Personal Development

Get ready to become a better version of yourself through the lessons I share in my “The Alter Ego Effect” book review.

If you haven’t read the book yet, this will give you a good preview of it without spoiling too much of its content. 

And if you’ve read “The Alter Ego Effect: The Power of Secret Identities to Transform Your Life” by Todd Herman already, this will be a good repetition with actionable ideas and quotes to implement the value into your life. 

Read also: Atomic Habits Book Review | 15 Lessons + Actionable Ideas + Quotes

Read also: 11 Ways To Achieve Excellence As A Modern Woman

Reading Experience

The Alter Ego Effect by Todd Hermann is a nice book to read. 

It has a friendly yellow cover, good chapter sizes, and is filled with real-life examples and exercises. 

Overall it was very interesting and comfortable to read. 

The only thing I’d improve is the way the exercises are integrated into the text. I would have preferred it if they were a bit more separate from the content and therefore easier to find if I want to go back and look for them. 

But that’s nothing that can’t be solved through a few Post-Its. 

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Lessons

1. The concept of using an Alter Ego or a Second Self is centuries old

Interestingly enough, the concept of slipping into a different persona to accomplish specific tasks is not new. Far from it, in fact. 

Already the Roman consul Cicero wrote about using “a second self, a trusted friend.” 

And if you think about it, it isn’t surprising at all that the Alter Ego Effect has been used for so long.

Considering even children intuitively act like their favorite fictional characters and ask themselves ‘what would spiderman do,’ I believe the ‘second self’ might be an inherent human tool we’ve forgotten about. 

Actually, forgotten is the wrong word. Once more, this is something adults tell children to grow out of because it is ‘childish’ and they need to be ‘realistic.’ 

I say we should learn far more often from what children are doing intuitively instead of just labeling it as ‘childishness.’ 

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#1 Actionable Idea

Think back to when you were a child. What fictional character fascinated you the most? Did you remember ever slipping into a specific role while playing? 

Chances are, you still hold a powerful emotional connection to this character. It could help you create an Alter Ego.

2. Capable people underperform when they are unintentional about ‘who’ they need to be in the situation

“It gets to the heart of why talented, capable people underperform. They don’t realize it, but they’re being unintentional about what “who” is showing up on their Field of Play and into those Moments of Impact.”

– Todd Herman (The Alter Ego Effect)

I love this lesson. It is very uplifting to look at the things you struggle with and realize that you are not incompetent but merely acting as your false persona. 

Wouldn’t it be nice to know that you have these different versions of you, these ‘trusted friends,‘ to fall back on and just know they will rock the show? 

Well, with the help of the Alter Ego Effect, this will be the case.

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#2 Actionable Idea

In what areas of life do you feel like you are underperforming? Where do you know you could do better?

Once you have identified the area (i.e., school, work, fitness, personal development), journal about how you’ve been showing up so far. What was your mindset like? What were you thinking before, during, and after the situation? What were you feeling? 

Now think about someone real or fictional (if they’re real, you could even ask them) and how they would answer these questions. 

Do you see the disparity between your and their answers?

3. Beyoncé used an Alter Ego named Sasha Fierce 

Like I mentioned previously, one of the things I liked best about the book was the many real-life examples of people using Alter Egos in their life. 

Most examples were of Todd Herman’s clients, of course, but he also mentioned others. 

Apparently, Beyoncé used her Alter Ego Sasha Fierce, to prevent her religious upbringing from standing in the way of performing slighlty provocative onstage. (Is it just me, or does that story also remind you a little of Hannah Montana?) 

And Norma Jean famously used her Alter Ego Marilyn Monroe to be the magnetizing woman we’ve all come to know her as. 

In personal development and entrepreneurship, you always hear the saying that success leaves clues. 

Well, if these highly successful women used Alter Egos, I’d say it is high time we jump on the bandwagon!

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#3 Actionable Idea

Do some more research and discover how other people used Alter Egos in their lives. 

