Sustainable Habits

Hi friends,

In last week’s issue, I mentioned that I’m experimenting with different ways to rapidly grasp the key concepts from different books.

This week, I channeled that effort towards the topic of Habits.

Below I share what I learned and how I plan to incorporate the principles into my life, practices and routines.

I hope it helps you on your journey.

Let’s dive in.

At a glance

💥 Lessons from the book Atomic Habits:

• Small habits make a big difference.

• Forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead.

• Build identity-based habits.

• Prioritize consistency over intensity.

• Pursue slow growth for long-term success.

🙌 Framework to create a good habit (or break a bad habit):

1. Cue — Make it obvious (or invisible)

2. Craving — Make it attractive (or unattractive)

3. Response — Make it easy (or difficult)

4. Reward — Make it satisfying (or unsatisfying)

🤖 Concepts you can apply from this book:

• Habits scorecard (template)

• Implementation intentions (template)

• Habit stacking (template)

• Environment design

• Temptation bundling

• Motivation rituals

• Immediate rewards

• Join a culture

• Positive mindset reframing

• Replacement habits

• Friction and convenience

• Prime the environment

• Change the default option

• Master the decisive moment

• Two-minute rule

• Automate your habits / cues

• Commitment devices

• Reinforcement

• Make ‘doing nothing’ enjoyable

• Habit tracker (template)

• Never miss twice

• Accountability partners

• Habit contracts (template)

• Tailor it to you

• The Goldilocks Rule

• Master one thing

🧪 How I plan to test these principles on habits I’m building

📖 Books on ‘Habits’ recommended by AI

🤡 A glimpse into my macro experiment and what I learned so far

Key lessons from Atomic Habits

Let’s start with the foundational lessons from the book:

Lesson 1: Small habits make a big difference.

It’s easy to underestimate the value of making small improvements on a daily basis. Focus on getting 1% better every day. Small actions done regularly compound over time.

1% better every day is 37.78% better every year.

Read more here: https://jamesclear.com/small-habits

Lesson 2: Forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead.

Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that lead to those results. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.

The problem with goals:

• Winners and losers have the same goals 👉🏼 goals alone don’t differentiate you

• Achieving a goal is only a momentary change 👉🏼 it’s like treating the symptom without addressing the cause

• Goals delay and restrict your happiness 👉🏼 it makes no sense to restrict your satisfaction to one scenario when there are many paths to success

• Goals are at odds with long-term progress 👉🏼 over long time frames, simply staying in the game is impressive

Read more here: https://jamesclear.com/goals-systems

Lesson 3: Build identity-based habits.

The key to building lasting habits is focusing on creating a new identity first. Your current behaviors are simply a reflection of your current identity. To change your behavior for good, you need to start believing you’re the type of person who can achieve the things you want. Read more here: https://jamesclear.com/identity-based-habits

Lesson 4: Prioritize consistency over intensity. Pursue slow growth for long-term success.

Consistency of effort in the right direction is more important than the intensity of the effort. Small actions, performed consistently, are more important than large actions that are sporadic or unsustainable.

It is also inevitable that you will reach a plateau on your journey. Embrace it. The path to improvement is not linear and often involves periods where no visible progress is made. Embrace these periods as a natural part of the growth process, maintaining their efforts even when the results aren’t immediately apparent.

Remember that immediate results may be satisfying, but lasting change takes time. By accepting and preparing for a slow journey, you set yourself up for long-term success. Read more here: https://jamesclear.com/slow-growth

Simple framework to create / break habits

By breaking down the process of building a habit to its fundamental parts, we can better understand what a habit is, how it works, and how to improve it.

The cue triggers a craving, which motivates a response, which provides a reward, which satisfies the craving and, ultimately, becomes associated with the cue. Together, these four steps form a neurological feedback loop — cue, craving, response, reward; cue, craving, response, reward — that ultimately allows you to create automatic habits. This cycle is known as the habit loop.

These steps provide the foundation for a practical framework, called the Four Laws of Behavior Change, which serves as a guide for how to create a good habit (or break a bad habit). Read more here: https://jamesclear.com/three-steps-habit-change

1. Cue — Make it obvious (or invisible)

2. Craving — Make it attractive (or unattractive)

3. Response — Make it easy (or difficult)

4. Reward — Make it satisfying (or unsatisfying)

Concepts you can apply from the book

Okay, now for the actionable ideas you can implement… you can think of these as tools in a menu of options that you can pull from as needed.

