Atomic Habits
75% of James Clear’s Atomic Habits contains anecdotes and studies that anyone who regularly reads these types of books has heard many times. That said, the first two or three chapters of this book contains novel wisdom that I will use in building and improving my own habits.
In 2016, eleven years after getting my B.S. in computer science from Penn State, I decided to pursue my MBA from Pitt. I had a demanding job as a development team leader, two kids in diapers and various hobbies (fitness, etc.). I intuitively knew that in order to make the most of my MBA, I needed to not just manage my time effectively, but to develop a philosophy that reflected my purpose and my identity as a professional student. Somehow I landed on the Buddhist ideal of equanimity — total investment in the process and equanimity about the outcome. I would take out of my MBA what I put in. And looking back, it was worth it. That’s what resonated with me about the central theme of Atomic Habits. Creating positive habits is about focusing on systems instead of goals (“goals are about the results you want to achieve systems are about the processes that lead to those results”). Those systems are driven by our identity: being the person you want to become, not just reaching some arbitrary goal.