Take notes of the things that inspire you the most. What techniques could you take advantage of? 

4. What begins as an Alter Ego turns into your identity

The beautiful thing about the Alter Ego Effect is that it almost tricks you into discovering and unleashing your hidden innate potential. 

While you have to slip into a role in the beginning, with each use, it becomes more part of who you are. 

Think of actors who’ve played the same role over many years. Often by the time the series ends, a part of the character they’ve played stays with them. 

You might not feel like an A-student or entrepreneur yet, but the more often you act like one, the less you will have to act because it just becomes part of who you are. 

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#4 Actionable Idea

Block some time each day to practice living in the role of your Alter Ego. 

With more practice comes more ease until eventually, you won’t have to act at all anymore. 

5. You inherently already know how to use the Alter Ego Effect

Like I’ve mentioned in the first lesson on this list, children often slip into their hero’s role when they play. 

Nobody has to tell them to act like their hero; they just do it automatically. 

Just think about the ‘mother-father-child’ game many girls play. They get out a baby-buggy and pretend to be a mother. 

Slipping into roles seems to be the most natural tendency we have when we admire someone and want to be like them. 

So you don’t even have to worry about the exact strategy of the Alter Ego Effect. Subconsciously you already know what to do. 

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#5 Actionable Idea

Don’t take yourself too seriously! 

You shouldn’t get frustrated when practicing with an alter ego doesn’t work perfectly for a while. 

Approach this skill like a child would: With excitement and fun. 

Make a game out of it and have fun even if you don’t meet your expectations. 

Awake your inner child and let it play!

6. Talking to yourself improves your performance … as long as it’s positive self-talk

Even though talking to yourself still has a bad rep in many people’s eyes, science has come a long way and proven many times that there are benefits to self-talk. 

It can improve your problem-solving skills, help you study, and calm you down. 

That being said, it needs to be a positive or constructive conversation with yourself. 

If you are continually criticizing yourself and everything you do, that can be detrimental to your performance in any area of life. 

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#6 Actionable Idea

Get comfortable with talking to yourself, even if it is just inside your head. 

Start using positive affirmations daily. Most especially whenever you are worried about anything! 

Also, try out studying out loud. I automatically slip into talking aloud to myself the more intentional I get to memorize something or understand a concept. 

Just don’t do it in the library. 😀 

Next time you have to decide what’s bothering you, talk aloud about each choice’s pros and cons. 

I always feel much more confident in my decisions if I talked myself to the solution. 

7. Name your inner critic

“Naming your Enemy creates a compelling distinction between the two worlds living inside all of us. The Ordinary and the Extraordinary. It allows your Heroic Self to talk back to the Enemy trying to trap you.” 

– Todd Herman (The Alter Ego Effect)

“As soon as you give something a name, you’ve given it an identity. You’ve given it a form, a shape, a structure. When we give something a shape, we are also giving our Alter Ego something to defeat, something to overcome, something to battle against.” 

– Todd Herman (The Alter Ego Effect)

Telling yourself to keep your self-talk positive is one thing; keeping it up is something entirely different. 

Even the most positive people slip up once in a while and let the enemy run their thoughts. 

In these situations, it is helpful to know with whom you are dealing, meaning give your inner critic an identity. 

It’s easier to fight something the more you know of it. So giving your inner critic a face, a name, and physical characteristics makes it more fightable. 

And since you are running the ship that is your mind, you can decide which form your inner critic should take. 

You could make it look like someone that always makes you angry and whom you’d never give the power to run your life. 

Or you could make it look like a pathetic joke, so non-threatening that you can’t take it seriously every time it speaks up.

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#7 Actionable Idea

Give your inner critic an identity. 

It doesn’t have to be perfect on the first try. Think of it more like creating a first draft that gets altered and added every time you encounter your inner enemy. 

Make the enemy as specific as possible. 

Visualize its facial expressions, posture, mannerisms, quirks, clothes, and hairstyle. 