The 1st Law: Cue. Make it obvious (or invisible)

1.1. Habits scorecard. Behavior change starts with awareness. Write down your current habits to become aware of them. Identify good, bad, or neutral patterns. Observe them and learn from consequences before deciding what to do about them. One of the greatest challenges in changing habits is getting awareness of what we are actually doing. Read more here: https://jamesclear.com/habits-scorecard

1.2. Implementation intentions. “I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION] so that I can become [IDENTITY].” Make your habit real by describing when and where you’ll do it. It gives a clear plan and an obvious clue. Read more here: https://jamesclear.com/implementation-intentions

1.3. Habit stacking. “After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].” Pair your new habit with an existing one to form strong associations between activities, making it easier to remember and stick to the new habit. Read more here: https://jamesclear.com/habit-stacking

1.4. Environment design. Change your environment to make the cues of good habits visible, obvious and unmissable (multiple cues are even more effective). This will help you naturally gravitate towards better choices. Example: If you want to read more, place a book on your pillow every morning so you remember to read before bed.

Alternatively, to break bad habits, reduce exposure to the cues that trigger your bad habits. If you don’t see a cue, you’re less likely to act on an impulse. Example: If you want to eat healthier, don't keep junk food in your home.

Read more here: https://jamesclear.com/power-of-environment
… and here: https://jamesclear.com/environment-design-organ-donation

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The 2nd Law: Craving. Make it attractive (or unattractive)

2.1. Temptation bundling. Pair an action you want to do with an action you need to do to make habits more appealing. The idea is to tie a habit that is beneficial but requires effort (and which you might be avoiding) to an activity that provides immediate pleasure. Read more here: https://jamesclear.com/temptation-bundling

2.2. Motivation rituals. Regularly do something you enjoy immediately before a difficult habit. It’s not about the specific action, but about creating a mindful way to initiate a desired behavior. Example: a pre-game routine of stretching and throwing to help warm up physically and mentally, and prime you for the competition. Read more here: https://jamesclear.com/motivation

2.3. Immediate rewards. Since humans are better at valuing immediate rewards over future benefits, making the outcomes of good habits feel immediate can significantly enhance their attractiveness. Our brain’s response to enticing opportunities is immediate, and the anticipation of an event gets dopamine flowing. Habits can become more irresistible if they are designed to trigger the release of dopamine.

2.4. Join a culture where your desired behavior is the normal behavior. Seeing people around us engaging in a particular habit or behavior makes that behavior more attractive to us. We're inherently social creatures, and we're influenced by what we perceive to be the norm within our social group. Therefore, surrounding ourselves with a community or group where our desired habits are normal behavior can make those habits more irresistible.

2.5. Positive mindset reframing. Changing the way you think about your habits and yourself, focusing on positive and empowering beliefs that support your goals. Reflect on why you maintain your bad habits and address the underlying causes directly. Highlight the benefits of avoiding your bad habits.

2.6. Replacement habits. Introduce positive habits that fulfill the same needs as the bad ones.

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The 3rd Law: Response. Make it easy (or difficult)

3.1. Friction and convenience. To build good habits, reduce the friction and decrease the number of steps between you and the habit. The easier it is to do something, the more likely it is that you’ll start and do it consistently so it can become a habit.

Alternatively, to break a bad habit, increase the friction and increase the number of steps between you and the habit. This will make it more difficult to start and perform.

3.2. Prime the environment. Prepare your environment to make future actions easier. Read more here: https://jamesclear.com/reset-the-room

3.3. Change the default option. Make good habits the default option by setting up your life in such a way that the healthier, more productive choices are the easiest to make. Read more here: https://jamesclear.com/design-default

3.4. Master the decisive moment. Optimize the small choices that deliver outsized impact.

3.5. Two-minute rule. Break down your habits into actions that can be done in two minutes or less. This approach helps overcome the initial resistance and inertia that often accompany the prospect of starting a new habit or task. Once in motion, it's easier to stay in motion, and you’ll have momentum to fuel you. Read more here: https://jamesclear.com/how-to-stop-procrastinating

3.6. Automate your habits / cues. Invest in technology and onetime purchases that lock in future behavior. Example: set up automatic transfers to an investment account to ensure consistent saving without the need for manual intervention. Read more here: https://jamesclear.com/how-to-automate-a-habit

