# Atomic Habits ## Metadata - Author: [[James Clear]] - Full Title: Atomic Habits - Category: #source/books ## Highlights - changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them for years. ([Location 157](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=157)) - “To write a great book, you must first become the book.” ([Location 183](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=183)) - The backbone of this book is my four-step model of habits—cue, craving, response, and reward—and the four laws of behavior change that evolve out of these steps. ([Location 193](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=193)) - THE FUNDAMENTALS Why Tiny Changes Make a Big Difference ([Location 211](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=211)) - Note: Part - 1 The Surprising Power of Atomic Habits ([Location 214](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=214)) - Note: Chapter - “the aggregation of marginal gains,” which was the philosophy of searching for a tiny margin of improvement in everything you do. ([Location 223](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=223)) - WHY SMALL HABITS MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE ([Location 246](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=246)) - Note: Section - 1% BETTER EVERY DAY ([Location 255](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=255)) - Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. The same way that money multiplies through compound interest, the effects of your habits multiply as you repeat them. They seem to make little difference on any given day and yet the impact they deliver over the months and years can be enormous. It is only when looking back two, five, or perhaps ten years later that the value of good habits and the cost of bad ones becomes strikingly apparent. ([Location 261](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=261)) - Making a choice that is 1 percent better or 1 percent worse seems insignificant in the moment, but over the span of moments that make up a lifetime these choices determine the difference between who you are and who you could be. Success is the product of daily habits—not once-in-a-lifetime transformations. ([Location 277](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=277)) - Your outcomes are a lagging measure of your habits. Your net worth is a lagging measure of your financial habits. Your weight is a lagging measure of your eating habits. Your knowledge is a lagging measure of your learning habits. Your clutter is a lagging measure of your cleaning habits. You get what you repeat. ([Location 284](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=284)) - Time magnifies the margin between success and failure. It will multiply whatever you feed it. Good habits make time your ally. Bad habits make time your enemy. ([Location 289](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=289)) - YOUR HABITS CAN COMPOUND FOR YOU OR AGAINST YOU ([Location 293](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=293)) - Note: Section - each book you read not only teaches you something new but also opens up different ways of thinking about old ideas. ([Location 299](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=299)) - WHAT PROGRESS IS REALLY LIKE ([Location 312](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=312)) - Note: Section - Breakthrough moments are often the result of many previous actions, which build up the potential required to unleash a major change. ([Location 318](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=318)) - Similarly, habits often appear to make no difference until you cross a critical threshold and unlock a new level of performance. ([Location 321](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=321)) - “When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that last blow that did it—but all that had gone before.” ([Location 338](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=338)) - THE PLATEAU OF LATENT POTENTIAL ([Location 340](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=340)) - Note: Section - FORGET ABOUT GOALS, FOCUS ON SYSTEMS INSTEAD ([Location 352](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=352)) - Note: Section - Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that lead to those results. ([Location 359](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=359)) - If you’re an entrepreneur, your goal might be to build a million-dollar business. Your system is how you test product ideas, hire employees, and run marketing campaigns. ([Location 361](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=361)) - Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress. ([Location 370](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=370)) - That’s the counterintuitive thing about improvement. We think we need to change our results, but the results are not the problem. What we really need to change are the systems that cause those results. When you solve problems at the results level, you only solve them temporarily. In order to improve for good, you need to solve problems at the systems level. Fix the inputs and the outputs will fix themselves. ([Location 384](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=384)) - The purpose of setting goals is to win the game. The purpose of building systems is to continue playing the game. True long-term thinking is goal-less thinking. It’s not about any single accomplishment. It is about the cycle of endless refinement and continuous improvement. Ultimately, it is your commitment to the process that will determine your progress. ([Location 402](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=402)) - A SYSTEM OF ATOMIC HABITS ([Location 405](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=405)) - Note: Section - You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. ([Location 407](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=407)) - atomic