Atomic Habits - James Clear

Question 1

What are the 4 components of habits?

Answer 1

Cue, Craving, Response, Reward

Question 2

Outcomes are a lagging measure of your habits, can you name some examples?

Answer 2

• 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

Question 3

Everyone has similar goals, what should you focus on

Answer 3

systems - goals set the direction, but systems get progress

Question 4

What are the three layers of behaviour change

Answer 4

• outcomes - concerned w/ results eg. weight loss, publishing book, winning championship
• process - habits and systems, eg. gym routine, decluttering desk for work efficiency
• Identity - concerned w/ changing your beliefs, world view, self image and judgements about yourself and others

Question 5

Describe each component of the habit loop

Answer 5

• the cue - the trigger for your brain to initiate a behaviour based on the prediction of a reward
• the craving - the motivational step behind every habit. W/o some level of motivation or desire or craving for a change, we have no reason to act. What you crave is not the habit itself, but the change in state it delivers
• the response - the habit itself, the action or thought, brought about by the cue and craving before it with the expectation of reward
• Reward - the ultimate reason that the habit was cued, craved and responded to and the reason that is will be repeated in the future

Question 6

How do you use the habit loop to create good habits?

Answer 6

• Cue - make it obvious
• craving - make it attractive
• response - make it easy
• reward - make it satisfying

Question 7

How do you use the habit loop get rid of bad habits?

Answer 7

• Cue -make it invisible
• Craving - Make it unattractive
• Response - Make it difficult
• Reward - Make it unsatisfying

Question 8

How to create a good habit - Cue

Answer 8

• Fill out the Habits Scorecard. Write down your current habits to become aware of them.
• Use implementation intentions: “I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION].”
• Use habit stacking: “After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].”
• Design your environment. Make the cues of good habits obvious and visible.

Question 9

How to create a good habit - Craving

Answer 9

• Use temptation bundling. Pair an action you want to do with an action you need to do.
• Join a culture where your desired behaviour is the normal behaviour.
• Create a motivation ritual. Do something you enjoy immediately before a difficult habit.

Question 10

How to create a good habit - Response

Answer 10

• Reduce friction. Decrease the number of steps between you and your good habits.
  
  • eg. gym clothes out, shoes out, kitchen equipment out, gym on the way to work
• Prime the environment. Prepare your environment to make future actions easier.
• Master the decisive moment. Optimize the small choices that deliver outsized impact.
• Use the Two-Minute Rule. Downscale your habits until they can be done in two minutes or less.
  
  • once you’re using the 2 minute rule, you can use a technique called habit shaping where you scale up to the intended habit you want. eg. starting to exercise - phase 1 - change into workout clothes, -> phase 2 - step out the door and try taking a walk, -> phase 3 - drive to the gym, exercise for 5mins and leave, -> phase 4 - exercise for 15mins at least once per week. -> phase 5 - Exercise 3 times per week
• Automate your habits. Invest in technology and onetime purchases that lock in future behavior.

Question 11

How to create a good habit - Rewards

Answer 11

• Use reinforcement. Give yourself an immediate reward when you complete your habit.
• Make “doing nothing” enjoyable. When avoiding a bad habit, design a way to see the benefits.
• Use a habit tracker. Keep track of your habit streak and “don’t break the chain.”
• Never miss twice. When you forget to do a habit, make sure you get back on track immediately.

Question 12

How to break a bad habit - Cue

Answer 12

Reduce exposure. Remove the cues of your bad habits from your environment.

Question 13

How to break a bad habit - Craving

Answer 13

Reframe your mindset. Highlight the benefits of avoiding your bad habits.

Question 14

How to break a bad habit - Response

Answer 14

• Increase friction. Increase the number of steps between you and your bad habits.
  
  • eg. put playstation away in cupboard after every use, delete social media apps on phone
• Use a commitment device. Restrict your future choices to the ones that benefit you.

Question 15

How to break a bad habit - Reward

Answer 15

• Get an accountability partner. Ask someone to watch your behaviour.
• Create a habit contract. Make the costs of your bad habits public and painful.

Question 16

if your aim is mastery, are habits enough?

Answer 16

no, you require habits + deliberate practice to achieve mastery

Question 17

Habits can become boring especially when you’re targeting the benefits of compound interest on habits, how do you overcome this?

Answer 17

Professionals get bored too, they just don’t let life or boredom get in the way

Question 18

Reviewing a key part of making progress in the right direction, how might you do this?

Answer 18

weekly reviews, annual reviews of different habits and different areas i want to improve in my life can be very useful to keep on track and correct course where necessary.