Hello, young Padawan
We’re going to break an unwritten rule here, namely that self-help books are usually banned from this blog. For various reasons, but the main one we all know: we buy the book, we read it, and nobody puts the techniques or methods into practice, because we don’t become a millionaire with a book, unless your father is a publisher or you wrote the book yourself.
In short, self-help books are a scam in 90% of cases, since they offer a single solution to a multifaceted problem.
And then there’s the remaining 10%. And we’re going to look at one book from this group.
Atomic Habits, by James Clear.
This book is a manual to help you establish new habits or break bad ones. There are no magic bullets: the author is practical and methodical. Initially, we find common-sense advice presented with precision and method, but it’s immediately apparent that he has developed a genuine action plan.
The book begins by explaining its core concept, with the first section outlining its fundamentals, organized around four pillars. We then have a chapter for each pillar, structured into several points, followed by an advanced section to delve deeper into the concept.
At the end of each point in the book, there’s a summary, and at the end of each significant chapter, a table, so you can quickly return to the point you want to review. This is incredibly useful when you start putting the advice into practice. The table at the end of the chapter has two sections: one for developing new habits, and the other for breaking them.
When I mentioned an action plan, James Clear offers a whole host of worksheets and checklists on his website, which you can find as links in his book. You can also sign up to receive a series of twelve emails over thirty days to help you establish your new habit, or break a bad one.
And why does this method work? Well, simply because establishing a habit can be standardized, meaning the same method applies to everyone. Whether you’re old, young, rich or poor, male or female, regardless of your level of intelligence or knowledge, the mechanism is the same. I’ve actually put his method to the test to introduce a new habit into my life. It’s been four months now, and it’s working. At the end of the year, I plan to try another one, using his method again.
In short, as you’ve probably gathered, I chose to talk to you about this book because the advice is excellent and works when you put it into practice in your daily life. It instills more discipline in a simple, concrete way, without any self-reflection.
And that’s it for today’s book review, in case it helps some of you break bad habits or adopt new, good ones.
All that’s left for me to do is wish you a great weekend, and I’ll see you next Thursday for more adventures!
XO 📖