3.7. Commitment devices. A choice you make in the present that controls your future actions or restricts your future choices to the ones that benefit you. This is a way to lock in future behavior. Example: purchasing a one-year gym membership, rather than paying monthly, helps commit yourself to a longer-term exercise routine. Read more here: https://jamesclear.com/akrasia

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The 4th Law: Reward. Make it satisfying (or unsatisfying)

4.1. Reinforcement. Give yourself an immediate reward when you complete your habit. The nature of the reward can vary widely, and it may be internal or external, but the key is that the reward must make the effort of performing the habit feel worthwhile (with a genuine feeling of success or pleasure). Example: reinforcing your identity can be an internal reward. When a habit aligns with your self-image or the person you wish to become, the intrinsic satisfaction of acting in accordance with your beliefs and values can be a powerful reward.

4.2. Make ‘doing nothing’ enjoyable. When avoiding a bad habit, design a way to see the benefits. Design your environment and habits in such a way that doing nothing — i.e., not engaging in a bad habit — is more appealing and satisfying than engaging in the habit you’re trying to avoid. Example: if you’re trying to reduce screen time before bed, make your bedroom a more enjoyable and relaxing environment without screens.

4.3. Habit tracker. Keep track of your habit streak and “don’t break the chain.” Visually measuring your habits provides evidence of your progress and reinforces the satisfaction of completing them. Visual cues like the paper clip strategy or marking progress on a calendar can help maintain motivation. The key is to make the process of tracking your habits simple, visible, and rewarding.

4.4. Never miss twice. When you forget to do a habit, make sure you get back on track immediately. Never miss twice in a row when building a good habit, and never let two failures become three when breaking a bad one. The key is to not let setbacks reverse progress. Mistakes and failures are inevitable, but the response should be to learn from them and continue moving forward, rather than reverting to old, counterproductive habits.

4.5. Accountability partners. Ask someone to watch your behavior. This person can be a friend, family member, colleague, or coach — anyone who is genuinely interested in your success, committed to regularly checking in on your progress, and willing to hold you responsible for your actions. It can act as an external form of motivation, helping to keep you on track when internal motivation wanes. It's important to establish clear expectations with your accountability partner regarding how often you will check in, what goals you are working toward, and what form of accountability you find most motivating, whether it's encouragement, reminders, or constructive feedback.

Note: Accountability can also extend beyond one-on-one relationships. Online communities, apps, and platforms can serve as virtual accountability partners, offering tracking, reminders, and support from a broader community.

4.6. Habit contracts. Make the costs of your bad habits public and painful. A habit contract is a verbal or written agreement in which you state your commitment to a particular habit and the punishment that will occur if you don’t follow through. This can be done with an accountability partner or by publicly committing to a habit or goal. Either way, the social pressure to adhere to the commitment can serve as a powerful motivator. Reference: (template and example)

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Other considerations:

5.1. Tailor it to you. Identify your strengths and weaknesses, then tailor your habits to appeal to your natural inclinations and abilities. By aligning your habits with your natural talents, you increase your chances of success. Read more here: https://jamesclear.com/deliberate-practice-theory

5.2. The Goldilocks Rule. Make habits challenging enough to be engaging, but not so difficult that they cause discouragement. The challenge is important since people tend to lose interest in boring and routine things. Choose challenges that are just beyond your current skill level to maintain growth. Satisfaction comes from surmounting some form of obstacle. Read more here: https://jamesclear.com/goldilocks-rule

5.3. Master one thing. You should focus entirely on one thing at a time. Research has found that implementation intentions do not work if you try to improve multiple habits at the same time. Research has shown that any given habit becomes more automatic with more practice. On average, it takes at least two months for new habits to become automatic behaviors. Read more here: https://jamesclear.com/master-one-thing

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Summary: How to find and fix the causes of bad habits:

1. Identify the cue or trigger (e.g., emotional state, a time of day, a particular location, individual people, or specific activities)

2. Understand the reward you’re craving. Is there a healthier way to satisfy it? (e.g., stress relief, social acceptance, a sense of accomplishment)

3. Create a plan (e.g., strategies to avoid the cue, alternative actions to satisfy the craving)

4. Change the environment (e.g., make bad habits harder, and good habits easier)

5. Believe in change (e.g., believing that change is possible and seeing oneself as capable of change are crucial for long-term success)

Note: Bad habits often serve as coping mechanisms for dealing with stress and emotional pain. They are responses to deeper needs not being met or to issues within our environment that trigger these habits as a form of relief or escape. To effectively change a bad habit, one must first understand what need the habit is fulfilling. This understanding requires a deep dive into self-awareness and introspection to recognize the triggers and underlying desires that lead to the habit.

