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Atomic Habits
An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
The final book for Smarter 2025 Week has sold over 20 million copies—and you’re about to see why. If you missed our spotlights from Monday (Goal-Setting) or Wednesday (Microlearning), be sure to check them out too!
Your small, consistent habits are the key to extraordinary change.
In Atomic Habits, James Clear shows how small changes create big transformations. Backed by science, this guide helps you build good habits, break bad ones, and set yourself up for lasting success in 2025.
SMARTEST TAKEAWAYS
Master the Art of Small Changes
1️⃣ Focus on Systems, Not Goals: Clear argues that goals are about results, but systems are about processes. Build habits that align with your identity, and the results will follow.
2️⃣ The Power of 1% Better: Improving just 1% every day compounds into remarkable results over time. Small actions, consistently applied, lead to significant growth.
3️⃣ Make Habits Easy to Start: Reduce friction for good habits and increase it for bad ones. Small tweaks, like laying out your workout clothes or hiding junk food, make habits stick.
4️⃣ Embrace the Four Laws of Behavior Change: To build better habits, Clear advises making them obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying—turning effort into instinct.
James Clear, author of ‘Atomic Habits’
INSIGHTFUL EXAMPLE
The Athlete Who Used Tiny Habits to Win Big
Clear shares the story of a British cycling team that went from underperformers to world champions by focusing on marginal gains. By making tiny improvements—like changing pillow types for better sleep or redesigning bike seats—they transformed their performance.
Over time, these 1% improvements compounded into world-class results, proving the power of small habits done consistently.
A QUOTE TO REMEMBER
Small Steps, Big Impact
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
BOOK FACTS
Atomic Habits
Publication date: October 16, 2018
Print length: 320 pages
Listening length: 5:35
Ratings: 4.8 Amazon, 4.3 Goodreads
If you like Slightly Smarter, we encourage you to check out our employee development offering, Smarter Growth. We use book-based microlearning to facilitate corporate workshops, book clubs, and newsletters to grow your people and business.
If this sounds helpful, we’d love to talk!
THE NEXT BIG IDEA CLUB
The Secret to Creating Lasting Habits
DID YOU KNOW?
The Science of Small Change
Habits Drive Outcomes: Studies show that 40% of daily actions are habits, making them critical for long-term success. (Duke University Study)
Consistency Beats Intensity: Research shows that consistent, small efforts are 23% more likely to result in lasting change compared to large, sporadic efforts. (Journal of Behavioral Medicine)
Repetition Builds Results: It takes an average of 66 days to form a habit, but consistency is the real key to success. (European Journal of Social Psychology)
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