Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.

Attach some form of immediate gratification to habits with a deleayed return to make them satisfying. You could put 5$ into your piggy bank for each day not smoked.

Habits need to be satisfying

Alter your environment to make good habits easy and bad habits hard: put your running shoes right next to the bed for example. Also have a detailed plan of action called an implementation intention.

Cue: visible and unmissable

<ol><li>Cue: A trigger that gets you to act</li><li>Craving: a desire you want to fulfill</li><li>Action: the action of the habit itself</li><li>Reward: the positive feeling you get from completing the habit</li></ol>

The makings of a habit

Link an important but unappealing behavior to something you enjoy doing: like listening to your favorite music while doing your chores. This will release dopamine in the brain and you will actually enjoy the new behavior.

Temptation bundling

<ul><li>reduce friction for good habits (e.g.: keep that plate of fresh fruit right in the middle of the desk)</li><li>build up friction for bad habits (e.g.: unplugg your TV and put the batteries out of the remote when you want to reduce your TV-time)</li><li>Break each new habit down into something you can do in 2 minutes: read one paragraph or do 5 push-ups. </li></ul>

New habits must be as simple as possible

Small changes may have a negligible immediate impact but when they become a habit and are repeated regularly over time they can change our whole lives.

Focus on trajectory rather than results

<ul><li>Track your habits (paper or app)</li><li>Form a habit contract with someone you respect</li></ul>

Stick to your habits

This book has helped me build great habits and it can do the same for you. Remember systems/habits are better than goals. 

The #1 New York Times bestseller. Over 10 million copies sold! Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you'll get a proven system that can take you to new heights. Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field. Learn how to: <ul><li>make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy);</li></ul><ul><li>overcome a lack of motivation and willpower;</li></ul><ul><li>design your environment to make success easier;</li></ul><ul><li>get back on track when you fall off course;</li></ul>...and much more. Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits--whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

health

Health

habits

Habits

entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

books

Books

James Clear is the author of "Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones" He writes about habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement at jamesclear.com. His website receives millions of visitors each month and hundreds of thousands subscribe to his popular email newsletter.His work has appeared in the New York Times, Entrepreneur, Time, and on CBS This Morning. He is a regular speaker at Fortune 500 companies and his work is used by teams in the NFL, NBA, and MLB. Learn more at jamesclear.com

JAMES CLEAR

Similar ideas to JAMES CLEAR

Conclusion

Identity-Based Habits

How Do I Know if a Habit is Good or Bad?