CM 131: James Clear on Making and Breaking Habits

We all have trouble changing our habits, but the problem isn’t us, it’s our systems.

Whether we want to adopt good habits or avoid bad ones, we need to think beyond willpower or setting bigger goals. Instead, James Clear, author of the book, Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones, argues that the secret is designing a system of small, repeatable habits. He challenges us to ask ourselves, “How can we make these small changes that we layer on top of each other – these little 1% improvements or tiny advantages – and in the process of integrating them all into a larger system, end up making some really remarkable progress?”

Through compelling stories and brain research, James teaches us how to design game-changing habits and sustainable systems. In addition, he shares ways we can leverage environmental factors and addictive tendencies to our advantage. Finally, he helps us see how a commitment to daily habits leads to the identity we seek: “Every action you take is like a vote for the person that you want to become. Doing one push up or writing one sentence or reading one page, it’s not going to transform you right away. But it does cast a vote for being that kind of person, for reinforcing that kind of identity.”

James is an author and speaker focused on habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Time, Entrepreneur, and on CBS This Morning.

The Host

You can learn more about Curious Minds Host and Creator, Gayle Allen @CuriousGayle and www.gayleallen.net.

Episode Links

@JamesClear

James’ article on British cycling and marginal gains: This Coach Improved Every Tiny Thing by 1 Percent and Here’s What Happened

James’ article on identity and habits: Identity-Based Habits: How to Actually Stick to Your Goals This Year

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

Hooked by Nir Eyal

The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson

Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey

Point and Call safety system in Japan (video)

Habit Scorecard

James’ article on habits and environment: How to Improve Your Health and Productivity Without Thinking

Stick with It by Sean Young

James’ article on motion versus action: The Mistake Smart People Make: Being in Motion vs. Taking Action

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