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This one-pager is a companion to “The Ultimate Guide to Effective Post-Reading Note-Taking ”, an essay about my workflow once I’m done reading a book.

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Read the full essay: The Ultimate Guide to Effective Post-Reading Note-Taking

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One-Pager: Atomic Habits, by James Clear

October 29, 2020

Atomic Habits

James Clear (2018)

💡 The Book in 3 Sentences

• An atomic habit is a tiny change, a marginal gain, or a 1 percent improvement that forms the building block of a larger system that results in remarkable outcomes over the long-term. It is a little habit that is part of a larger system.
• Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. Changes that initially appear small and unimportant will compound into incredible results, provided you’re able to stick with those changes for years.
• Your habits can compound for you or against you. Good habits will account for incredible results over the long term. Bad habits, repeated over years, can compound into toxic results.

🔑 Five Key Takeaways

1. We overestimate the importance of dramatic actions. We convince ourselves that significant outcomes arise out of big actions.We undervalue the importance of small habits or actions, made repeatedly, over a long period of time.
2. Habits are the compound interest of self improvement. Small habits, made repeatedly over time, can yield incredible results. Success is the product of thousands of daily small habits, not a dramatic once-in-a-lifetime transformation.
3. If you want to create better habits or achieve better results, focus on the processes or systems that lead to those outcomes. Focus on systems, not goals.
4. There are four main stages of Habit Formation:
   • Cue
   • Craving
   • Response
   • Reward
5. There are Four Laws of Behavior Change that map onto each of the stages of habit formation:
   • Make it Obvious
   • Make it Attractive
   • Make it Easy
   • Make it Satisfying