Three years ago, Atomic Habits was released. In this groundbreaking book, author James Clear asks a complex question “why do we continue our bad habits while neglecting good habits?†While it’s not as easy as simply saying, “I want to be better, hence I’ll stop doing thisâ€, there are some ways that you can convince (and often trick) yourself into developing the habits that will help you create a better life.
The first thing to know about habits is that they aren’t a minimal part of your life. Your habits are what your life is built upon. Do you habitually clean your room every week? You’re most likely a clean and well-organized person. Are you constantly looking for ways to save money? You probably have a decent-sized bank account. If you want to become the “money person†or the “helpful person†or the “intelligent person†you need to start adopting the habits that someone in those positions would have.
So how do you develop a good habit? More importantly, how do you halt your bad habits from derailing your entire life? James walks through a few key ways to do this, from making habit cues less obvious, to changing your environment, to removing yourself from the choice entirely. One thing is for certain, if you want to change your life for the better, you need to start changing your habits.