Why You're Struggling to Finish What You Start, and How to Finally Get It Done

Hello everyone!

I'm super excited to share my thoughts on James Clear's book, "Atomic Habits". I'm so into this book that I'd recommend it to every single person on the planet. I'll get straight to the point instead of writing a lot at the beginning.

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About the book:

I ordered this book through Wildberries for a steal (literally around 400 rubles). The shipping was flawless. The book is available in both paperback and hardcover formats, and I opted for the hardcover.

The back of the book has a brief description of the book itself.

I'll attach a photo of the publisher's info below:

And for those who want to get a sneak peek, I've included the table of contents below.

I was happy to see that the book has plenty of different graphs to help you fully understand the author's point.

~ My impression:

I loved how the author starts the book with their own story. It's a really interesting and motivating beginning. I won't give away too many details, but I just had to share my thoughts on how amazing this book is.

First off, I wanted to share some quotes from the book that really stood out to me.

✨Citation #1.

Bad habits are a byproduct of a self-improvement process. On a daily basis, it may seem like the effect is minimal, but after a few months or a year, you'll see a truly astonishing result. It's only when you look back over two years, five, or even ten years that you'll realize the obvious value of good habits and the negative impact of bad ones.

We make small changes, but the results never come quickly – and that's often what leads us to fall back into our old ways.

But honestly, at least in my case, this is true. I'm one of those people who just can't wait for results, especially when it comes to waiting for things to happen. But I used to think that was just my personality trait that I couldn't change, and that I just had to learn to live with it. But I didn't realize that this trait was actually preventing me from enjoying things that I couldn't afford at the moment. Thanks to the author's warm words, I got a spark of hope that I might actually be able to get a grip on myself and not give up on things.

✨Quote #2.

Want to get results? Forget about setting goals. Focus on the system.

This sounds like a pretty crazy statement, especially when you compare it to what most modern psychology theories say. But the author managed to flip my whole perspective on its head, even though my brain was initially resistant. I mean, how can you believe that you don't need to set goals? Isn't that what gives us motivation and makes us want to do things in the first place? But according to James Clear, it's not that simple, and setting goals can actually hinder success. If you read this book, you'll understand what I'm talking about and what kind of system the author is talking about.

✨Quote #3.

In the long run, the real reason you're struggling to adopt and maintain certain habits is because your self-image is holding you back. This is the reason you can't identify with a different version of yourself.

I'll be honest, when I first read those lines, my skin was crawling. I'd been trying to incorporate some good habits into my life for ages, but I just couldn't stick to them. For example, I wanted to start drinking a glass of water every morning, but since I'm not a fan of plain water (I can go through a whole day with just a few sips of tea), my attempts always fizzled out after a few days.

I thought it was just a matter of me not having the discipline or willpower, but it turns out I was doing it all wrong. Instead of setting a goal like 'drink a glass of water every morning', I needed to ask myself: 'What kind of person do I want to be and what can I do to get there?'.

For me, one of the key factors was being healthy. And when I asked myself 'what can I do to feel healthy?', the answer came quickly: exercise, hydration, and healthy eating. And it was thanks to this approach that I finally started drinking a glass of water every morning and doing some light stretching, because I knew it would pay off in the long run. In the end, all these small habits became a breeze for me, and I enjoyed doing them as part of my daily routine. Thanks to this book, I finally understood why some habits never stick - because they clashed with my identity at the time.

~ 💖 So, what did I like about this book?

✅ I can confidently say this is one of the best books I've read in a while, and it's not just because it's super motivational, but because it offers specific methods for creating a better version of yourself (specifically, for forming good habits). I'll give you an example of the techniques that help me easily form new habits.

Try to avoid mixing up the context of one habit with another whenever possible. If your space is limited, divide the room into separate zones for different activities: a reading chair, a writing desk, a dining table. You can do the same with digital spaces. I know a writer who uses their computer exclusively for writing books, a tablet for reading, and a phone only for social media.

And it actually works! Before I even started reading this book, I was wondering: 'why do I find it easier to read books sitting at my desk versus on the couch?' And the answer came through the author's words. It's because when I sit at my desk, my hands automatically reach for the bookshelf to grab the next book to read.

Most of our mistakes and errors come from a lack of awareness of our actions. One of the biggest challenges in changing habits is being able to recognize what we're doing in the present moment.

I have to admit, I've always struggled with developing a mindful approach to my habits - both new and old. Most of my time is spent at work, and when I come home, I just want to tune out and do nothing. But thanks to the author's recommendations, I've become a bit more mindful (still a work in progress, since results don't happen overnight), and it's become much easier to introduce new, useful habits into my life.

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✅ Another unexpected discovery for me was just how much of my life I've been lacking in clarity in my actions and thoughts. I hadn't even realized this. I thought I just needed more motivation to see things through, but it turned out that breaking down big tasks into smaller ones was all it took. As someone with a strong personality who likes to get things done quickly, I'm always impatient and tend to look down on smaller tasks. But the author makes a great point:

Many people think they lack motivation, when in reality they just need clarity.

