Atomic Habits by James Clear is one of the most popular self-help books. One of the many reasons it’s a good book because it uses a practical and easy-to-do formula for how to create habits. It not only teaches you the value of what good habits can do for you but also in what ways you can destroy a bad habit. This post will teach you how to create a habit using James Clear’s book Atomic Habits. We will start talking about the techniques and methods you can use to develop and maintain Habits and then about the laws that encompass these methods. To simplify this process, we will show you 12 ways you can create habits using James Clear’s famous book.
1. Use the Implementation Intention technique.
Peter Gollwitzer was the first psychologist to discuss the implementation Intention technique in 1999. Implementation Intention is done by planning when you will do the action and where it is located. A good example is this: “I will run 30 min at 8:00 pm in my local gym”. The reason why this technique works is that it uses time and location. Time and location are the most common cues necessary to start a habit. If you go to the gym (location), there is a higher chance of working out (action).
If you go to your home and sit on your favorite sofa(location) in front of the Tv, the chances of working out are less (action). Time is crucial because it sets a moment for a specific action. A typical example is sleeping. We tend to sleep (action)better and longer at night (time). So we associate sleep with the night. As James Clear says: ” Give your habits a time and a space to live in the world.” Also, the Implementation Intention technique works because your goals and actions are clear; you are more likely to say no to distractions.
2. Use Habit Stacking
In Atomic Habits, James Clear states that one of the best ways to create a habit is to stack a new one on top of an old one. BJ Fogg made Habit Stacking; its formula is shown in the picture above. You can use this simple method to start and upgrade an existing habit. The reason why habit stacking works is that it takes advantage of human behaviors that are similar to the Diderot Effect.
The Diderot Effect, in summary, is a consumer behavior in which one purchase leads to multiple unnecessary purchases. Human Behaviors are similar to this effect because every action we do creates an impact upon which we act. I will use a personal example to illustrate this behavior. If I have work to do on my desk and I see it is messy, I have an urge to clean it up. After I clean my desk and see that the floor below is dirty, I will take a broom and mop and clean it. After realizing that only one tiny part of my bedroom is clean, I will clean up all of my room. Eventually, I will wash my whole house thanks to a behavior that makes other behaviors easier to do.
3. Create the ideal environment for your Habits.
Similar to what I explained earlier about location, your habits are heavily influenced by your environment. When we arrive at a site, we are greeted with an environment that will help us either take action or persuade us from taking action. Our habits can change according to the environment we are in. Habits are also easier to create when being in a new environment. An example of how our environments influence our habits is when you arrive at a cafeteria and see most people eating, you will most likely get hungry and eat.
To create habits that help you achieve your goals, start by preparing the environment necessary to help nourish those habits. Let’s say you aim to read ten books a year and decide the best time to read them before you sleep. A good decision will be to put the book close to your bed. That way, whenever you go to bed before sleeping, you see the book and read a few pages. You can also choose a new location and environment to help start your desired habit. Create obvious visual cues in your environment to promote the habit you wish to develop or select a new place to grow your desired habit.
4. Use Temptation Bundling
Temptation Bundling is another technique that combines an action you want to do with an activity you need to do. I use this method to organize my clothes. After my clothes finish drying, I watch an episode of Prison Break (the desire I want to do) and organize my clothes (The action I need to do). This is an excellent technique because it can make bothersome and annoying steps more manageable if you have something to look for. Temptation Bundling works because it uses Premack’s Principle.
In summary, Premack’s Principle says that behavior you enjoy doing will reinforce the behavior you don’t enjoy doing. SimplyPsychology has a great article explaining in more depth what this principle does and its numerous examples. You can also combine this technique with the Habit Stacking Method to increase the odds of making the desired habit and keeping it.
5. Surround Yourself With People and a Culture that has your desired habits.
There are many similar quotes to this one, but none are specific to habits. Suppose you surround yourself with a culture and people who have your desired habits as their normal behavior. In that case, you will create exceptional habits. The same can be true if you surround yourself with a bad culture that promotes destructive habits. We need to surround ourselves with people who have our desired practices because we copy our group’s pattern.
Sticking with the wrong crowd will only derail you from success. It promotes terrible habits and lacks the environment necessary for creating inner change. When joining a group that shares your tastes and whose practices you want for yourself, growth is automatic. Good habits will become even more incredible, and harmful habits will cease to exist. With the right crowd, your desire to make them proud will eventually lead you to a point where you may even excel at. This could eventually lead you to the success you dream of just because great people have this effect.
6. Master the Two-Minute Rule
David Allen created the two-minute rule, and it is first seen in his time management book “Getting Things Done.” The Two- Minute rule is a method of scaling your habit down to 2 minutes. This rule has the intention of starting a habit as easily as possible. For example, let’s say you want to create a reading habit. Instead of saying that the goal is to read for an hour, say you will read three pages.
After starting to read your first pages, it is more likely that you will continue to read because habits are easier to maintain than to create. Also, since you’ve already read three pages, why not do five more, and just like that, you are now invested in reading. Habits are easier to maintain than to start because our brains are hard-wired to follow the law of least effort. The law of least effort says that we naturally choose the option of less resistance or less work instead of hard work. Continuing the action is more manageable once we get past the initial resistance of starting the habit.
