and a friend asks if you want to smoke, instead of saying, "I'm trying to quit smoking," say, "I'm not a smoker." Both responses convey that you don't smoke, but the last one establishes an identity. You're saying you are that person. The more you tell yourself your identity, the more deeply rooted it becomes. If you tell yourself you're good at problem solving and then prove that with small wins, you will actually become a good problem solver. James Clear makes this obvious by sharing his wife's story. One time, she remembered the names of the whole class after the first introduction, and someone asked her how she did that. She responded that she is good at remembering names! This was an identity she gave herself, and to this day, she remembers names better than anyone else.
The Four Laws of Lasting Habits
To make a lasting habit, follow these four laws:
- Make it Obvious: If you don't know which habits you want to remove or adopt, you're just grasping at air. So, you should write them down to become aware of them. Then, associate those habits with a specific time and location. Stack those habits with an already established one! Create an environment where you have cues for that habit.
- Make it Attractive: You'll actually stick to a habit if it's considered attractive or good. As a kid, you might have spent hours grinding video games because having cool skins in that game was attractive among your friends. So, to make your habit attractive, join a community where your desired habit is considered attractive and normal.
- Make it Easy: If you want to hit the gym every day but your gym is 50km away, there's a very small chance you'll actually go. To stick to the habit, you should decrease the friction. This might mean choosing a gym near your home. Decrease the steps between your current state and the habit so you can switch into the habit with minimal work necessary. Also, just focus on the first step. To go out for a run, don't focus on the running itself; focus on putting on your running clothes and shoes, and the running will eventually happen.
- Make it Satisfying: Biologically, the brain loves things that make you happy and hates things that make you exhausted or sad. So, if you make your habit satisfying, your brain will automatically crave doing that habit. Celebrate small victories and give yourself rewards. Don't punish yourself for breaking the habit one day; instead, get back on track the day after.