Book Report: Atomic Habits by James Clear

In Atomic Habits, James Clear provides a framework for developing good habits to help people achieve their full potential.  Clear asserts that making even the smallest of changes can make a huge difference. Small changes have a compounding effect.  He also states that people should focus on systems and processes, and not on goals.   

He starts the book by discussing a devastating injury he suffered playing high school baseball and how developing good habits allowed him to not only recover from his injury but play college sports and achieve other achieve other successes while in college. Clear is now and author and speaker and his work is used by Fortune 500 companies as well as teams in the major sports leagues.   

Clear outlines four “laws” or steps to developing good habits: making it obvious, making it attractive, making it easy, and making it satisfying.  He reverses these steps to break bad habits: making it invisible, making it unattractive, making it difficult, and making it unsatisfying.  He discusses each of these at length in his book and provides examples of each.  He ends the book with “advanced tactics.”

The book itself is a quick and easy read and I had a hard time putting it down once I started.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have already begun applying several of the principles to help me wake up earlier in the morning and become more productive at work. 

Bonus Book Report: What the F*@# Should I Do with My Life?

Knowing how much I love “career” books, my husband picked up this gem whilst perusing the shelves at the bookstore.  The author, Zach Golden, is a writer and director.  Apparently, he’s held many different jobs throughout his life which inspired him to write this amusing volume. 

The book starts with a brief career assessment with results that don’t matter because according to Golden, all jobs are trash.  He goes on to diss a multitude of occupations, from doctor to bus driver and plumber to influencer.  No job is safe!  About writers, he says, “you get to live in poverty and the debilitating hellscape of your own self-doubt.”

Aside from the jabs at Trump and his ilk which seem dated in 2022 (the book was originally published in 2019), this is hilarious!  Highly recommended for anyone who needs a good laugh at the world of work.