Atomic Habits

So many of my friends have read and recommended this book, and I’m glad I read it.

The biggest concept that I derived and shifted my thinking from the book is how one looks at identity. The author notes that the entomology of the word means “being, repeatedly.” The operative word here is “repeatedly”, and that is established by consistent action.

If you want your identity to be “fit”, each individual time in the gym is a “vote” of sorts that fitness is in fact your identity. Like an election, you don’t need a unanimous vote, and you often might “vote” against an action you want to embody. But if you err to the majority, your identity becomes further solidified and a habit is built.

Yes, this is obvious in retrospect, but it’s something we often forget — the “atomically” small increments of action that form the habits that we currently consist of. It is a wake-up call book, but one that delivers its message in an optimistic and achievable tone. It doesn’t hurt that the author’s own unbelievable story of overcoming the odds reinforces the narrative as well.