Create a character that evokes emotions (anger or a feeling of superiority) that can help you overcome any negative self-talk with ease. 

8. Ridicule your inner critic

Now that you have visualized your despicable or ridiculous inner critic, it’s time to bash it into the ground with the skills of an underground rapper. 

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#8 Actionable Idea

Take out your journal and write a monolog about what you would counter to your inner enemy’s bullsh#t. 

Call it names, make fun of it, emphasize all the reasons you are here to win, and overall show them who the boss is. 

And next time your inner critic comes out to play, have a similar monologue to the one you’ve written inside your head. 

Stand your ground and succeed!

9. An Alter Ego can turn you into your dream self instantly

The most astounding thing about using Alter Egos, in my opinion, is their almost instant effect. 

Usually, overcoming limiting beliefs and insecurities takes time and effort. 

But when you use an Alter Ego, you don’t try to overcome them. You solely focus on acting a role as authentically as possible. 

This task distracts you from your insecurities and brings out your best self almost instantly. 

And the more often your best self comes out to play, the easier it will get to make it stay permanently. 

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#9 Actionable Idea

The next time you feel insecure about something, shift your focus. 

Don’t think about how insecure you are feeling, instead give your full attention to the task of acting in your Alter Ego role.

10.It’s ok to be driven by ‘selfish’ reasons

We use Alter Ego’s primarily to succeed in life in whatever shape or form. 

Many people are driven to succeed by underlying noble desires like giving back to their families or making the world a better place. 

But that doesn’t mean selfish reasons for success are a terrible thing. 

So what if you want to earn lots of money so you can buy that sports car of your dreams? If that’s what drives you, cling to that dream as tightly as possible! 

Let it catapult you to success because once you have achieved your ‘selfish’ goal, there is still plenty of room to use your success for more noble reasons. 

Many entrepreneurs didn’t mainly start a business to provide value but because they wanted to make money. But on the entrepreneurial journey, many discovered the joys of giving free value to others. 

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#10 Actionable Idea

What drives you to achieve your goals? 

What are the underlying desires you wish to fulfill through that goal? 

Be honest with yourself. Don’t say you want to build schools in Africa if you are much more motivated to put in the work by the thought of driving a Ferrari. 

Be aware of your most powerful motivator and use it for all it’s worth. 

11.Emotional Connection Is Key

“The best Alter Ego is the one you have the deepest emotional connection with; emotional connection trumps everything.”

– Todd Herman (The Alter Ego Effect)

The more emotion your Alter Ego evokes in you, the better results you will get. 

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#11 Actionable Idea

Don’t fall into the trap of creating an Alter Ego solely through thinking. You need to involve feelings to make it its most effective. 

Check your Alter Ego; does it evoke positive emotions in you? Do you really crave to be like that hero of yours?

Don’t feel bad about changing your Alter Ego if it doesn’t evoke enough emotions in you (anymore). 

12.Use A Totem

A totem can help you slip into the role of your Alter Ego more easily. 

Taking your totem in hand, putting it on or into your pocket will be a natural cue to slip into the role if you practice with it for long enough. 

I was surprised to learn that famous men used totems as well.

Winston Churchill used a hat, and Martin Luther King used glasses even though he had no prescription.

Your totem doesn’t have to be something wearable, though. Just think of the totems that are used (although for different reasons) in the movie Inception. (By the way, you might be interested in 11 Rules Of Success From Inception)

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#12 Actionable Idea

Chose a totem for every Alter Ego you want to create. 

Make sure to choose something that you don’t have on you at any other time. 

I made the mistake of choosing my blue-light blocking glasses as a totem for studying, but of course, I want to use them anytime I am on a screen, and that’s not always study-related. 

So make sure to use your totem only for the Alter Ego Effect and nothing else. 

13. Have a well-prepared answer to ‘who do you think you are?’

This is all about knowing your own worth. 

