This is the summary of each chapter in the book that appears at the end of the chapter. if you want to read my summary checkout Atomic Habits

the fundamentals

the surprising power of atomic habits

1. habits are the compound interest of self improvement. getting pone percent better every day counts for a lot in the long run.
2. habits are double edged sword. they can work for you or against you, which is why understanding the details is essential.
3. small changes often appear to make no difference until you cross a critical threshold. the most powerful outcome of any compounding process are delayed, you need to be patient.
4. an atomic habit is a little habit that is part of a larger system. just as atoms are the building blocks of molecules, atomic habits are the building blocks of remarkable results.
5. if you want better results, then forget about setting goals. focus on your system instead.
6. you do not rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems.

how your habits shape your identity and vice versa

1. there are three levels of change
   1. outcome change
   2. process change
   3. identity change
2. the most effective to change your habits is to focus not on you want to achieve, but who you wish to become.
3. becoming the best version of yourself requires you to continuously edit your beliefs, and to upgrade and expand your identity.
4. the real reason habits matter is not because they can get you better results, but because they can change your beliefs about yoursellf.

how to build better habits in 4 simple steps

1. a habit is a behavior that has been repeated enough times to become automatic.
2. the ultimate purpose of habits is to solve the problems of life with as little energy and efforts as possible.
3. any habit that can be broken down into a feedback loop that involved four steps : cur, craving, response, and reward.
4. the four laws of behaviour change are a simple set of rules we can use to built better habits. they are
   1. make it obvious
   2. make it attractive
   3. make it easy
   4. make is satisfying

the 1st law - make it obvious

the man who didn't look right

1. with enough practice, your brain will pick up on the cues that predict certain outcomes without consciously thinking about it.
2. once our habits become automatic, we stop paying attention to what we are doing.
3. the process of behaviou change always start with awareness. you need to be aware of your habits before you can change them.
4. pointing and calling raises your level of awareness from a non-conscious habit to a more conscious level by verbalising your actions.
5. the habit scorecard is a simple exercise you can use to become more aware of your behavior.

the best way to start a new habit

1. the first low of behavior change is make it obvious.
2. the two most common cues are time and location.
3. creating an implementation intention is a strategy you can use to pair a new habit with a specific time and location.
4. the implementation intention formula is : I will !!Behaviour!! at !!time!! in !!location!!
5. habit stacking is a strategy you can use to pair a new habit with a current habit.
6. the habit stacking formula is : after !!curent habbit!!, i will !!new habit!!

motivation is overrated; environment often matters more

1. small changes in context can lead to large changes in behavior over time.
2. every habit is initiated by a cure. we are more likely to notice cues that stand out.
3. make the cues of good habits obvious in your environment.
4. gradually, you habit become associated not with a single trigger but with the entire context surrounding the behaviour. the context becomes the cue.
5. it is easier to build new habits in a new environment because you are not fighting against the old cure.

the secret of self control

1. the inversion of the first law of behavior change is make it "invisible"
2. once a habit is formed, it is unlikely to be forgotten.
3. people with high self control tend to spend less time in tempting situations. it is easier to avoid a temptation than to resist it.
4. one of the most practical ways to eliminate a bad habit is to reduce exposure to the cure that causes it.
5. self control is a short term strategy, not a long term one.

the 2nd law - make it attractive

1. the second law of behavior change is make ti attractive.
2. the more attractive an opportunity is, the more likely it is to become habit forming.
3. habits are a dopamine dirven feedbackloop. when dopamise rises, so does our motivation to act.
4. it is the anticipation of a reward - not the fulfilment of it - that gets us to take action, the greater the anticipation, the greater the dopamine spike.
5. temptation bundling is one way to make your habits more attractive. the strategy is to pair an action you want to do with an action you need to do.

the role of family and friends in shaping your habits

1. the culture we live in determines which behaviours are attractive to us.
2. we tend to adopt habits that are praised and approved of by our culture because we have a strong desire to fit in and belong to the tribe.
3. we tend to imitate the habits of three social groups
   1. the close - the family
   2. the many - the tribe
   3. the powerful - those with status and prestige
4. one of the most effective things you can do to build better habits is to join a culture where
   1. your desired behavior is the normal behavior
   2. you already have somethign in common with the group.
5. the normal behavior of the tribe often overpowers the desired behavior of the individual. most days, we would rather be wrong with the crowd than be right by ourselves.
6. if a behavior can get us approval, respect, and priase, we find it attractive.

how to find and fix the causes of your bad habits

1. the inversion of the second law of behaviour change is - make it unattrative.
2. every behavior has a surface level craving and a deeper underlying motive.
3. your habits are morern-day solutions to ancient desires.
4. the cause of your habits is actually the prection that precedes them. the prediction leads to a feeling.
5. highlight the benefits of avoiding a bad habit to make it seem unattractive.
6. habits are attractive when we associate them with postive feelings and unattractive when we assoicate them with negative feelings. create a motivation ritual by doing something you enjoy immediately before a difficult habit.