habits—a regular practice or routine that is not only small and easy to do, but also the source of incredible power; a component of the system of compound growth. ([Location 414](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=414)) - Chapter Summary Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. Getting 1 percent better every day counts for a lot in the long-run. Habits are a double-edged sword. They can work for you or against you, which is why understanding the details is essential. Small changes often appear to make no difference until you cross a critical threshold. The most powerful outcomes of any compounding process are delayed. You need to be patient. An atomic habit is a little habit that is part of a larger system. Just as atoms are the building blocks of molecules, atomic habits are the building blocks of remarkable results. If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. ([Location 416](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=416)) - 2 How Your Habits Shape Your Identity (and Vice Versa) ([Location 424](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=424)) - Note: Chapter - Changing our habits is challenging for two reasons: (1) we try to change the wrong thing and (2) we try to change our habits in the wrong way. ([Location 431](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=431)) - THREE LAYERS OF BEHAVIOR CHANGE FIGURE 3: There are three layers of behavior change: a change in your outcomes, a change in your processes, or a change in your identity. ([Location 435](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=435)) - Outcomes are about what you get. Processes are about what you do. Identity is about what you believe. ([Location 445](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=445)) - The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity. It’s one thing to say I’m the type of person who wants this. It’s something very different to say I’m the type of person who is this. ([Location 480](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=480)) - when your behavior and your identity are fully aligned, you are no longer pursuing behavior change. You are simply acting like the type of person you already believe yourself to be. ([Location 496](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=496)) - Becoming the best version of yourself requires you to continuously edit your beliefs, and to upgrade and expand your identity. ([Location 513](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=513)) - THE TWO-STEP PROCESS TO CHANGING YOUR IDENTITY ([Location 516](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=516)) - Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. ([Location 539](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=539)) - It is a simple two-step process: Decide the type of person you want to be. Prove it to yourself with small wins. ([Location 553](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=553)) - work backward from the results you want to the type of person who could get those results. Ask yourself, “Who is the type of person that could get the outcome I want?” ([Location 558](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=558)) - The focus should always be on becoming that type of person, not getting a particular outcome. ([Location 572](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=572)) - THE REAL REASON HABITS MATTER ([Location 573](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=573)) - Note: Section - habits matter because they help you become the type of person you wish to be. They are the channel through which you develop your deepest beliefs about yourself. Quite literally, you become your habits. ([Location 583](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=583)) - Chapter Summary There are three levels of change: outcome change, process change, and identity change. 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. Every 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. The real reason habits matter is not because they can get you better results (although they can do that), but because they can change your beliefs about yourself. ([Location 585](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=585)) - 3 How to Build Better Habits in 4 Simple Steps ([Location 592](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=592)) - Note: Chapter - WHY YOUR BRAIN BUILDS HABITS ([Location 612](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=612)) - Note: Section - THE SCIENCE OF HOW HABITS WORK ([Location 649](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=649)) - Note: Section - FIGURE 5: All habits proceed through four stages in the same order: cue, craving, response, and reward. ([Location 652](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=652)) - THE HABIT LOOP ([Location 687](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=687)) - Note: Section - FIGURE 6: The four stages of habit are best described as a feedback loop. They form an endless cycle that is running every moment you are alive. This “habit loop” is continually scanning the environment, predicting what will happen next, trying out different responses, and learning from the results. ([Location 687](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=687)) - THE FOUR LAWS OF BEHAVIOR CHANGE ([Location 753](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=753)) - Note: Section - How to Create a Good Habit The 1st law (Cue): Make it obvious. The 2nd law (Craving): Make it attractive. The 3rd law (Response): Make it easy. The 4th law (Reward): Make it satisfying. ([Location 760](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=760)) - How to Break a Bad Habit Inversion of the 1st law (Cue): Make it invisible. Inversion of the 2nd law (Craving): Make it unattractive. Inversion of the 3rd law (Response): Make it difficult. Inversion of the 4th law (Reward): Make it