Book Review: Atomic Habits

Tech Talk Tuesday
April 16th, 2019

Topics

• Why habits matter
• Four-step pattern
• Forming habits
• Tracking habits

Why Habits Matter

Definition

an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary got up early from force of habit

Who are you?

What change do you want?

Things I do versus who I am

People who make a specific plan for when and where they will perform a new habit are more likely to follow through. Too many people try to change their habits without these basic details.

Four-Step Process

• Cue/Noticing
• Craving/Wanting
• Response/Doing
• Reward/Liking

Cue

A piece of information that suggests there's a reward to be found, like the smell of a cookie or a dark room waiting to light up.

Craving

The motivation to change something to get the reward, like tasting the delicious cookie or being able to see.

Response

Whatever thought or action you need to take to get to the reward.

Reward

The satisfying feeling you get from the change, along with the lesson whether to do it again or not.

Forming Habits

• Make it obvious
• Make it attractive
• Make it easy
• Make it satisfying

Breaking Habits

• Make it invisible
• Make it unattractive
• Make it difficult
• Make it unsatisfying

Motivation is overrated. Changing your environment is key.

Optimize for the start line, not the finish.

Habit Tracker

• Calendar
• Spreadsheet
• App

Closing

• Developing good habits won't get you to mastery of a skill
• Failure pre-mortem
• Reflection and review make sure your habits continue to help you grow
• Don't cling to your identity and reframe your identity in ways that can be changed, because it can and will