![]() He makes it clear that although we may be able to rationalize small indulgences or bad decisions because by themselves they are not detrimental to our overall goals (such as eating just one cookie, or skipping just one workout when you're trying to lose weight), it can be problematic when these isolated slip-ups become more and more consistent before you realize you have developed a true "bad habit" (although James Clear says there really are no "good" or "bad" habits). Through this and many more interesting and relatable examples, James Clear explains the importance of tiny, atomic habits, whether good or bad. He notes that if you were to get just 1% better at a particular skill everyday, you would be 37 times better after one year. Clear points out that "too often, we convince ourselves that massive success requires massive action" (Chapter 1, 00:04:15). When you put all these improvements together, the difference is much greater than just 1%. As James Clear points out with reference to the once-terrible British cycling team, and how they rose to astonishing success by making marginal improvements to make themselves just 1% better, small changes can make a world of difference. ![]() One thing you may not have stopped to consider, though, is that our habits can incur exponential growth via compound interest as well. ![]() For example, I understand the math behind it, but I still find it baffling when I think about the exponential growth afforded by compound interest. If you're anything like me, you're intrigued by the idea of investing, and even further intrigued by the power of compound interest. If you've read "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg, you'll probably find this to be eerily similar to what Duhigg referred to as " keystone habits," but before you go assuming this book is just a rip-off of Duhigg's work, I'd like to say I actually found "Atomic Habits" to complement "The Power of Habit," something that Clear addresses in the beginning of his book. Atomic habits–much like the atoms that are the building blocks of molecules–are the building blocks of remarkable results. I was pleasantly surprised to find that James Clear defined an atomic habit as "a tiny change, a marginal gain, a 1% improvement" (Chapter 1, 00:22:50). You might think I'm stupid for not first thinking of "atomic" in its literal sense (that is, something the size of an atom), and to that… I have no defence. I thought this would be one of those books about extreme habits I had never heard of, how if you want to be a stoic productivity guru you have to wake up at 5 am, shower in glacier water, meditate for four hours a day, and still manage to squeeze in a workout before work. So, when I saw the title, "Atomic Habits," I thought Clear would be writing about huge, impactful, and important habits that make a person successful. ![]() Now, I don't know about you, but when I think of the word "Atomic," I think of atomic bombs, and atomic physics, and generally a host of impressive and gargantuan topics. Essentially, this book’s title is always whispering in the productivity winds. I had seen the title many times on YouTube where some of my favourite content creators gave their reviews, on the display shelves of book stores, and in some Instagram posts. I am sure many of you who pay attention to the world of productivity and self-improvement literature will have heard of James Clear's book.
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