And yes, we are all inherently worthy just because of our existence but knowing this is not enough. 

Be sure to know what skills, talents, knowledge, characteristics, morals, intentions, etc., make you out of all people worthy of achieving your dreams. 

If someone (most often that someone is your own inner critic) were to ask you ‘who do you think you are to believe you can achieve this goal?‘ you have to know with utmost confidence what you would answer to that. 

Your net worth equals your self-worth, so make sure to cultivate and grow the latter!

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#13 Actionable Idea

Make a habit of answering this question. 

Once a month, take out your journal and write a confident and badass monologue about who exactly you are and why you should have the life of your dreams! 

If you struggle, slip into your Alter Ego and let him/her/it speak through you. 

It’s time you declare your worth to the world! 

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Well, are you excited to create your own Alter Ego? 

For what purpose do you want to create it? 

Or do you perhaps already have one? 

Until next time! 

Sophie

I originally planned on making a book review with 11 lessons, but quite frankly, there is so much goodness in Atomic Habits that I had to write about more. 

Since the book is incredibly well structured, with useful summaries at the end of each chapter and a list of lessons at the very end, I tried to pick out lessons that were a bit more hidden inside the text and would provide you with a new insight. 

I also made sure to develop actionable steps to help you implement the lessons from this book. Because, after all, knowledge is only potential power unless it is put into action. 

So don’t be a knowledge hoarder but an action taker!

Read also: Reading List For Personal Growth

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The Reading Experience of Atomic Habits

First of all, let me share some quick words on the reading experience of Atomic Habits. After all, no matter how great the content is, you will hardly find the motivation to read it if it is dreadful to consume. 

Fortunately, Atomic Habits is a delightful book to read! 

The chapters have the perfect length and are filled with inspiring and fascinating real-life stories that demonstrate the lessons James Clear wants to convey. 

And as mentioned above, there are perfectly bite-sized chapter summaries to ensure the information sticks. 

Atomic Habits is genuinely a great book to read as much for the value as for the reading experience. 

The Lessons + Actionable Ideas

1. Your current trajectory is more important than your recent results

“Success is the product of daily habits—not once-in-a-lifetime transformations.”

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

It is easy to fall into the trap of comparing your status quo with someone else’s lifestyle. 

If they are driving a sports car, but you are not, you might feel unsuccessful compared to them. 

Yet real success is not to be found in results but in your trajectory. The results only prove that your trajectory is successful. 

When measuring your success in life, make sure to value the daily habits that have not yet given you significant results. 

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#1 Actionable Idea

I encourage you to make this a daily or at the very least a monthly habit. 

Write down all of the habits you did the last day or month that will compound into an extraordinary life with time. 

I do this in my monthly review (to be exact, I do a cycle review to honor my female infradian rhythm). 

I chose different areas of my life (health, family & friends, emotions & mindset, finances, work & uni …) that I take a look upon. For each, I write down the good habits I practiced during the past month. 

I also give each life area a rating from 1-10, and I place more value on where I’m heading than what I’ve already accomplished. 

So I might not have earned much this month, but if I’ve taken daily action towards a higher income in the future, I count it as a success. 

2. Don’t judge habits while working through the valley of disappointment

“This can result in a “valley of disappointment” where people feel discouraged after putting in weeks or months of hard work without experiencing any results. However, this work was not wasted. It was simply being stored. It is not until much later that the full value of previous efforts is revealed.”

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

Often new habits produce results only slowly. You might not notice any imediate change in your life from using affirmations every day or writing down three things you are grateful about. 

It makes one wonder if it is even worth the effort. 

Most likely, yes. 

Just think about it. Who recommended the habit to you? 

I bet it was someone who has been practicing it for quite some time. You can’t really compare your results to them unless you’ve practiced just as long. 

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#2 Actionable Idea

To combat the frustration of seeing no results create a habit tracker, and check off each day you did the habit. 

Change your goal from seeing results to merely keeping the habit streak alive and going. 

