Ep.28 - Atomic Habits - Explained

Atomic Habits by James Clear is one of the most impactful books Greg has read in the last five years. But there's a problem. Most people who read self-improvement books retain little and put into practice even less. In this new "Explained" series, Greg dives deep into the best self-help books on the planet and helps to explain their key conclusions in terms you can not only understand but also implement in your own life. Make sure to subscribe to the Intentional Wisdom newsletter for a breakdown on this episode (and Greg's favorite quotes from the book): https://gregcampion.substack.com Episode Segments: (0:00) - Intro (01:28) - James Clear's backstory (07:31) - The story of British cycling and tiny improvements (13:12) - Forget about goals? (15:56) - 3 layers of behavior change: Outcomes, Process, Identity (20:28) - How I've 5x'd my own productivity with scheduling (23:13) - Why do we form habits? And are routines boring? (25:17) - 4 steps to a habit: Cue, Craving, Response, Reward (28:28) - Law 1 - Make it Obvious (30:42) - The power of time and location (33:31) - Habit-stacking and the Diderot Effect (36:02) - The massive impact of environment on our habits (40:13) - Why you can't rely on self-control (41:06) - Law 2 - Make it Attractive (45:27) - How our social environments shape us (53:33) - Law 3 - Make it Easy (and the idea of Motion vs. Action) (55:28) - The power of getting in reps (57:30) - Laziness, on-ramps and the two-minute rule (01:02:46) - Losing bad habits with commitment devices (01:06:39) - Law 4 - Make it Satisfying (01:09:18) - How to make habits IMMEDIATELY satisfying (01:12:52) - Habit-tracking, streaks & accountability partners (01:20:35) - The role your genes play in habit formation (01:24:59) - Improving habits with "the Goldilocks rule" (01:28:39) - Why identity needs to be pliable (01:30:23) - A nearly perfect Conclusion chapter? (01:34:52) - Wrap-up