3.	Design Your Environment for Success – Make your surroundings work for you, not against you.	•	Example: If you want to eat healthier, place nutritious snacks at eye level in your pantry or fridge. If you want to read more, put a book on your pillow so it’s the first thing you see at night.	4.	Focus on Identity, Not Results – Change your mindset to reflect the person you want to become, not just the outcomes you want to achieve.	•	Example: Instead of saying, “I want to run a marathon,” say, “I am a runner.” The focus is on who you are becoming, which leads to greater consistency.

How to Build Good Habits

Example: Treat yourself to a relaxing activity after completing a workout.

4.	Reward (Make it Satisfying) – The positive feeling or outcome

“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”

Clear emphasizes that small actions, done consistently, lead to huge changes over time. For instance, improving by just 1% each day results in a 37% improvement after one year. This compounding effect is why small, good habits are so powerful—they create exponential growth.

The Power of Small Daily Improvements

“1% better every day = 37 times better in a year.”

“The secret to getting results that last is to never stop making small improvements.”

“Bad habits repeat themselves not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change.”

Clear breaks down habit formation into four crucial steps:

The 4 Laws of Behavior Change

Example: If you want to drink more water, place a glass of water on your desk where you’ll see it regularly.

1.	Cue (Make it Obvious) – The trigger that starts the behavior.

1.	Remove the Cue – If the trigger for a bad habit isn’t there, the habit can’t start.	•	Example: If you want to stop snacking late at night, keep all snacks out of sight and replace them with something healthier.	2.	Make It Unattractive – Reframe bad habits in a way that makes them seem undesirable.	•	Example: If you want to stop mindlessly scrolling on your phone, think about the negative effects it has on your focus and productivity.

How to Break Bad Habits

1.	Habit Stacking – Link a new habit to an existing one.	•	Example: After I brush my teeth, I will read one page of a book. This makes it easier to remember to start the new habit.	2.	The Two-Minute Rule – Start with habits so small that they’re impossible to skip.	•	Example: Instead of saying, “I’ll work out for an hour,” say, “I’ll do one push-up,” and gradually build up. The idea is to focus on starting, not finishing.

Success doesn’t come from dramatic, overnight changes. Instead, it comes from small, consistent actions that compound over time. The key is making habits so easy that you can’t fail and continuing to build on them day after day. By focusing on systems and improving just 1% every day, you can unlock massive growth and change your life for the better. Focus on who you want to become, and the results will follow.

Final Thought: Small Habits = Big Results

Example: Start small, like walking for just 5 minutes a day, then gradually increase the duration.

3.	Response (Make it Easy) – The actual behavior or habit you pe

Read 10 pages a day • 12+ books finishedSave $5 a day • $1,825 savedWalk for 15 minutes • 90 hours of movementWrite 100 words a day • A full book writtenDrink a glass of water • Improved hydration, energy

Tiny Habit Vs Results in One Year

3.	Increase Friction – Make bad habits harder to do by adding obstacles.	•	Example: If you want to stop procrastinating, remove distractions by putting your phone in another room while you work.	4.	Make It Unsatisfying – Introduce an immediate consequence for doing the bad habit.	•	Example: Use an app that tracks your habits and charges you money whenever you skip your planned activities—this can help create an aversion to bad habits.

The key to lasting success isn’t willpower, motivation, or even goals—it’s about building the right systems. In Atomic Habits, James Clear explains how small habits, when repeated consistently over time, compound into massive results. The book is a guide to making change easier and more sustainable by focusing on the systems that drive behavior, rather than focusing solely on outcomes.

Example: Make the habit appealing by pairing it with something you enjoy, like listening to your favorite podcast while you exercise.

2.	Craving (Make it Attractive) – The desire to perform the beha

+ Start your day with one positive habit, like making your bed.+ Track one small daily action towards a larger goal, like writing 100 words or meditating for 5 minutes.+ Remove a bad habit trigger, like turning off notifications on your phone or clearing clutter from your workspace.+ Make your environment support your goals—keep healthy snacks visible, or put your gym clothes out in the morning.+ Celebrate small wins—consistency is the real success.

Daily Atomic Habits Checklist

The #1 New York Times bestseller. Over 10 million copies sold! Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you'll get a proven system that can take you to new heights. Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field. Learn how to: <ul><li>make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy);</li></ul><ul><li>overcome a lack of motivation and willpower;</li></ul><ul><li>design your environment to make success easier;</li></ul><ul><li>get back on track when you fall off course;</li></ul>...and much more. Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits--whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.

books

Books

James Clear is the author of "Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones" He writes about habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement at jamesclear.com. His website receives millions of visitors each month and hundreds of thousands subscribe to his popular email newsletter.His work has appeared in the New York Times, Entrepreneur, Time, and on CBS This Morning. He is a regular speaker at Fortune 500 companies and his work is used by teams in the NFL, NBA, and MLB. Learn more at jamesclear.com

JAMES CLEAR

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Identity-Based Habits