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# Automic Habits ## An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones ### James Clear ## Introduction This is an applied book, not a theoretical one. I'm on a mission to distill the best ideas from the science of habits into something that is easily understood and can be used. My goal i...

# Automic Habits ## An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones ### James Clear ## Introduction This is an applied book, not a theoretical one. I'm on a mission to distill the best ideas from the science of habits into something that is easily understood and can be used. My goal is to be your guide. ## My Story * I want to tell you about the day I missed a baseball. * Sophomore year of high school. * Batte up, swung, and cracked the ball right back toward our bench. * The bat hit me square in the face. * Nose went one direction, and my teeth went another. * Walked off the field bloodied and bruised, and eventually passed out. * Fractured nose, multiple lacerations, two shattered eye sockets. * Seizures and put on life support. * The recovery was the most important part. * I started small. * I started to lift discarded weight bars in the training room. * Sophomore year was terrible (GPA). * Junior year I got my life in order. ### Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement * Habits are a double-edged sword. Bad habits can cut you down just as easily as good habits can build you up. * Small changes seem unimportant at the time, but the compound over the long run. * Money compounds through compound interest. Relationships compound through generosity. Habits compound through repetition. * Time magnifies the margin between success and failure. * You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results. * Habits can compound for you or against you. * Success is the product of daily habits, not once-in-a-lifetime transformations. ### Forget about goals, focus on systems instead * A goal is a desired outcome. A system is the collection of daily habits that will get you there. * If you completely ignored your goals and focused only on your system, would you still succeed? * The purpose of setting goals: 1. Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress. 2. Goals are at odds with long-term progress. 3. Goals restrict your happiness. 4. Goals are redundant. * The real goal is not to read a book, the real goal is to become a reader. * The real goal is not to run a marathon, the real goal is to become a runner. ### The surprisingly powerful way to change your beliefs * The most effective way to change your habits is to focus not on what you want to achieve, but on who you wish to become. * Your identity emerges out of your habits. * Each action is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. * Becoming the best version of yourself requires you to continuously edit your beliefs, and to upgrade and expand your identity. * True behavior change is really identity change. * Imagine who you want to be. ## The Four Laws of Behavior Change * The four laws of behavior change are a simple set of rules we can use to build good habits and break bad ones. * Good habits: Make it obvious, Make it attractive, Make it easy, Make it satisfying. * Bad habits: Make it invisible, Make it unattractive, Make it hard, Make it unsatisfying. ### The 1st Law: Make it Obvious * Two most common cues are time and location. * Implementation intention: I will \[BEHAVIOR] at \[TIME] in \[LOCATION]. ### Habit Stacking * After \[CURRENT HABIT], I will \[NEW HABIT]. * Example: When I get out of bed, I will meditate for one minute. When I finish meditating, I will read one page of a book. ### Motivation is overrated; environment often matters more * Each habit is initiated by a cue. * We are more likely to notice cues that stand out. * Gradually, your habits become associated not with a single trigger but with the entire context surrounding the behavior. * It is easier to build new habits in a new environment because you are not fighting against old cues. ### The 2nd Law: Make it Attractive * Temptation bundling: pair a habit you want to do with a habit you need to do. * After \[HABIT I NEED TO DO], I will \[HABIT I WANT TO DO]. ### Join a culture where your desired behavior is the normal behavior * Humans are herd animals. We want to fit in, to bond with others, and to earn the respect and approval of our peers. * Nothing sustains motivation better than belonging to the tribe. * The culture you live in determines which behaviors are attractive to you. * Join a culture where your desired behavior is the normal behavior. * Surround yourself with people who have the habits you want to have yourself. ### How to find and fix the causes of your bad habits * Habit scorecard * Write down your current habits to become aware of what you do everyday * Highlight each habit as positive, negative, or neutral * After you have your habit scorecard, you can begin to ask why you do these habits * The process of behavior change always starts with awareness. ### The 3rd Law: Make it Easy * The most effective form of learning is practice, not planning. * Focus on taking action and not being in motion. * Motion: planning and strategizing and learning. * Action: the type of behavior that will deliver an outcome. ### The Law of Least Effort * Humans are wired to choose the option that requires the least amount of work. * Reduce the friction associated with good behaviors. * Increase the friction associated with bad behaviors. * Prime the environment. * The more energy required, the less likely it is that it will occur. * Create space between you and your bad habits. ### How to master the habit of showing up * Two-Minute Rule: "When you start a new habit, it should take no more than two minutes to do." * Standardize before you optimize. You can't improve a habit that doesn't exist. ### The 4th Law: Make it Satisfying * We are more likely to repeat a behavior when the experience is satisfying. * What is immediately rewarded is repeated. What is immediately punished is avoided. * The Cardinal Rule of Behavior Change: What is immediately rewarded is repeated. What is immediately punished is avoided. ### Use habit trackers to make your habits satisfying * Habit tracking is a simple way to measure whether you did a habit. * The most basic format is to get a calendar and mark off each day you stick to your routine. * Habit tracking is satisfying because you get visual proof of your progress. * Don't break the chain. * Missing one day is an accident. Missing two is the start of a new habit. ### Never miss twice * When you make a mistake, never miss twice in a row. * Just get back on track as quickly as possible. ### How to use punishment to break your bad habits * An accountability partner can create an immediate cost to inaction. * Habit contract: a verbal or written agreement in which you state your commitment to a particular habit and the punishment if you don't follow through. ## Advanced Tactics ### How to go from being merely good to being truly great * The secret to maximizing your odds of success is to choose the right field of competition. * Pick the habit that is right for you. ### The Goldilocks Rule * Humans experience peak motivation when working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities. * The greatest threat to success is not failure but boredom. ### The downside of good habits * Habits + Deliberate Practice * Reflection and review ensures that you're spending your time in the right way. * When you stop reflecting on your progress, you start repeating your mistakes. ## Conclusion * The only way to become excellent is to be endlessly fascinated by doing the same thing over and over. * You have to love boredom.