Often, we begin a new year pumped with motivation to make new changes in our lives. Start a new workout regime, lose weight, quit smoking, save more money, start a business, make more money, and learn a new skill, the list is endless.

We take action for the first few weeks or months and then something happens in our lives or we fail to see tangible results and we revert back to our old routine. Why do we find it difficult to break bad habits or stick to new ones?

In his groundbreaking book ”Atomic Habits,” James clear provides profound insights into the science of habit formation and the challenges associated with breaking bad habits or establishing new ones. This blog explores the key concepts from ”Atomic Habits,” shedding light on why this process is often arduous and how understanding the principles laid out by Clear can pave the way for effective habit transformation.

1. The Power of Atomic Habits.

We tend to overestimate the importance of one defining moment and underestimate the value of making small improvements on a daily basis. While small actions may seem inconsequential at first, their compounded impact over time is formidable. The challenge lies in our tendency to underestimate the influence of these minuscule habits and their role in shaping our lives.

2. The Plateau of Latent potential

When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that last blow that did it- but all that had gone before.

Jacob Riis

This is where the results of habit changes may not be immediately apparent. We expect to make progress linearly and it is frustrating how ineffective changes can seem during the first days, weeks, or months.

You think, ” I have been going to the gym every day for a month, so why can’t I see any change in my body?” To make a meaningful difference, habits need to persist long enough to break through the plateau of latent potential.

Your efforts are not wasted, they are being stored and when you finally break through the plateau of latent potential, it will seem like an overnight success.

So instead of being discouraged by the delay, keep putting in the effort, keep taking action. Mastery requires patience.

What determines whether we stick with a habit long enough to survive the plateau of Latent Potential and break through the other side?

3. Understand how our identity shapes our habits

Breaking or forming habits is not just about changing behavior; it’s about transforming our identity. Existing habits are deeply ingrained in our self-perception and altering them requires a shift in how we define ourselves. Behind every system of actions, there is a system of beliefs that determines the actions we take.

It is easy for our old identity to sabotage our new plans for change if we only change our behavior without redefining our identity. James Clear gives us a perfect example to illustrate this:

Example; Two people are resisting a cigarettes. When offered a smoke, the first one says,” No thanks, I am trying to quit.’‘ It sounds like a reasonable response, but this person still believes they are a smoker who is trying to be something else. They are hoping their behavior will change while caring around the same beliefs.

The second person declines by saying, ” No thanks. I am not a smoker.” Its a small difference but this statement signals a shift in identity.

True behavior change is identity change. You might start a habit because of motivation, but the only reason you’ll stick with it is that it becomes part of your identity. When your behavior and identity are in alignment, you are no longer pursuing behavior change, you are simply acting like the type of person you already believe yourself to be.

4. The role of Cue, Craving, Response, and Reward

The habit loop- cue, craving, response, and reward is the fundamental structure of all habits. The cue triggers your brain to initiate a behavior. Craving is the motivational force behind every habit. Response is the actual habit or action you perform to obtain the reward. Rewards are the end goal of every habit.

for example;

Problem phase:

• Cue- You hit a stumbling block on a project at work
• Craving- You feel stuck and want to relieve your frustration

Solution Phase:

• Response- You pull out your phone and check social media
• Reward- You satisfy your craving to be relieved. checking social media k becomes associated with being stalled at work.

Clear provides a practical framework known as the four laws of behavior change that provides a simple set of rules for creating good habits and breaking bad ones.

How to create a good habit:

• 1st law(cue); make it obvious
• 2nd law (craving); Make it attractive
• 3rd law (response); Make it easy
• 4th law (reward); make it satisfying

How to break a bad habit:

• Inversion of the 1st law: (cue); make it invisible
• Inversion of 2nd law: (craving); make it unattractive
• Inversion of the 3rd law: (response); make it difficult
• Inversion of the 4th law: (reward); make it unsatisfying

Read more on the four laws of behavior change by James Clear.

5. Environmental Influence

Our surroundings play a significant role in shaping our habits. A small change in what we see can lead to a big shift in what you do. Therefore, it is important to live or work in environments that are filled with productive cues and devoid of unproductive ones. Making a better decision is easier and natural when the cues for good habits are right in front of you. Redesign your environment to suit your habits and set you up for success. overcoming the inertia of existing environments and creating spaces conducive to new habits is essential.

6. Immediate Gratification

The modern world thrives on instant gratification, and habits that do not provide immediate rewards often face resistance. with our bad habits, the immediate outcome usually feels good, but the ultimate outcome feels bad. With good habits, its the reverse: the immediate outcome is unenjoyable but the ultimate outcome feels good.

Our brains are wired to seek instant gratification and that explains we easily gravitate towards bad habits and find it difficult to cultivate new ones. Success in nearly every field requires us to ignore an immediate reward in favor of a delayed reward.

Most of us know that delaying gratification is a wise approach. We want all the benefits that comes with good habits but these outcomes are rarely in mind at the decisive moment. Therefore, the best approach is to turn instant gratification to our advantage. The best approach is to use reinforcement , which refers to the process of using an immediate reward to increase the rate of a behavior. Usually, good habits.

Immediate reinforcement helps maintain motivation in the short term while you’re waiting for long term rewards to arrive,

For example, drinking your favorite smoothie after a workout.

In the realm of habit change, ”Atomic habits,” by James Clear serves as a guiding beacon. Understanding the intricacies of tiny habits, recognizing the link between identity and behavior, and navigating the challenges of the habit loop provide a roadmap for those seeking lasting transformation. I hope that the insights reviewed here have made this intention possible for you.

The journey of breaking bad habits and cultivating new ones may be difficult but armed with the principles outlined by Clear, you can overcome the hurdles and embark on a path of positive, enduring change.

If you found this blog useful, please share by clicking the share button below. Also leave a comment or a question and lets interact! Thank you for talking your time to read.