After many years of buy books to add to my tool box, Atomic Habits is one, if not the most actionable books I’ve ever had. I’m 100 pages in and already applying what I’m learning. I wish this book existed years ago.

I enjoyed reading this book and it definitely brought together a lot of the ideas that exist around habits. I think it provides a great synopsis and will prove valuable if you actually want to implement good habits. The book gives every angle to habits including creating an identity to compare your habits against to making habits more attractive. If you attack your habits from every angle this book provides I imagine it will be much easier to create and sustain something. If you haven't already read a lot about habits I highly recommend this book. If you already have some knowledge about habits it may not be quite as valuable, but can definitely serve as a habit bible if you've had trouble executing on creating habits.

I have just finished reading Atomic Habits and am happy to share some thoughts with you. The book has profoundly impacted me. James Clear starts by sharing his strategies to overcome from a serious accident when he was a teenager; and from the there he delves deep into a simple and logical system that help us build good habits while breaking unwanted ones.Before sharing some key points I just wanted to say I could not put this book way, reading it in 3 enjoyable sits. In fact, James writes beautifully, it is an engaging and easy-to-read book. There is no mistake, it took him 3 full years to write it after signing a deal with his publisher. Well, I say that because each phrase was chosen precisely, not only inspiring me to take actions right there, but also touching me deeply while reading.Now, going to the book itself, James Clear divides it into 5 sections:The first section is about the fundamentals, which kept me motivated to read the entire book without a blink. We learn that tiny habits/changes have such a positive effect in the long run due to the “compounding effect”. That is, in the beginning new habits/changes are barely noticeable, but once we cross the main plateau, they grow exponentially. In order to get habits formed properly, James Clear emphasizes that we should focus on the overall “system” rather than on a single “goal” itself. In other words, the process we choose will determine our progress. The writer also explains how our habits and identity are interconnected, feeding each other as we develop our habits in a “feedback loop”. That said, one of the most effective ways to change our habits for better is to focus on “who we wish to become” instead of on “what we want to achieve” by working on our behaviors. As a consequence, we build better and stronger habits when we continuously work on improving our own identity. After all, habits and behaviors are interconnected.The next 4 sections are dedicated to the 4-step method proposed by James Clear. According to him, habits can be broken down into a “feedback loop” that involves 4 steps: cue, craving, response, and reward. Cues are the first signs that trigger our brains to initiate behavior. Cravings are the motivational forces behind our habits—they feed our desire for change assuming that the outcomes will be pleasant/positive. Response is the actual action or thought performed—which may create a habit over time if performed repeatedly. Finally, rewards are the outcomes of positive responses—the end goal of a habit. The author explains that we chase rewards to satisfy our cravings and also to teach us which actions are worth remembering in the future. To build strong habits, we should feed these 4 steps creating a cycle known as the “habit loop”.These 4 sections are replete of real examples; step-by-step exercises/methods to help us create better habits; many diagrams/figures to better illustrate the writer’s points; and discussions on how each step serve to connect the “habit loop”.Last section is a bonus where we learn key points about talent development, about keeping our motivation in difficult times, and some drawbacks from certain habits created throughout life.As a disclaimer, I have not known James Clear’s work beforehand and pre-ordered the book while researching on Amazon for a book on “building better habits”. I trusted my intuition after reading only 2 of his articles on his personal website and seeing his biography. Although I have read a few interesting books that could add to Atomic Habits such as Thinking in Systems, The Talent Code, The 1% Rule, Getting Things Done, Essentialism, and the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, I have not read yet the well-known The Power of Habits to compare with the present one.As a short digression, I believe the book Essentialism, by Greg McKeown, is a good companion—it adds to Atomic Habits by clarifying and presenting a valuable system to focus on what matters most for us. In that way, we can combine building better habits with those few and most valuable aspects we want to pursue. However, if you would like a book in building habits that focus on business, specially one that relies heavily on having customers coming back over time, I feel like Hooked, by Nir Eyal, was an interesting read, and the system proposed is quite similar to the Atomic Habits.All in one, I cannot recommend this book enough. That said, during these last 3 days since I started reading it, I have already moved forward towards more meaningful habits based on “who I want to become” by applying simple steps on my daily routine. Blessed for that.Anyways, I sincerely hope you, too, enjoy reading this book and build positive habits into your routine.Take good care,HaicalP.S. I normally read good books twice: it is during the second run when key information settles down, and when I capture details that are not easily noticed at first. Also, it is during this process I take notes, those that will help me better retain thoughts and use them in life. The second read frequently happens within a few months from the first. That said, with this book will be totally different, I will read again starting this coming weekend. It is a powerful tool that I cannot wait to see positive improvements day after day.

Having listened to the audio version of Atomic Habits, I must say that James Clear is now a master of understanding habit formation and change. Atomic Habits is destined to be the bible for all who want to understand this important life skill. Clear writes clearly (pun intended) and has a lot to say. Unlike many books in the self-improvement domain, Atomic Habits is worth the a full commitment to study the entire book and put it into practice. It's an impressive piece of work.

Atomic Habits has really made me think about how I live my life and what habits are leading me to success or hindering my progress. The saying “we are all creatures of habit” is something I have heard all my life. This book strongly brings that point home with clear cut examples.