You could even create milestone treats for yourself.

Treat yourself to something nice once you reach a 14-day streak, then after a month, after 55 days, and so on. 

3. Winners and losers have the same goals

“If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead.”

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

“Furthermore, goals create an “either-or” conflict: either you achieve your goal and are successful or you fail and you are a disappointment. You mentally box yourself into a narrow version of happiness.”

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

This lesson was truly eye-opening for me. In theory, I knew this already, of course. But I’ve never thought about it this way. 

If you are active in the personal development realm, you surely have stumbled over the advice to create SMART goals. 

And yes, sure, creating actionable, reasonable, and measurable goals is excellent. But even more important than a trackable goal is to create an effective system to get there. 

Nowadays, I actually don’t like to set myself any time-bound goals, much less SMART goals. 

Because goals like ‘making 1.000€/month with my blog‘ or ‘getting rid of acne‘ can take 3 months or 2 years. Who knows? I surely don’t since I’ve never achieved either of them before. 

So while I was keeping these goals in the back of my mind, I put my main focus on my strategy to get there. 

I am always trying out new things, sticking with what works and abandoning what doesn’t. 

I may have the same goals as people who fail at them. But my ever-improving strategy and unwavering determination are aligned with the winners. 

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#3 Actionable Idea

Write down 1-3 of your most important current goals. 

Then write down what you’ve been doing so far to achieve them. 

Next, do some research or reach out to people who have already accomplished this goal. How did they get there? Is there at least one tiny thing that you can copy from them? 

I, for example, am improving my study technique non-stop. I’ve changed parts of my studying strategy countless times during my law studies. And every time, it has gotten just a tiny bit more effective. 

Same thing with my skin and curl care regiment and my business strategy. I am always looking for ways to improve with all those projects, no matter how tiny they might be. 

When you write down the strategies towards your goals, make sure to look back and remember the last time you improved either of them. Focus on the one that’s been stagnating the longest and see what you could change. 

If you like, make this a part of your monthly review. 

4. Don’t focus on what you want to achieve but who you want to become

“The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity. It’s one thing to say I’m the type of person who wants this. It’s something very different to say I’m the type of person who is this.”

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

“Improvements are only temporary until they become part of who you are.”

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

This has caused a real mindset change for me. 

Just phrasing your goals differently in your head can make such a difference; it is honestly stunning. 

After reading Atomic Habits, I now think to myself: 

• I am an A-student; I am the kind of person who aces the exam.
• I am an entrepreneur; I am the kind of person who runs a successful online business.
• I am the kind of person who has clear skin and gorgeous hair. 

Instead of putting out that desperate energy of wanting something so badly, I know to ask myself: “What would a person, who has achieved this goal, do?” 

And then I go and do that. 

It’s as if slipping into a role like an actor. Only that you are not merely acting but calling forth that identity that you already have deep within you. 

After a while, you will naturally embody that kind of person you were wanting to be like. 

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#4 Actionable Idea

Write down all of your current goals and then change them into an identity statement. 

Ask yourself: What kind of person achieves these goals with ease? 

5. An identity is made up out of habits

“Your identity emerges out of your habits. Every action is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

People don’t write books because they are writers; they are writers because they write books and blog posts.

People are not A-Students because they get good grades; they get good grades because they are A-Students. 

Whatever identity you wish to have it starts out with making the habits. That’s why Atomic Habits can be your guide to a whole new identity.

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#5 Actionable Idea

Now that you know what kind of person achieves the goals you have, it’s time to reverse engineer how they got to where they are today. 

What are the daily, weekly, or yearly habits that shaped them into the person they are today?

Be very specific about it. 

It’s not enough to say that A-students study diligently every day. You need to figure out HOW they study. Do they read textbooks or use active recall? Do they have learning buddies, or are they using practice exams?

What exactly are they doing? 

These are the things you should start doing as well. 

