We all desire to become better people in life and be successful. That is why we have many attempts to do something but in the majority of cases we cannot keep our activities. We make plans, we are so excited at the initial stage but we change our mind after a short period and nothing is done. I believe that most of us struggle with such an issue and it is very widespread. But there arises the question, why do we not keep it consistent? In my opinion, the book Atomic Habits by James Clear can provide the answer to this question.
I have read this book a little bit less than two years ago and I should say that this book made me see in a different light the habits and self-improvement. This book made me believe that big results can only be attained with big changes. I had always thought that I have to make big efforts and dramatic changes in my life to become successful. However this book led me to understand that small changes are more important than big changes. James Clear told us very clearly that we can achieve incredible things by making small steps forward assuming that we are consistent. It is a very powerful yet a simple concept.
I would like to tell you what I received in this book. The author discusses one percent rule. According to him, when we get 1 percent improvement per day then we will be 37 times better after a year. Have you ever thought how strong is this idea? However, small improvements are overlooked by most people as they feel that it is not sufficient yet in fact, small improvements add up over time and produce colossal outcomes. I believe that this is the key message of the book and it served me well in life.
The other thing that I learnt is concerning identity-based habits. James Clear explains that we are supposed to look at where we want to be rather than what we want to accomplish. As an illustration when one wishes to stop smoking he should not say I want to stop smoking, he should say I am not a smoker. It is a slight shift in mind but it is a massive difference. Our habits also change automatically when we change our identity. I think the concept is quite helpful and it could benefit any person who aims at developing positive habits.
In the book, another issue discussed is the four laws of behavior change that are make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy and make it satisfying. The four laws are extremely practical and anybody can use them in his or her everyday life. I attempted to apply these laws in developing my writing habit and this was very successful to me. I simplified the task of writing words by only beginning with 100 words per day and gradually I raised the amount. Writing has become a normal part of my life.
To conclude I believe that Atomic Habits is a book that all people should read in case they want to make their life better. The ideas are clear, yet quite efficient. Everything is explained with real examples and research explained by James Clear and this is what makes the book more credible. I would suggest this book to the others since it can actually assist in the creation of good habits and break bad ones. It is actually one of the finest self-help books I have ever read.