unsatisfying. ([Location 765](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=765)) - Chapter Summary A habit is a behavior that has been repeated enough times to become automatic. The ultimate purpose of habits is to solve the problems of life with as little energy and effort as possible. Any habit can be broken down into a feedback loop that involves four steps: cue, craving, response, and reward. The Four Laws of Behavior Change are a simple set of rules we can use to build better habits. They are (1) make it obvious, (2) make it attractive, (3) make it easy, and (4) make it satisfying. ([Location 782](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=782)) - THE 1ST LAW Make It Obvious ([Location 788](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=788)) - Note: Part - 4 The Man Who Didn’t Look Right ([Location 791](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=791)) - Note: Chapter - If a habit remains mindless, you can’t expect to improve it. ([Location 839](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=839)) - Carl Jung said, “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” ([Location 840](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=840)) - THE HABITS SCORECARD ([Location 841](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=841)) - Note: Section - Pointing-and-Calling is so effective because it raises the level of awareness from a nonconscious habit to a more conscious level. Because the train operators must use their eyes, hands, mouth, and ears, they are more likely to notice problems before something goes wrong. ([Location 852](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=852)) - If you’re still having trouble determining how to rate a particular habit, here is a question I like to use: “Does this behavior help me become the type of person I wish to be? Does this habit cast a vote for or against my desired identity?” Habits that reinforce your desired identity are usually good. Habits that conflict with your desired identity are usually bad. ([Location 879](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=879)) - Chapter Summary With enough practice, your brain will pick up on the cues that predict certain outcomes without consciously thinking about it. Once our habits become automatic, we stop paying attention to what we are doing. The process of behavior change always starts with awareness. You need to be aware of your habits before you can change them. Pointing-and-Calling raises your level of awareness from a nonconscious habit to a more conscious level by verbalizing your actions. The Habits Scorecard is a simple exercise you can use to become more aware of your behavior. ([Location 896](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=896)) - 5 The Best Way to Start a New Habit ([Location 903](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=903)) - Note: Chapter - an implementation intention, which is a plan you make beforehand about when and where to act. That is, how you intend to implement a particular habit. ([Location 916](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=916)) - the format for creating an implementation intention is: “When situation X arises, I will perform response Y.” ([Location 919](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=919)) - The simple way to apply this strategy to your habits is to fill out this sentence: I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION]. ([Location 936](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=936)) - HABIT STACKING: A SIMPLE PLAN TO OVERHAUL YOUR HABITS ([Location 952](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=952)) - Note: Section - The Diderot Effect states that obtaining a new possession often creates a spiral of consumption that leads to additional purchases. ([Location 964](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=964)) - No behavior happens in isolation. Each action becomes a cue that triggers the next behavior. ([Location 970](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=970)) - Fogg’s habit stacking formula is: “After I [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].” ([Location 976](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=976)) - Chapter Summary The 1st Law of Behavior Change is make it obvious. The two most common cues are time and location. Creating an implementation intention is a strategy you can use to pair a new habit with a specific time and location. The implementation intention formula is: I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION]. Habit stacking is a strategy you can use to pair a new habit with a current habit. The habit stacking formula is: After I [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT]. ([Location 1035](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1035)) - 6 Motivation Is Overrated; Environment Often Matters More ([Location 1042](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1042)) - Note: Chapter - HOW TO DESIGN YOUR ENVIRONMENT FOR SUCCESS ([Location 1091](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1091)) - Note: Section - When the cues that spark a habit are subtle or hidden, they are easy to ignore. ([Location 1100](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1100)) - creating obvious visual cues can draw your attention toward a desired habit. ([Location 1101](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1101)) - If you want to make a habit a big part of your life, make the cue a big part of your environment. ([Location 1114](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1114)) - Be the designer of your world and not merely the consumer of it. ([Location 1122](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1122)) - THE CONTEXT IS THE CUE ([Location 1123](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1123)) - Note: Section - It is easier to associate a new habit with a new context than to build a new habit in the face of