Friday Favourite - Atomic Habits

Prompted by a post by James Butler I thought I'd share our Friday Favourite that went out yesterday in our 1st 2025 newsletter on LinkedIn as well.

We thought it was a fitting time of the year to share one of the top resources we often recommend to our clients.

Our clients come to us because they want to change something – maybe they want a bigger practice, a more efficient business, lead their teams better or achieve a better balance.

Whilst we have practical advice and loads of resources to share, change is ultimately heavily reliant on behaviour, which is made up of habits over which, whilst we might not always think we do, we DO have control.

Atomic Habits by James Clear is a comprehensive, practical guide on how to change your habits and get 1% better every day.

Key Lessons from Atomic Habits

Small habits make a big difference

Whilst improving by 1% each day may not be noticeable at the time, the tiny improvement can make a massive difference over time. If you get 1% better each day over a year, you will end up 37% better.

The problems with only focussing on the goals:

Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are the processes that lead to those results. If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system.

Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. ‘You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems’

Build identity-based habits Changing habits is challenging for two reasons:

1. We try to change the wrong thing
2. We try to change our habits in the wrong way

James Clear talks about three levels of behaviour change:

1. Outcomes – the results we want to change – what you get
2. Processes – our habits and systems – what you do
3. Identity – beliefs, assumptions and biases – what you believe

True behaviour change is identity change. What you do is an indication of the type of person you believe you are. The biggest barrier to change is identity conflict. ‘Your identity emerges out of your habits. Every action is a vote for the type of person you wish to become’

If you buy the book before 10 January, make sure you take advantage of getting an additional chapter and extra bonuses

STEP 1. Buy a copy of Atomic Habits in whatever format you want: Print, Audio, E-book before January 10, 2025. 

STEP 2. Forward your receipt or proof of purchase to the email address 1book@atomichabits.com

Buy the book!