Building and Sustaining Habits: Lessons from Three Bestsellers

As the end of the year approaches, we all tend to set intentions for how we are going to do things differently next year. It's easy to promise oneself to start learning how to code or to work out multiple times a week.

These intentions don't differ much from the learning goals you set at the start of a Growth Tribe course. Or a change initiation you want to establish for your team.

But the challenge is every time in how to make them stick.

So, to not just set intentions but to make them stick, I delved deep into my favourite books on habit setting.

In the article below, I created a checklist for you to use and I channel my key takeaways. 

If you want to do some research yourself, I suggest you focus on three chapters we added per book. These chapters will provide you with the main contents of the books. 

Hi, I'm Lenty, connect with me on Linkedin to share ideas and keep the conversation going!

Let's practice!

We created the Habit Formation Checklist based on all the tips and tricks provided by the authors and combined them into one easy approach. Check these off to make sure your intentions become habits.

In the checklist, we describe the activity and we added examples and more information if you want to dive deeper into what the activity is all about. Below this checklist, we provide you with the main takeaways of the books and the chapters I recommend you to read.

The Bestsellers 

To dive deeper into the knowledge behind this checklist, focus on the main approach and the core chapters that introduce their primary frameworks and methodologies for habit formation and productivity below.

Atomic Habits by James Clear:

I love this book because of its practical and straightforward approach to building positive habits and breaking negative ones through small, manageable changes that compound over time, making it highly effective for personal growth and self-improvement.

  Focus: Emphasises the incremental improvement of habits. Clear advocates for small, consistent changes that compound over time.

  Approach: Building new habits and breaking bad ones, based on the four laws of behaviour change:

 Make it Obvious: Design your environment to make cues for your desired habits clear and visible.
  Make it Attractive: Increase the attractiveness of the habit. This can be done by pairing a habit you need to do with one you want to do or reframing your mindset to find the benefits in the habit.
  Make it Easy: Simplify the habit as much as possible. Decrease the number of steps between you and your good habits, and increase the steps between you and your bad habits.
  Make it Satisfying: Use immediate rewards to make your habits enjoyable. Positive reinforcement encourages the repetition of the habit.

Main chapters:

  Chapter 1: The Surprising Power of Atomic Habits – Introduces the concept of tiny changes compounding over time.
  Chapter 3: How to Build Better Habits in 4 Simple Steps - Covers the four laws of behaviour change (Cue, Craving, Response, Reward).
  Chapter 6: Motivation is Overrated; Environment Often Matters More –  Discusses the impact of the environment on habit formation and sustenance.

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg:

I truly appreciate the insightful exploration of the science of habit formation. It offers a deep understanding of how habits work and how they can be transformed, making it invaluable for anyone seeking to change their behaviours and routines.

  Focus: Explores the science of habit formation and change. Duhigg delves into how habits work in our brains and lives.

  Approach: Introduces the concept of the "habit loop" and how understanding and manipulating this loop can change habits:

  Identify the Routine: Break down the habit to understand its components. Experiment with Rewards: Vary the rewards to understand what you are truly craving.
  Isolate the Cue: Identify the trigger that initiates the habit.
  Have a Plan: Create a plan to respond to the cue with a new routine that delivers the reward you are craving.

Main chapters:

  Chapter 2: The Habit Loop - How Habits Work –  Explains the structure of habits through the habit loop (Cue, Routine, Reward). 
  Chapter 4: The Golden Rule of Habit Change – Suggests that habits cannot be eradicated but can be replaced, and the way to do this is to keep the cue and reward the same.
  Chapter 9: The Neurology of Free Will - Are We Responsible for Our Habits? – Discusses keystone habits and their power to initiate widespread change.

 Make Time by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky:

This book provides practical, innovative strategies focused on prioritizing daily tasks and overcoming distractions, empowering readers to reclaim control of their time and focus on what truly matters in their lives.

  Focus: Centers on reorganizing your daily life to prioritize what matters most to you, with a strong emphasis on overcoming digital distractions.