the 3rd law - make it easy

walk slowly but never backward

1. the third lay of behavior change is make it easy.
2. the most effective form of learning is practice, not planning.
3. focus on taking action, not being in motion
4. habit formation is the process by which a behavior becomes progressively more automatic through repetition
5. the amount of time you have been performing a habit is not as important as the number of times you have performed it

the law of least effort

1. human behavior follows the law of least effort. we will naturally gravitate toward the option that required the least amount of work
2. create an environment where doing the right thing as easy as possible
3. reduce the friction associated with good behaviors. when friction is low, habits are easy.
4. increase the friction associated with bad behaviors. when friction is high, habits are difficult.
5. prime your environment to make future actions easier.

how to stop procrastinating by using the two-minute rule

1. habits can be completed ina few seconds but continue to impact your behavior for minutes or hours afterward.
2. many habits occur at decisive moments 0 choices that are like a fork in the road-and either send you in the direction of a productive day or an unproductive one.
3. the two minute rule states, "when you start a new habit it should take less than two minutes to do."
4. the more you ritualise the beginning of a process, the more likely it becomes that you can slit into the state of deep focus that is required to do great things.
5. standardise before you optimise. you cant improve a habit that doesnt exist.

how to make good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible

1. the inversion of the third law of behavior change is make it difficult.
2. a commitment device is a choice you make in the present that locks in better behavior in the future.
3. the ultimate way to lock in future behavior is to automate your habits.
4. onetime choices - like buying a better matrtess or enrolling in an automatic savings plan-are single actions that automate your future habits and deliver increasing returns over time.
5. using technology to automate your habits is the most reliable and effective way to guarantee the right behavior.

The 4th law - make it satisfying

the cardinal rule of behavior change

1. the 4th law of behavior change is make it satisying.
2. we are more likely to repeat a behavior when the experience is satifying.
3. the human brain evolved to prioritise immediate rewards over delayed rewards.
4. the cardinal rule of behavior change : what is immediately rewarded is repeated. what is immediately punished is avoided.
5. to get a habit to stick you need to feel immediately successful - even if it is in a small way.
6. the first three laws of behavior change - make it obvious, make it attractive, and make it easy - increase the odds that a behavior will be performed this time. the fourth law of behavior change - make it satisfying - increases the odds that a behavior will be repeated next time.

how to stick with good habits every day

1. one of the most satisfying feelings is the feeling of making progress
2. a habit tracker is a simple way to measure whether you did a habit - like marking an X on a calendar
3. habit trackers and other visual forms of measurement can make your habits satisfying by providing clear evidence of your progress
4. dont break the chain. try to keep your habit streak alive
5. never miss twice. if you miss one day, try to get back on track as quickly possible
6. just because you can measure something doesnt mean its the most important thing

how an accountability partner can change everything

1. the inversion of the 4th law of behavior change is making it satisfying
2. we are less likely to repeat a bad habit if it is painful or unsatisfying
3. an accountability partner can create an immediate cost to inaction. we care deeply about what others think of us, and we do not want others to have a lesser opinion of us
4. a habit contract can be used to add a social cost to any behavior. it makes the costs of violating your promises public and painful
5. knowing that someone else is watching you can be a powerful motivator

Advanced tactics - how to go from being merely good to being truly great

the truth about talent (when genes matter and when they don't)

1. the secret to maximising your odds of success is to choose the right field of competition
2. pick the right habit and progress is easy. pick the wrong habit and life is struggle
3. genes cannot be easily changed, which means they provide a powerful advantage in favorable circumstances and a serious disadvantage in unfavorable circumstances.
4. habits are easier when they alight with your natural abilities. choose the habits that best suit you
5. play a game that favors your strengths. if you cant find a game that favors you, create one
6. genes do not eliminate the need for hard work. they clarify it. they tell us what to work hard on

the goldilocks rule : how to stay motivated in life and work

1. the golilocks rule states that humans experience peak motivation when working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current liabilities
2. the greatest threat to success is not failure but boredom
3. as habits become routine, they become less interesting and less satisfying we get bored
4. anyone can work hard when they feel motivated. it is the ability to keep going when work is not exciting that makes the difference.
5. professionals stick to the schedule; amateurs let life get in the way

the downside of creating good habits

1. the upside of habits is that we can do things without thinking. the downside is that we stop paying attention to little errors
2. habits + deliberate practice = mastery
3. reflection and review is a process that allows you to remain conscious of your performance over time
4. the tighter we cling to an identity, that harder it becomes to grow beyond it

conclusion

the secrets to results that last

1. eventually, if you stick with it, you hit a tipping point. suddenly, it feels easier to stick with good habits. the weight of the systems is working for you rather than against you
2. make it obvious, make it attractive, make ti easy, make it satisfying
3. it is remarkable what you can build if you just don't stop
4. small habits don't add up, they compound
5. that is the power of atomic habits. tiny changes. remarkable results.

Referenced in:

• books/Atomic-Habits