competing cues. ([Location 1140](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1140)) - when you step outside your normal environment, you leave your behavioral biases behind. You aren’t battling old environmental cues, which allows new habits to form without interruption. ([Location 1143](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1143)) - Whenever possible, avoid mixing the context of one habit with another. When you start mixing contexts, you’ll start mixing habits—and the easier ones will usually win out. ([Location 1156](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1156)) - Every habit should have a home. ([Location 1164](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1164)) - A stable environment where everything has a place and a purpose is an environment where habits can easily form. ([Location 1167](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1167)) - Chapter Summary Small changes in context can lead to large changes in behavior over time. Every habit is initiated by a cue. We are more likely to notice cues that stand out. Make the cues of good habits obvious in your environment. Gradually, your habits become associated not with a single trigger but with the entire context surrounding the behavior. The context becomes the cue. It is easier to build new habits in a new environment because you are not fighting against old cues. ([Location 1169](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1169)) - 7 The Secret to Self-Control ([Location 1174](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1174)) - Note: Chapter - The people with the best self-control are typically the ones who need to use it the least. It’s easier to practice self-restraint when you don’t have to use it very often. ([Location 1200](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1200)) - Bad habits are autocatalytic: the process feeds itself. They foster the feelings they try to numb. You feel bad, so you eat junk food. Because you eat junk food, you feel bad. ([Location 1211](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1211)) - Make the cues of your good habits obvious and the cues of your bad habits invisible. ([Location 1234](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1234)) - Chapter Summary The inversion of the 1st Law of Behavior Change is make it invisible. Once a habit is formed, it is unlikely to be forgotten. People with high self-control tend to spend less time in tempting situations. It’s easier to avoid temptation than resist it. One of the most practical ways to eliminate a bad habit is to reduce exposure to the cue that causes it. Self-control is a short-term strategy, not a long-term one. ([Location 1235](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1235)) - THE 2ND LAW Make It Attractive ([Location 1261](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1261)) - Note: Part - 8 How to Make a Habit Irresistible ([Location 1264](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1264)) - Note: Chapter - THE DOPAMINE-DRIVEN FEEDBACK LOOP ([Location 1320](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1320)) - Note: Section - It is the anticipation of a reward—not the fulfillment of it—that gets us to take action. Interestingly, the reward system that is activated in the brain when you receive a reward is the same system that is activated when you anticipate a reward. This is one reason the anticipation of an experience can often feel better than the attainment of it. ([Location 1341](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1341)) - We need to make our habits attractive because it is the expectation of a rewarding experience that motivates us to act in the first place. ([Location 1363](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1363)) - HOW TO USE TEMPTATION BUNDLING TO MAKE YOUR HABITS MORE ATTRACTIVE ([Location 1365](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1365)) - Note: Section - Temptation bundling works by linking an action you want to do with an action you need to do. ([Location 1371](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1371)) - Temptation bundling is one way to apply a psychology theory known as Premack’s Principle. Named after the work of professor David Premack, the principle states that “more probable behaviors will reinforce less probable behaviors.” In other words, even if you don’t really want to process overdue work emails, you’ll become conditioned to do it if it means you get to do something you really want to do along the way. ([Location 1387](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1387)) - Doing the thing you need to do means you get to do the thing you want to do. ([Location 1404](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1404)) - Chapter Summary The 2nd Law of Behavior Change is make it attractive. The more attractive an opportunity is, the more likely it is to become habit-forming. Habits are a dopamine-driven feedback loop. When dopamine rises, so does our motivation to act. It is the anticipation of a reward—not the fulfillment of it—that gets us to take action. The greater the anticipation, the greater the dopamine spike. Temptation bundling is one way to make your habits more attractive. The strategy is to pair an action you want to do with an action you need to do. ([Location 1408](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1408)) - 9 The Role of Family and Friends in Shaping Your Habits ([Location 1414](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1414)) - Note: Chapter - whatever habits are normal in your culture are among the most attractive behaviors you’ll find. ([Location 1437](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1437)) - THE SEDUCTIVE PULL OF SOCIAL NORMS ([Location 1439](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1439)) - Note: Section - As Charles Darwin noted, “In the long history of humankind, those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.” ([Location 