

But since you stop studying, you never develop the long-term habits you need to improve your overall academic performance. Since you’ve achieved your goal, you’ll stop this behavior because there’s no reason to keep studying. As Clear explains, if you adapt your actions to serve one finite purpose, your actions also become finite.įor example, say you ace the test for which you’ve spent two extra hours every day studying. However, goal-driven habits don’t create long-term change because once you meet your goal, you stop performing the behavior. Now that you know the types of habits, which ones should you try to implement? For long-lasting behavior change, Clear recommends that you create identity-driven habits.Ĭlear explains that this strategy is unique because most of us try to change our behavior by building goal-driven habits.
#ATOMIC HABITS BOOK HOW TO#
But Robbins’ definition of identity is broader than Clear’s: He argues that your identity also depends on factors like whether you define yourself by your past, present, or future.) How to Change Your Habits: Start With Your Identity (Shortform note: Like Clear, motivational speaker Tony Robbins also argues in Awaken the Giant Within that your identity dictates your behavior. For example, if you believe you’re a good student, you have a study routine because that’s what good students do. Eyal adds to the idea by arguing that you can only form a mindless habit by repeating processes that require effort-but that some people don’t put in this effort because they mistakenly think habits should be easy from the beginning.) Identity-Driven HabitsĬlear explains that identity-driven habits are behaviors we perform because they match our beliefs about who we are-in other words, our identity. (Shortform note: Like Clear, Indistractable author Nir Eyal suggests that some people fail to develop habits because they fail to focus on the processes. For example, developing a study routine is a system-driven habit because it focuses on the process of studying rather than the goal of acing a specific test or course. (Shortform note: What kinds of goals should you shoot for? In Principles: Life and Work, billionaire Ray Dalio recommends that you be audacious: If you know with certainty you can achieve a goal, then you’re not aiming high enough.) System-Driven HabitsĬlear contends that system-driven habits are those that focus on the systems, or processes, that will get you to your goal, instead of focusing on the goal itself. This is the most common way people try to change their behavior: For example, you might choose to study two extra hours each day in order to ace a specific test. Goal-Driven HabitsĬlear explains that a goal-driven habit is a behavior you do in order to achieve a specific goal. In The Power of Habit, productivity expert Charles Duhigg adds that different habits can likewise compound upon each other: Changing one core habit can trigger a chain reaction that encourages you to change other habits.)Ĭlear identifies three levels of habits: goal-driven, system-driven, and identity-driven habits.

(Shortform note: Clear focuses on how continuing the same behavior compounds: Saying one nice thing to your spouse won’t massively impact your relationship, but doing so every day will. Performing one good behavior leads to another, then another-and soon, you’ve transformed your life. Small Adjustments Lead to Massive TransformationsĬlear explains that implementing “atomic habits,” or small improvements in behavior, changes your life because behaviors compound-that is, they build on each other to create more and more changes. Along the way, we’ll examine how other psychologists and experts approach habit formation, and we’ll explore how Clear’s theories either align with or differ from theirs. Finally, you’ll learn how to continue improving habits you've implemented. You’ll then learn how habits form and the four keys to changing yours. In this guide, you’ll discover why habits matter and the three mindsets you can use to create them. Clear contends that implementing the right habits will drastically improve your life-but to do so, you must understand how habits work and how to change yours. How can you change your life? In Atomic Habits, James Clear argues that the key lies in your habits: the automatic behaviors that make up more than half of what you do every day. 1-Page Summary 1-Page Book Summary of Atomic Habits
