Atomic Habits Book Review

Atomic Habits was an ideal pick to start a new year, especially this year, in a season of life where I am working from home and developing better habits for my writing. 

I appreciated the science behind James Clear's approach to behavior change, and it lines up with other research I have read about transformational change. In short, sometimes we have to change our habits, or behaviors, to not only make progress toward our goals, but make progress towards a better attitude and state of mind when doing them. 

I also enjoyed the chapter about habit stacking, or the act of adding a new habit to existing routines. After reading that chapter, I added a breath prayer and meditation practice to my weekly routine by simply adding five minutes to my morning carpool loop. 

Additionally, his thoughts on "changing your environment to make a new habit more attractive" were especially relevant since I spent many hours renovating my office space last summer.  I didn't realize what I was doing at the time, but creating a more inspirational place HAS made me want to be there to write more often.

I gave the book four stars on my Goodreads review because I couldn't think of anything I could not directly apply or didn't enjoy. It was an easy read, and also made for some good dialogue with my family about the habits we have (or don't yet have!) in our home. 

The only drawback I could see to his strategy is leaving some room for margin in your day to be available and present for your people. I don't know about you, but I could see how I could get a little neurotic about stacking seemingly beneficial habits at all hours of the day when my children just need me to stop what I'm doing and listen. 

Overall, I recommend Atomic Habits, especially if you are trying to find a simple but effective way to build better habits for your life. 

P.S. I am an avid book collector, and love visiting and supporting local bookstores when we travel. I've often thought it would be fun to open one. But, until that day, I'm thankful for organizations like Bookshop.org that allow me to share and sell my favorite reads AND give back to local bookstores through your purchase. Come visit my shop here, and grab your copy of Atomic Habits!