These words were a turning point in my life, and I decided to start a planner to break down big tasks into smaller ones. And you know, it really helps. When you check off each completed task in your notebook, it feels like you've accomplished a ton of useful things in a day. And recognizing that you've had a super productive day is a great feeling. And because of that, you get a boost to keep going. xa0

✅ The third, probably most important lesson for me from this book is the importance of discipline. The author doesn't give you any special exercises to become more disciplined, but through some of his reasoning, he shows that consistency is more important than motivation.

We often put ourselves in a box when it comes to habits: either full-on action or nothing at all. The problem isn't that we quit; the problem is that we think: if I can't do something perfectly, it's better not to do it at all.

I think many readers will identify with this reasoning. When I first read this passage, my skin crawled, and I thought: 'why didn't these simple things occur to me sooner?' This is, after all, a book about forming habits, but as I read it, I found more and more flaws in my character that I'd previously either overlooked or thought were normal. For example, the desire to do everything perfectly, or not do anything at all. I thought it was normal, that I was just a perfectionist, and that it couldn't be changed – I just had to learn to live with it. But then the author says:

Just doing something - ten squats, five rounds, push-ups - is already a lot. Don't drop to zero.

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It's not just about what happens during the workout. It's about being the person who doesn't skip them.

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After reading this book, I made a firm decision to take control of myself and not let my lazy brain get the best of me. I've always wanted to wake up early, do morning exercises, and I've tried to start it many times before. I'd start, do a few days, and then give up for various reasons - I'd feel crummy, not sleep well, or just not be in the mood to do it perfectly. But now, I've been following the author's approach for about two weeks, and even when I'm not feeling great or I'm in pain, I still get up and do my warm-up. And let me tell you, I feel so much better afterwards. Even if I have to torture my brain every day, the results are worth it.

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✅The fourth thing that never occurred to me but has been a major obstacle to forming good habits is my attitude towards boredom. To start with, here's the author's reasoning:

At some point, it all comes down to your attitude towards boredom. The one who trains every day, doing the same approaches over and over again, is the one who wins.

As a result, many of us get discouraged when we lose focus or motivation, thinking that successful people have endless supplies of that same passion.

I used to think that successful people just had more motivation, more passion for something, so they became successful. I thought that reading 100 books in a year was only for those who were super passionate about reading or those who didn't have a job and could just stay home. But I'm a busy person, so I thought it was impossible for me to achieve that. Now it's kind of funny looking back at how silly I was.

Maybe I won't read 100 books, but even reading 12 (one book a month, 30 minutes in the morning and evening) would make me 30% better, smarter, and more well-read.

~ 💖 Takeaways:

Thanks to this book:

1️⃣ I found myself waking up at the same time every day, and after a week, my brain didn't even need an alarm clock anymore – I'm waking up before the actual time now. 2️⃣ I've stopped snoozing my alarm by 10 minutes. I used to wake up in the morning, hit the snooze button, and think that would give me a better chance at a good night's sleep. But then I read that it's a total no-go, and at the same time, I stumbled upon 'The Power of Habit' book. So, I decided to make waking up at the same time every day a habit, without hitting the snooze button. 3️⃣ I started doing morning exercises. 4️⃣ I've started reading books every day. Although I've always loved reading, I usually didn't feel like doing anything after work, so I'd only read a couple of times a week. Now, I make time for it either in the morning, evening, or both. 5️⃣ I figured out why I'd always struggle to focus on one thing for an extended period and tend to give up easily. 6️⃣ I discovered some new aspects of my personality that I hadn't noticed before. Now, I feel like I've opened up new avenues for self-improvement. 7️⃣ Thanks to adopting habits, stability, and discipline, my anxiety levels have decreased slightly. But that's just the beginning! 8️⃣ Following the author's recommendations, I started using a planner and a daily journal, which has really simplified my life and saved me a lot of time.

And you know what's the most interesting thing? There are 24 hours in a day, and there always have been 24. But two weeks ago, when I'd come home from work at 7 pm, I'd have nothing left to do.

I used to come home exhausted, and still be exhausted the next morning. But now, I'm coming home at the same time, and I've got time to cook dinner, do some evening stretching, read a book, fill out my daily planner, and still get to bed by 11 PM. I wake up on time without an alarm clock. That's the power of atomic habits and a structured day.

Before, I'd come home, wander around aimlessly, not knowing what to do with myself, wasting precious time. Now, I plan out my day from the morning, and I know exactly what I need to do first, and so on. And after I've done all my planned tasks, I've still got free time!

I never thought I'd be able to manage my time like this, and I used to think time was flying by too quickly. But now I realize I was wrong, and I'm so glad I stumbled upon this book.

I'm extremely grateful to the author for writing a book that can genuinely change your life. Yes, he took a lot of ideas from other people, like Dr. BJ Fogg, but by explaining how to form habits in a clear and simple way, my life has started to change for the better.

Thanks for reading my review! I hope you'll take a look at this amazing book.