  Approach: Encourages readers to select a daily "highlight" to ensure focus and energy:

  Choose a Daily Highlight: Prioritise one significant activity or task each day to ensure focus and a sense of accomplishment.
  Beat Distractions: Create barriers to common distractions, particularly digital ones, to maintain focus on the Highlight.
  Reflect Daily: Take time to reflect on what worked and what didn’t, and adjust accordingly.
  Energize: Manage your energy through exercise, nutrition, and sleep to ensure you can focus on your priorities.

Main chapters

  Chapter 1: Choose a Highlight – Focuses on prioritising your day around one main activity or task.
  Chapter 5: Beat Distraction to Make Time –  Offers techniques to beat distraction, centring on how to create a laser focus for your Highlight.
  Chapter 9: Energise Your Body – Emphasizes the importance of energy management to create more focus and make time for priorities.

Blending Habit Theories

While Clear sees habits as integral to identity and personal growth, Duhigg views them as neurological patterns tied to our environment and cravings, and Knapp & Zeratsky treat habits as a function of how we manage and prioritize our time. Together, these perspectives provide a holistic view of habits as automatic behaviours shaped by our surroundings, driven by our psychological cravings, and crucial to our identity and time management.

Complementary Visions

These books, when woven together, create a composite picture of habit formation. The habit loop and the four laws of behaviour change are two sides of the same coin, detailing the trigger-response-reward sequence that underlies all habits. "Atomic Habits" provides the micro-adjustments needed for this loop to become more efficient, while "The Power of Habit" identifies the loop's components ripe for transformation."Make Time" complements these ideas by applying macro-lens to the daily routine, ensuring that the habits we're trying to form or change have the space to grow and the priority they deserve. The Highlight of the day can act as a keystone habit, setting the tone for other habits to align with this central task.

Contradictions and Harmonization

Where "Atomic Habits" advocates for the accumulation of small habits, "Make Time" suggests a focused approach, potentially at the expense of smaller habits. Moreover, the broad neurological insights of "The Power of Habit" might conflict with the more targeted and practical daily interventions proposed by "Make Time."

Nevertheless, these contradictions do not necessarily spell incompatibility. Instead, they invite a nuanced approach to habit formation. One could argue that by selecting a Highlight that acts as a keystone habit, we create an environment (as per "Atomic Habits") that nurtures the habit loop ("The Power of Habit"), thereby harmonizing the triad's philosophies.

Dive deeper into the topic

  The Habits Guide: This page summarises James Clear's book on habits and refers to his relevant blog posts on the topic.

  Cheat Sheet: How to create a good Habit: This summary cheat sheet made by James Clear compresses many of the key ideas and insights from the book into a handy reference guide for how to build a good habit

  Cheat Sheet: How to break a bad Habit: This summary cheat sheet made by James Clear compresses many of the key ideas and insights from the book into a handy reference guide for how to break a bad habit

  Flowchart by Charles Duhigg for creating a habit: This flowchart made by Duhigg helps you design a New years resolution that lasts

  Flowchart by Charles Duhigg for changing a habit: This flowchart made by Duhigg is focussed on changing a habit in line with his theories and book.

  Making Time at Work: This page describes  how to give your team (and yourself) the time to thrive at the office in line with the book Make Time by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky 

  The Making Time Manifesto: By John Zeratsky on why making time is essential if you want to do anything more than just passive living. 

Wrapping Things Up

Combining these approaches involves clearly defining your intentions, and structuring your environment and daily routines to make the desired behaviour obvious and easy.

It's important to replace parts of existing habit loops with new routines that align with your intentions. Focus on one major task each day that brings you closer to your goal.

Additionally, embracing a new identity that aligns with your intentions and ensuring you have the physical and mental energy to pursue them is crucial. Regular reflection and willingness to adapt your approach are key to making the transition from intentions to habits successful.

When considering which book(s) to implement in your life, reflect on what aspect of habit formation or time management you most need guidance with.

• If you're seeking a methodical approach to gradually build or change habits, "Atomic Habits" might be the most suitable. For a deeper understanding of the psychology behind your habits, "The Power of Habit" could provide valuable insights.
  
  
• If prioritisation and overcoming distractions are your main challenges, "Make Time" offers practical advice in these areas. You might find that a combination of these books' strategies best suits your needs, allowing you to create a personalised approach to habit formation and time management.

Hi, I'm Lenty, connect with me on Linkedin to share ideas and keep the conversation going!