7. Use Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement is a way of making a habit more enjoyable. Positive reinforcement is when you introduce a positive feeling or sensation after a behavior. This positive sensation has the goal of reinforcing a behavior, thus making it easier to repeat itself. Since doing something you enjoy releases dopamine, the brain automatically remembers it. It promotes it every time you are presented with similar cues. A great example is taking a massage after a hard workout session.
Your brain automatically registers that doing a message after an intense workout feels good and will promote this behavior every time. You can apply positive reinforcement to almost any habit. Try using this with the Habit Stacking rule to get the most out of your behaviors. You can also use the temptation Bundling + Habit Stacking formula to make a loop that fuels even more positive behaviors. Positive Psychology has a great article explaining Positive Reinforcement’s meaning, origin, and types.
8. Use Habit Tracking
Another way to increase the chance of repeating a good habit is to track your progress. One of James Clear’s quotes is: “Progress is one of the most effective forms of motivation.” This quote can be applied here because if you track your habits, you will see the progress and how far you have come. This will lead to feelings of success which are crucial to strengthening the identity and maintaining the habits. The trick of using Habit Tracking is to feel as successful as possible.
If you make a habit that doesn’t feel successful, you will eventually leave it behind. Since becoming successful is found in daily habits, seeing progress gives you positive feedback that you are working towards success. Also, Habit Tracking makes you accountable for your actions. They will remind you when you are not making your habits and will be the evidence of your failure in the long run. Remember that habits must persist long enough to become a part of your identity. Use Habit Tracking to keep you accountable and to promote the feeling of success to maintain those desired habits.
9. The First Law: Make It Obvious
According to James Clear’s Atomic Habits, mastering these four laws is the best way to create habits. Every one of these laws has a technique or method explained above. The First law: Make it obvious enforces the importance of being aware of the habits one has. To do this, start by making a habits scorecard in which you write all your daily habits. Once you know these habits and their power over you, you can decide if you want to keep or eliminate them. This first law’s implementation intention technique and the Habit Stacking method are helpful. Implementation Intention helps give your new habits a place and location to exist. In contrast, the habit stacking formula uses your current habit as a piggyback for your new habits.
10. The Second Law: Make It Attractive
The second law is all about making a habit more compelling to do. You do that by making the prospect of doing it attractive, fun, and driven by dopamine. In this law, temptation bundling is one way of automatically creating a more enjoyable habit. To master this law and technique, combine a habit you need to do with a habit you like to do. Examples can be:
- Watching a series while walking on the treadmill.
- Listening to a newly released album while doing homework.
- Talking with a friend while walking the dog.
You can also use The anticipation of a reward or a dopamine-driven effect that will promote action. While Mastering this law, think of Premack’s Principle ( an enjoyable behavior reinforces an unenjoyable behavior). Another way of making habits more attractive is by joining a culture where your desired practice is regular and you share something in common with the people. Another way to make a habit more appealing is to do something you enjoy immediately before a problematic practice. This can be a form of meditation that can prepare you for the habit you are trying to develop. This can be meditation before you work out or listening to motivational music before hitting the gym.
11. The Third Law: Make It Easy
The Third Law: Make it Easy is about starting a habit as quickly as possible. Like I said before, Habits are easier to maintain than to create. Once you start a habit, you are more likely to continue doing it. The fastest way to start a Habit is by scaling it down to 2 minutes. Use the 2-minute rule to start a habit and try automating a habit by investing in technology and one-time purchases. Another way to make your habits easy is by creating the environment necessary for them to grow.
An example of this is putting bottles of water near frequent areas in the house to accomplish the goal of drinking more water. If you see more water and it’s easier to get, you are more likely to drink it. Visible cues and new environments are also welcome because our habits change according to where we are. It’s easier to start a Habit in a unique setting than in an old one. Feel free to explore new areas, improve the environment, and meet new people that promote your new habits.
12. The Fourth Law: Make it Satisfying
The Fourth Law is to make the habit satisfying. You want to make a habit satisfying because habits tend to stick if it is enjoyable. The second law is about starting a habit, but the fourth is more about maintaining it. You can use positive reinforcement and habit tracking to increase the chance of repeating and keeping the desired habit.
You will use positive reinforcement to increase the desired habit by doing something you enjoy after the action. Habit tracking will maintain these desired habits working for us until they become part of our identity. Another important thing is that if you ever find yourself about to break the streak of doing the habit, do not miss twice. Quitting a starting habit is easy but maintaining the streak alive is hard. The trick to preserving it lies in missing less than two times. If you ever reach the third miss, you will most likely lose the habit.
Conclusion
In conclusion, James Clear’s Atomic habits give an easy 4 step model on how to create habits. To create habits, start by mastering the first two laws: Make it Obvious and Make it Attractive. The techniques and methods for these two laws are implementation intention, Habit Stacking, temptation bundling, and joining a culture. The third and fourth laws are about reinforcing the habits and maintaining them until they form a part of your identity. Here the main methods include: Preparing the environment, using the two-minute rule, using positive reinforcement, and using a habit tracker.
Creating habits is a long and consistent process that can be frustrating for many people. One of the most important things that will help you in this journey is feeling successful. Your desired habits must have that effect on you. It will motivate you to continue doing it and leave no room for doubt. If you are interested in more James Clear content on creating habits, you can check out his website here.
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