6. The dark side of habits is carelessness and a lack of self-awareness

“We’re so used to doing what we’ve always done that we don’t stop to question whether it’s the right thing to do at all. Many of our failures in performance are largely attributable to a lack of self-awareness.”

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

“You need to be aware of your habits before you can change them.”

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

Have you ever parked your car somewhere, and just as you’ve walked out of sight, you started wondering whether you’ve locked it? 

This happens a few times, so you adopt the habit of locking it twice to make sure you remember you did, in fact, lock it. 

But soon enough, you won’t be sure about locking your car even if you did it twice.

You need to bring your unconscious habits back to a conscious level if you want to change them. 

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#6 Actionable Idea

In Atomic Habits James Clear recommends the pointing-and-calling technique. For the habit of locking your car, this means you should take your car key, point it at the car and say out loud (or whisper if someone is nearby) ‘car locked.‘ 

When you are trying to become aware of habits, keep a tally and note down each time during the day, week or month that you did this particular habit. 

Do this for a while, and you will start noticing each time the habit comes up more easily. If you train your brain to look for something, it will begin to recognize it automatically. 

Another idea for bad habits would be to keep a hair tie around your wrist and snap it slightly painfully every time you do the habit. 

7. Habits can be dropped instantly by a change of environment

“Your habits change depending on the room you are in and the cues in front of you. Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior.” 

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

According to Atomic Habits sticking to habits is easier if they are designated to a particular area or object. 

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#7 Actionable Idea 

You don’t even need to have lots of space to do this. 

For example, you can use your desk’s left side for work and the right side for journaling, eating, or whatever else you do that doesn’t require the utmost focus. 

If you have a double bed, use one side to sleep in and the other side for reading, chilling, or anything the like. And if you have a single bed, you could simply lay upside down to redefine the use of the bed. 

You could also simply push your chair to different places inside the room depending on whether you are meditating or watching Netflix.

When reading Atomic Habits, I noticed that this was precisely what I had been doing almost unconsciously for a while now. For example, I use my laptop primarily for blogging and studying, my tablet for fanfictions and games, and my phone for socializing. 

In fact, do this today. Keep track of the different activities you do throughout the day and where you do them. 

If you notice some activities that belong in very different categories or are performed with a very different mindset (i. e.: work vs. pleasure), dedicate new spaces to them.  

8. Being self-disciplined means structuring your life so that you don’t need to use discipline

“Instead, “disciplined” people are better at structuring their lives in a way that does not require heroic willpower and self-control. In other words, they spend less time in tempting situations. The people with the best self-control are typically the ones who need to use it the least.” 

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

“This is the secret to self-control. Make the cues of your good habits obvious and the cues of your bad habits invisible.” 

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

To avoid bad habits, you need to stay clear of the area or object that functions as a cue for the habit. 

If you always get something to snack when you enter the kitchen, you will automatically start craving snacks as soon as you enter that room. 

If you always use your phone for scrolling through social media, the mere sight of your phone will trigger you to want to check your socials. 

If you implement this Atomic Habits tip you can become a self-disciplined person almost over night!

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#8 Actionable Idea

The next time you beat yourself up for not being disciplined enough, take a moment to stop and assess the situation. 

What exactly are you not disciplined about?

Do you always start surfing through the internet when you ought to study?

Do you stay up late reading Fanfiction when you ought to sleep? 

Now, think back and identify the exact moment you felt yourself slip. What triggered the urge to make this bad habit? 

Once you have identified the trigger, device at least one way to get rid of it. 

This could be installing a productivity app like Forest so that you can’t use your phone during your allocated study time. 

Or maybe a timer that cuts of your wifi when you are meant to go to sleep. 

Just figure something out and implement it straight away. 

9. Wanting is more powerful than liking

“Your brain has far more neural circuitry allocated for wanting rewards than for liking them.”

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

“It is the anticipation of a reward—not the fulfillment of it—that gets us to take action.”