1443](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1443)) - social norms are the invisible rules that guide your behavior each day. ([Location 1448](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1448)) - Michel de Montaigne wrote, “The customs and practices of life in society sweep us along.” ([Location 1450](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1450)) - 1. Imitating the Close ([Location 1459](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1459)) - Note: Point - As a general rule, the closer we are to someone, the more likely we are to imitate some of their habits. ([Location 1465](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1465)) - One of the most effective things you can do to build better habits is to join a culture where your desired behavior is the normal behavior. ([Location 1474](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1474)) - 2. Imitating the Many ([Location 1489](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1489)) - Note: Point - 3. Imitating the Powerful ([Location 1524](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1524)) - Note: Point - Chapter Summary The culture we live in determines which behaviors are attractive to us. We tend to adopt habits that are praised and approved of by our culture because we have a strong desire to fit in and belong to the tribe. We tend to imitate the habits of three social groups: the close (family and friends), the many (the tribe), and the powerful (those with status and prestige). One of the most effective things you can do to build better habits is to join a culture where (1) your desired behavior is the normal behavior and (2) you already have something in common with the group. The normal behavior of the tribe often overpowers the desired behavior of the individual. Most days, we’d rather be wrong with the crowd than be right by ourselves. If a behavior can get us approval, respect, and praise, we find it attractive. ([Location 1541](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1541)) - 10 How to Find and Fix the Causes of Your Bad Habits ([Location 1550](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1550)) - The author employs an interesting strategy to help smokers eliminate their cravings. He systematically reframes each cue associated with smoking and gives it a new meaning. ([Location 1564](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1564)) - WHERE CRAVINGS COME FROM ([Location 1574](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1574)) - Note: Section - Every behavior has a surface level craving and a deeper, underlying motive. ([Location 1575](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1575)) - Some of our underlying motives include:* Conserve energy Obtain food and water Find love and reproduce Connect and bond with others Win social acceptance and approval Reduce uncertainty Achieve status and prestige ([Location 1578](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1578)) - Your habits are modern-day solutions to ancient desires. New versions of old vices. The underlying motives behind human behavior remain the same. The specific habits we perform differ based on the period of history. ([Location 1588](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1588)) - Note: Ties into existing ideas in my SB. Human nature doesnt change. - every action is preceded by a prediction. Life feels reactive, but it is actually predictive. All day long, you are making your best guess of how to act given what you’ve just seen and what has worked for you in the past. You are endlessly predicting what will happen in the next moment. ([Location 1600](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1600)) - our behavior is heavily dependent on how we interpret the events that happen to us, not necessarily the objective reality of the events themselves. ([Location 1602](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1602)) - Note: Stoic thought here - perception is critical - HOW TO REPROGRAM YOUR BRAIN TO ENJOY HARD HABITS ([Location 1623](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1623)) - Note: Section - By simply changing one word, you shift the way you view each event. You transition from seeing these behaviors as burdens and turn them into opportunities. The key point is that both versions of reality are true. You have to do those things, and you also get to do them. ([Location 1628](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1628)) - Reframing your habits to highlight their benefits rather than their drawbacks is a fast and lightweight way to reprogram your mind and make a habit seem more attractive. ([Location 1633](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1633)) - Chapter Summary The inversion of the 2nd Law of Behavior Change is make it unattractive. Every behavior has a surface level craving and a deeper underlying motive. Your habits are modern-day solutions to ancient desires. The cause of your habits is actually the prediction that precedes them. The prediction leads to a feeling. Highlight the benefits of avoiding a bad habit to make it seem unattractive. Habits are attractive when we associate them with positive feelings and unattractive when we associate them with negative feelings. Create a motivation ritual by doing something you enjoy immediately before a difficult habit. ([Location 1666](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1666)) - THE 3RD LAW Make It Easy ([Location 1698](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1698)) - Note: Part - 11 Walk Slowly, but Never Backward ([Location 1701](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1701)) - Note: Chapter - ON THE FIRST day of class, Jerry Uelsmann, a professor at the University of Florida, divided his film photography students into two groups. Everyone on the left side of the classroom, he explained, would be in the “quantity” group. They