How I plan to test these principles

Reading is just the start… the real work comes from experimenting with the different techniques to see what works best for you.

I was reminded of this again this week.

For context, I recently got into the Founders Podcast. If you haven’t checked it out, I highly recommend it. Before each episode, the host David Senra reads a biography of an entrepreneur from history, then shares on the pod what he learned and how you can apply the lessons and ideas in your work.

Anyway, that’s how I stumbled upon this clip of David talking to Sam Parr. Watch for about 1-minute.

In it the clip, David mentions Peter Bevelin’s book All I Want To Know Is Where I’m Going To Die So I’ll Never Go There: Buffet & Munger — A Study in Simplicity and Uncommon, Common Sense and a message that Buffet and Munger kept saying that clicked with him:

This led to an epiphany for David:

That message really resonated with me, and I’m determined to spend more time implementing these principles from Atomic Habits.

I already have a habit tracker that I’ve been using for the last 10 years, but I want to simplify it and be more intentional about incorporating different tactics and principles outlined above.

I will share more in a future issue, so this isn’t the last you will see on Atomic Habits.

Other books on “Habits”

Before I decided to focus on Atomic Habits, I turned to AI to find the best books on the topic.

I found it interesting how different the recommendations were from the different models I used:

• ChatGPT-4 (OpenAI’s $19.99/mo model)

• ChatGPT-3.5 (OpenAI’s free model)

• Gemini (Google’s free model, previously named Bard)

Here were the results:

Recommended by all models: (GPT-4, GPT-3.5, and Gemini)

Recommended by only GPT-4:

Recommended by only GPT-3.5:

Recommended by only Google Gemini:

Since Atomic Habits was the top recommendation from all three AI models and it had the highest Goodreads rating, I decided to start there. I’m glad I did.

I found James Clear’s writing really concise, and I loved the summary at the end of every chapter. He also has an Atomic Habits summary and cheatsheet available online that provides a great reference point to tie everything together, supported by a plethora of blog posts that provide additional context and examples.

A glimpse into my experiment

I mentioned that I’m experimenting with different ways to rapidly grasp the key concepts from multiple books, so I wanted to share how I approached it this week and what I learned.

1. I started by reading the book summaries on Blinkist and Headway. Both were surprisingly different. I felt that Headway’s summary covers slightly more of the concepts I outlined above (but still nowhere close to being exhaustive). In addition, the writing wasn’t nearly as good as Blinkist which seemed to flow better and does a better job incorporating stories for the few concepts it highlights. In the future I plan to start with Blinkist (or try out Shortform as an alternative).

2. Next I read the first couple chapters of the book. I found James Clear’s writing to be really concise and structured, and it was an easy read. I also appreciated how each chapter has a summary at the end of it. In retrospect, it probably would have been quicker for me to just read the entire book and take notes of the key points that resonated with me… but that’s why this was an experiment.

3. I spent the bulk of time experimenting with GenAI tools. They proved to be useful at providing a summary of the key points in the book, as well as the tools outlined. It could even summarize this in a table that made it easy to grasp the key concepts (compared to the narrative-first style in book summary apps). I also used it as a way to get summaries of each chapter which was helpful to go into more detail and probe on specific topics I wanted to learn more about. But I also found that the models were quick to confuse different topics, and the responses were very verbose. In the end, it required a lot of manual synthesis on my part. I think these AI tools definitely have a role to play, but I plan to use it more as a complement than a replacement for book summary apps.

Moving forward, my plan is to test out Shortform, then commit to using either it or Blinkist as my primary book summary app. My goal is to read as many summaries as possible to understand the key principles from non-fiction books. Then I will use AI as needed to go deeper and answer questions I have on any of those books.

I also plan to spend more time reading actual books, but with a different focus — autobiographies. My hypothesis is they will be more enjoyable to read than other non-fiction books, while still providing valuable insights. I’m curious to see how it goes.

Wow, this issue ended up substantially longer than I anticipated… but I’m glad I took the time to lay it out.

I definitely plan to come back to this as a reference document in the future… and I hope you find it helpful as well.

While many of you are reading this as an email, reminder that you can always refer back to the post on the blog: https://growthmeditations.beehiiv.com/

Thanks for reading!

Until next week, keep growing »

Scott​

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