Atomic Habits - Chapters 11 - 15

I read Atomic Habits as part of a book club where we read one chapter per day.

This post is a summary of some of my takeaways from reading chapters 11 through 15

Chapter 11- Walk Slowly But Never Backward

And that’s the biggest reason why you slip into motion rather than taking action: you want to delay failure.

This ties in with the concept in an earlier chapter where we should try to understand the deeper meaning of a habit.

Putting in the reps is important because no matter how good or bad the reps are, they will improve over time. The confidence gained by repeating a habit increases and soon that habit becomes automatic

If you want to master a habit, the key is to start with repetition, not perfection.

Chapter 12 - The Law Of Least Effort

The theme of this chapter is that we are more likely to stick to a habit that has less obstacles in its way and vice versa.

It is human nature to follow the Law of Least Effort, which states that when deciding between two similar options, people will naturally gravitate toward the option that requires the least amount of work

Chapter 13 - How To Stop Procrastinating And Use The 2 minute Rule

This chapter was a very quick read. In general if you start small, there is a greater chance of success and a less change for discouragement

You’re taking the smallest action that confirms the type of person you want to be.

Chapter 14 - How To Make Good Habits Inevitable And Bad Habits Impossible

This chapter introduces commitment devices. This is all about creating less friction and creating a situation so that the effort to get out of the habit becomes greater than engaging in the habit. Conversely, it also advises creating situations where there is no temptation to engage in a bad habit.

Chapter 15 - The Cardinal Rule Of Behavior Change

It had never occurred to me that some of the habits we take for granted like brushing teeth, flossing and washing hands are automatic because they were subconsciously satisfying at some point of our lives.

As a general rule, the more immediate pleasure you get from an action, the more strongly you should question whether it aligns with your long-term goals.*

I first learnt about delayed gratification from a video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzV4CLtRd3o by Captain Sinbad) which talks about the Greek Philosopher Seneca and his principles on Stoicism.

This chapter very elegantly deconstructs the difference between instant and delayed gratification and introduces how we should build rewards into our habits to ensure short term commitment.

As I think about the following quote, I feel that the reward needs to be sustainable enough until the intrinsic reward kicks in, or else we will soon get bored of the habit

Eventually, as intrinsic rewards like a better mood, more energy, and reduced stress kick in, you’ll become less concerned with chasing the secondary reward.