When you own a business, you’re constantly on the lookout for ways to improve your firm and the way you operate it. Sometimes this requires you to ditch old habits that no longer work for you and be open to new routines.
Atomic Habits by James Clear takes an in-depth look at how you can break bad habits and make way for newer, more productive ones. The premise of the book is that we all have habits that either propel us toward our goals or away from them. The key is to find habit-forming strategies that work for you instead of against you.
The Four Laws of Behavior Change
Atomic habits are routines that are not only simple and easy to follow, but also have incredible power. If you stick with small changes for years, they will compound into remarkable results.
Clear explores actionable strategies for forming good habits and breaking bad ones. This is achieved by understanding and following the Four Laws of Behavior Change, which are essentially a how-to guide for developing a good habit.
1. Make It Obvious
By writing down or bringing awareness to your daily habits, you can take control of them. Clear calls this “implementation intention.” By declaring your intention to start a habit, it is much more likely that you will do it. If you say, “I’ll return five client calls at 10:00 am tomorrow after going through my emails,” it is much more effective than saying, “I’ll call everyone back in the morning.”
2. Make It Attractive
According to Clear, by pairing an action you want to do with an action you need to do, your mind will be tempted to adopt the habit. For example, if you want to expand your marketing (something you need to do), commit to yourself that you will review your social media stats or content marketing trends while you drink your morning espresso (something you want to do).
3. Make It Easy
It is easier to stick with a habit if it’s easy to follow. Clear recommends that you prime your environment to make it easy for you to start a habit. Leaving a self-help book on your pillow, for example, may help you build the habit of reading before bed.
Clear also suggests automating habits whenever possible. For example, if you want to save for retirement, you may be able to set up an automatic deduction from your checking into a savings account every month.
4. Make It Satisfying
According to Clear, repeating a behavior is much more likely when the experience is instantly satisfying. When we are rewarded immediately, our brains will repeat that behavior. To train your brain, he suggests rewarding yourself immediately after completing a habit. For example, if you’re trying to become more fit, you could treat yourself to a movie or new book each week you hit the gym for at least three days.
Conclusion
One of the book’s biggest strengths is that Clear breaks all recommended actions down into tiny steps that make change more simple than you think. By emphasizing that small steps can lead to significant results, Atomic Habits is one of the most practical self-help books you may ever read.
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