would be graded solely on the amount of work they produced. On the final day of class, he would tally the number of photos submitted by each student. One hundred photos would rate an A, ninety photos a B, eighty photos a C, and so on. Meanwhile, everyone on the right side of the room would be in the “quality” group. They would be graded only on the excellence of their work. They would only need to produce one photo during the semester, but to get an A, it had to be a nearly perfect image. At the end of the term, he was surprised to find that all the best photos were produced by the quantity group. During the semester, these students were busy taking photos, experimenting with composition and lighting, testing out various methods in the darkroom, and learning from their mistakes. In the process of creating hundreds of photos, they honed their skills. Meanwhile, the quality group sat around speculating about perfection. In the end, they had little to show for their efforts other than unverified theories and one mediocre photo. ([Location 1702](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1702)) - Note: I love this! Such a strong practical reflection of analysis paralysis and the alternative of accepting imperfection a means to enable future perfection. - We are so focused on figuring out the best approach that we never get around to taking action. As Voltaire once wrote, “The best is the enemy of the good.” ([Location 1714](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1714)) - When you’re in motion, you’re planning and strategizing and learning. Those are all good things, but they don’t produce a result. ([Location 1716](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1716)) - Action, on the other hand, is the type of behavior that will deliver an outcome. ([Location 1717](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1717)) - But more often than not, we do it because motion allows us to feel like we’re making progress without running the risk of failure. ([Location 1722](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1722)) - If you want to master a habit, the key is to start with repetition, not perfection. ([Location 1730](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1730)) - HOW LONG DOES IT ACTUALLY TAKE TO FORM A NEW HABIT? ([Location 1732](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1732)) - Note: Section - The more you repeat an activity, the more the structure of your brain changes to become efficient at that activity. Neuroscientists call this long-term potentiation, which refers to the strengthening of connections between neurons in the brain based on recent patterns of activity. ([Location 1733](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1733)) - Automaticity is the ability to perform a behavior without thinking about each step, which occurs when the nonconscious mind takes over. ([Location 1754](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1754)) - habits form based on frequency, not time. ([Location 1763](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1763)) - Chapter Summary The 3rd Law of Behavior Change is make it easy. The most effective form of learning is practice, not planning. Focus on taking action, not being in motion. Habit formation is the process by which a behavior becomes progressively more automatic through repetition. The amount of time you have been performing a habit is not as important as the number of times you have performed it. ([Location 1778](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1778)) - 12 The Law of Least Effort ([Location 1784](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1784)) - Note: Chapter - IN HIS AWARD-WINNING BOOK, Guns, Germs, and Steel, anthropologist and biologist Jared Diamond points out a simple fact: different continents have different shapes. At first glance, this statement seems rather obvious and unimportant, but it turns out to have a profound impact on human behavior. The primary axis of the Americas runs from north to south. That is, the landmass of North and South America tends to be tall and thin rather than wide and fat. The same is generally true for Africa. Meanwhile, the landmass that makes up Europe, Asia, and the Middle East is the opposite. This massive stretch of land tends to be more east-west in shape. According to Diamond, this difference in shape played a significant role in the spread of agriculture over the centuries. When agriculture began to spread around the globe, farmers had an easier time expanding along east-west routes than along north-south ones. This is because locations along the same latitude generally share similar climates, amounts of sunlight and rainfall, and changes in season. These factors allowed farmers in Europe and Asia to domesticate a few crops and grow them along the entire stretch of land from France to China. THE SHAPE OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR FIGURE 13: The primary axis of Europe and Asia is east-west. The primary axis of the Americas and Africa is north-south. This leads to a wider range of climates up-and-down the Americas than across Europe and Asia. As a result, agriculture spread nearly twice as fast across Europe and Asia than it did elsewhere. The behavior of farmers—even across hundreds or thousands of years—was constrained by the amount of friction in the environment. By comparison, the climate varies greatly when traveling from north to south. Just imagine how different the weather is in Florida compared to Canada. You can be the most talented farmer in the world, but it won’t help you grow Florida oranges in the Canadian winter. Snow is a poor substitute for soil. In order to spread crops along north-south routes, farmers would need to find and domesticate new plants whenever the climate changed. As a result… ([Location 1785](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07D23CFGR&location=1785)) - Note: This... Is... Incredible!