Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

by James Clear

Timeline Unknown

Los Angeles, CA

A gift from Benjamin Rubin

I initially thought this was going to be a manual or guidebook, however, it’s much more than that. I highly recommend this read because it mentions interesting stories (and not in the cliche success story style) from all walks in life to discover the different angles and aspects of habits. It also includes very helpful summaries and tables at the end of each chapter and section. Habits can transform the way we live and produce, we just have to set rules to build them; the rules have to be obvious, attractive, easy to follow, and satisfying. Throughout the book I realized I applied several concepts to this Instagram page, it helped me and enforced the habit of reading continuously and challenging myself. It’s my challenge to constantly recreate myself by building better habits to propel me farther in life.

As an urban planner, I found the chapter “Motivation is Overrated; Environment Often Matters More” fascinating. It discusses how the set up of interiors can influence and determine our habits and actions, an idea which can be referred to as ‘choice architecture.” I’ve begun writing an article based on this concept but focusing on how it can be applied to a larger scale; how the habits of inhabitants of cities and situations of communities are determined by urban design. A segment of my article: “ While common examples of retail and grocery stores, cafeterias, and our own houses with its rooms present how people act and choose not because of what their choices are, but because of where they are; I realized that this concept can be applied to a large-scale, the design, and planning of urban spaces and placement of amenities, attractions, and activities also impact its inhabitants. We are influenced by the world around us by an invisible hand, the planned environment, that our habits depend on.