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

Have you ever been looking forwards to something so much and for so long that it fueled you for weeks only for the actual thing to arrive and merely being ok? 

Like, back in school and now in uni, I definitely had those phases when I’d think, ‘ok, after this one exam I’ll be free! It’ll be so awesome, I’m going to relax so much and I’m basically going to be a new woman!‘ 

And then the exam comes around and passes by, and I’m just like ‘huh, well, this is more unspectacular than I expected it to be. I’m actually kind of bored.‘ 

Atomic Habits reassured me that it’s more than ok to look forwards to something because that excitement is a powerful motivator.

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#9 Actionable Idea

Don’t be afraid of looking forward to things and getting hyped about something. 

Yes, they might end up disappointing you because you’ve imagined it to be even better than it turns out. 

But that phase of you looking forward to it is a win in and of itself because of its powerful capability to motivate you. 

10. Quantity trumps quality when it comes to habit building

“The most effective form of learning is practice, not planning.”

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

“The amount of time you have been performing a habit is not as important as the number of times you have performed it.”

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

Just do it already! 

Stop the overthinking, stop the planning and most certainly stop waiting for the perfect time. 

Starting taking action when it still feels uncomfortable, when you don’t feel quite ready yet. 

It is incredibly uncomfortable and scary, yes, but it yields the most significant results out of all the things you could do. 

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#10 Actionable Idea

Start doing practice exams even when you’re far from having studied everything necessary. 

Start a blog even when you barely know what you will write about. 

Just start whatever you are currently putting off. 

I know there is at least one thing you’d like to do, but you don’t think the times right yet. 

Well, guess what, if you do it at least once, you will be twice as knowledgeable and capable that you will be through planning and preparing for it. 

11. New habits should feel easy while naturally leading further

“A new habit should not feel like a challenge. The actions that follow can be challenging, but the first two minutes should be easy. What you want is a “gateway habit” that naturally leads you down a more productive path.”

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

“Habits can be completed in a few seconds but continue to impact your behavior for minutes or hours afterward.”

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

I readily admit to being one of those people proud of doing the difficult things and having the discipline to stick with hard habits. 

This mindset is entirely unnecessary and prevents me from using that energy elsewhere. 

Why not make habits easy? Why not almost trick ourselves into making a habit with barely any resistance at all?

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#11 Actionable Idea

To do this, think of a habit you wish to incorporate into your daily life. 

Let’s say you want to meditate daily for 5 minutes. 

Now, let’s cut that down to the first tiny step you have to take to start meditating. 

For me, that would be sitting on my yoga mat, cross-legged, and having a timer close by. 

Alright, so now, instead of meditating, my new habit is to sit on my yoga mat, cross-legged once a day with a timer close by. That’s easy, right? 

Now, when could I do this to naturally lead me to want to close my eyes and meditate for a few minutes? 

After my workout, I tried to do it in the morning when I am already on my mat. However, I realized quickly that by then, I am far too much in go-go-go! mode to calm down and meditate. There is just too much resistance. 

Now, I’ll do it later in the day after I did a few minutes of daily stretches on my yoga mat. 

What about you? What is the tiniest action you can do, and when will it naturally lead to the habit you are aiming for? 

Try this Atomic Habits tip out for yourself. And make sure to pat yourself on the back even if sitting cross-legged didn’t naturally progress into meditation. At least you accomplished the gateway habit. That’s already more than you did before!

12. Instant gratification is a danger to long-term goals

“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.”

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

I see it so often that people sabotage their long-term opportunities for short-term pleasure. 

Please don’t be one of these YOLO people. 

Yes, you only live once. But you might live a very long life, and your future self will curse you for your instant gratification attitude. 

So the next time a quick and comfortable alternative presents itself to you, think twice about using it. The not so attractive looking option might just be better for the long term. 

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#12 Actionable Idea

Get yourself a jar and place it on your desk. 

You will place one paper clip or anything similar into the jar for every time you’ve done something for your future self. 

