1. Systems vs Goals

  • Focus on the overall system rather than just a single goal (though goals are still necessary).
  • Ensure you have a good system to achieve your goals.
  • Make 1% improvements each day – this can lead to a 37% improvement over time.
  • Mastery is the process of narrowing focus to a tiny element. Once that area becomes a habit, it becomes a new building block for further progress.
  • The way to improve is to never stop making improvements.

2. Identity-Based Habits

  • Be the type of person you want to become, rather than just focusing on outcomes.
  • Identity statement: “I’m the type of person who is disciplined, reliable, and great on a team.”
  • Humans are herd animals – most people want to build habits that make them fit in.
  • We imitate the habits of:
    • Family and friends
    • The tribe
    • Those with status & prestige

3. Habit Formation & Execution

  • Plan to carry out the habit: “I will do [habit] at [time] and [location].”
  • Habit stacking: Attach a new habit to an existing one.
  • Make habits easier by reducing friction:
    • Behaviours are easy if they are:
      • Obvious
      • Attractive
      • Easy
      • Satisfying
    • Behaviours are difficult if they are:
      • Invisible
      • Unattractive
      • Hard
      • Unsatisfying

4. Environment & Cues

  • Reduce exposure to negative cues.
  • Change environments to support good habits.
  • Use technology to automate habits and reduce effort.

5. Dopamine & Motivation

  • Dopamine drives behaviour:
    1. The first time, dopamine spikes after the reward.
    2. The second time, dopamine spikes at the craving/anticipation stage.
    3. When we expect a reward, the dopamine hit is not as strong.
  • Desire is the engine that drives action.
  • Do something enjoyable before doing a difficult task.
  • If wants outpace likes, you’ll always feel unsatisfied.

6. Repetition & Consistency

  • It’s not about how long it takes to build a habit, but how many repetitions it takes.
  • Never miss twice – if you fail once, get back on track immediately.
  • The first rule of compounding: never interrupt it unnecessarily.

7. Boredom & Sustained Success

  • The greatest threat to success is not failure, but boredom.
  • The more you practice something, the more boring and routine it becomes.
  • Once we fit in, we start looking for ways to stand out.

8. The Role of Emotions & Suffering

  • Desire prompts behaviour.
  • Emotions drive behaviour.
  • Suffering drives progress.
  • How we feel influences how we act, and how we act influences how we feel.
  • When feelings are impaired, decision-making suffers.

9. Efficiency & Simplicity

  • Addition by subtraction – achieve more with less effort.
  • Make habits satisfying to reinforce them.

Four Laws of Behaviour Change

  1. Cue: Make it obvious. 
  2. Craving: Make it attractive. 
  3. Response: Make it easy. 
  4. Reward: Make it satisfying.

Applying Atomic Habits For Business:

Make it obvious: Clear and repeated CTAs.If it’s not obvious it’s forgotten.

Make it attractive: Think about the consumers prediction of your business/product. Benefits & personalisation.Frame people who dont use your solution in a negative light – statistics.

Make it Easy: Remove friction from every step the consumer could take.

“Business is a never-ending quest to deliver the same result in an easier fashion.” The idea is to make every phase of the process as convenient as possible.

Make it satisfying: Immediate rewards, satisfaction, praise, encouragement, pleasure. Also don’t over promise or over sell a guarantee.

Applying Atomic Habits For Parenting

Make it obvious: clear layout

Make it attractive: sports clubs, private schools, environments where personality and behaviours are healthy

Make it Easy: Good, quiet, clean, productive environment.

Make it satisfying: Praise the good, ignore the bad. Allowance system.

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