You could also write what you did down on a small piece of paper and place it in the jar. 

Seeing the jar get fuller over time will motivate you to choose delayed gratification over instant pleasure, and as a result, you will create a better life for your future self. 

13. The all or nothing mindset makes the way to success harder

“You don’t realize how valuable it is to just show up on your bad (or busy) days. Lost days hurt you more than successful days help you. If you start with $100, then a 50 percent gain will take you to $150. But you only need a 33 percent loss to take you back to $100.”

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

“Furthermore, it’s not always about what happens during the workout. It’s about being the type of person who doesn’t miss workouts.”

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

I feel like especially perfectionist suffer from an all-or-nothing kind of mindset. 

And it’s understandable in a way. If you were planning on studying 4 hours but only managed 1 hour, it’s disappointing and frustrating.

But you know what’s even worse? Not studying at all or for just 30 min. 

Doing something is in the vast majority of cases better than doing nothing. 

So use Atomic Habits to quit the belief that you have to do it perfectly or it’s not worth doing at all. 

Just make the habit, no matter how much you manage that day!

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#13 Actionable Idea

Make a conscious effort to pat yourself on the back every time you made the habit, even though you didn’t feel like doing it or you did it only half-heartedly. 

Keep a habit tracker on your phone or in your journal, and always mark your habit as done no matter how good you did it. 

Remember: Bad practice is still better than no practice!

14. The secret to success is to work hard on what comes easy to you

“The secret to maximizing your odds of success is to choose the right field of competition.”

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

“Play a game that favors your strengths. If you can’t find a game that favors you, create one.”

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

“Genes do not eliminate the need for hard work. They clarify it. They tell us what to work hard on.”

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

Instead of complaining about how unfair life is or how others have it much more comfortable than us, focus your attention on the things where you have an unfair advantage. 

We all have those areas in life that come more easily to us than to others. 

If you can, focus your efforts on that area. If you can’t abandon the work that doesn’t come naturally to you, at least let the knowledge of you being talented elsewhere reassure you. 

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#14 Actionable Idea

Ask your friends and family what they think you are extraordinarily talented in. When have they noticed you completing work almost effortlessly while others struggled? 

Once you know your natural talents, see how you can change the game in your favor. 

For example, if you are good at being self-disciplined and teaching yourself things, you might want to consider skipping lectures and the commute to college to have more time teaching yourself the material. 

Or, if you are naturally drawn to hiking, change your workout regime to include more hiking. For example, you could hike with a weight jacket to add an additional difficulty to it instead of simply lifting weights at the gym. 

Brainstorm ways to make the tasks that annoy you fun and easy to do. 

15. The most significant obstacle on the journey to success is boredom

“But this coach was saying that really successful people feel the same lack of motivation as everyone else. The difference is that they still find a way to show up despite the feelings of boredom.”

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

“The only way to become excellent is to be endlessly fascinated by doing the same thing over and over. You have to fall in love with boredom.” 

– James Clear (Atomic Habits)

This lesson from Atomic Habits is another reminder to not beat yourself up whenever you are feeling unmotivated. 

It’s not just you who’s feeling like that. Even the most successful people battle against demotivation. 

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#15 Actionable Idea

Figure out what motivates you. 

You only need a quick motivational boost and then immediately start the habit. 

Perhaps create a playlist of songs or videos that never fail to get you pumped and ready to go. 

Whatever your secret motivation weapon is, make sure to have it in a separate and easily accessible place, so you won’t get lured into scrolling through other stuff instead of using the motivation to start on your habit. 

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Phew, that was possibly the longest blog post up to date. 

But a great book like Atomic Habits deserves an excellent book review. 

I hope this got you excited about reading the book yourself. I promise there is still a lot to learn from it. 

And if you’ve read it already, I hope this was a useful revision of its content. 

What was your favorite lesson from the book? And what do you plan on reading next? 

I’m curious to hear from you! 

Sophie

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