Want to make changes this year? What I’m learning about behaviour change and building habits that stick!
Review of The Atomic Habits Workbook by James Clear (2025, 320 pages)
‘The trajectory of your life bends in the direction of your habits. Whatever you repeat, you reinforce.’
(James Clear, The Atomic Habits Workbook, p.2)
As one year ends and another begins, I like to take the opportunity to look back over the past year, taking stock of what I have achieved, the goals I haven’t yet reached and the intentions I want to set for the year ahead. When it comes to goals for my physical health, it’s been a pretty good year. I’ve committed to getting regular exercise and remained consistent in going to the gym, which is absolutely something worth celebrating. I feel stronger, have more energy, and love basking in that post-workout glow! In fact, the gym has officially become my happy place!
However, there’s one niggling area where I haven’t made the progress I originally hoped for…my diet! While I’ve improved when it comes to eating a wider variety of foods (thanks to my husband, who gently nudges me out of my comfort zone and encourages me to try new things), my overall effort in making healthier choices has been seriously lacking!
Of course, my current eating habits come with their own rewards, which is why I keep repeating them! I love food and find it deeply comforting, often using it as a way to relieve stress or celebrate a job well done. I find that weekends tend to be trickier too, when I’m more likely to reach for sweet treats and convenience foods.
I still want to enjoy my food and don’t want to completely erase the pleasure I get from having the occasional biscuit or piece of chocolate (everything in moderation after all!) But I’ve noticed a lot of my choices aren’t really good for me and I seem to gravitate towards unhealthy options. What I really need are some simple, everyday strategies that will help me to make healthy and sustainable changes to my diet.
I read Atomic Habits* a few years ago when I was doing my coaching qualification and still keep a copy on my bookshelf. It’s one of those books packed with such valuable insights on change that I never want to forget. So when I was happily mooching around my local bookshop and spotted The Atomic Habits Workbook*, it practically jumped out at me. The purpose of the workbook is to give you practical tools to apply the concepts from Atomic Habits to your own life. With the new year in mind and the changes I wanted to make, it felt like the perfect place to start. I’m sure my ever-growing TBR pile at home was silently screaming ‘Noooooo!’ at that moment but, in typical fashion, I quickly justified the purchase and walked away with my new book nestled safely in my carrier bag.
*If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.
One of my initial concerns was that it had been a few years since I last read the book and that my grasp of the core ideas might be a little rusty. However, Clear thoughtfully includes a recap of all the key concepts, making it easy to dive in and get started. I particularly liked the Pain Point Index at the beginning of the workbook, which lets you jump straight to the sections that address your most pressing problems. The workbook is also encouraging and motivational in tone, reminding you that there’s no time like the present and to stop putting off change.
What I really like about Clear’s approach to change is that it feels more realistic and easy to put into practice than some of the all-or-nothing advice out there. He recommends that you start with small, achievable actions and focus on changing one habit at a time, rather than going for a huge transformation. So there’s no pressure to overhaul everything at once. I don’t have to chuck out the entire contents of the biscuit cupboard or completely reinvent my diet overnight! As Clear puts it, ‘Small changes compound into remarkable results’ (p.2). He’s also refreshingly flexible, avoiding a prescriptive or rigid approach and instead inviting readers to discover the tools and habits that work for them.
The key concepts from Atomic Habits you need to know
Before you make a start on the activities in the workbook it is worth familiarising yourself with the main ideas featured in Atomic Habits.
Get 1 per cent better every day
Making small improvements each day really does add up. Not all results are immediate (and you have to get comfortable with that!), but if you stay consistent with small, incremental changes, there will come a point when progress becomes visible.
Focus on the process, not just the end goal
As Clear explains, ‘Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are necessary for actually making progress’ (p.16). The focus should be on how you are going to achieve your goal and the daily habits and processes that will support it.
Align your identity with the habits you want to build
Clear states that our behaviours are closely connected to our beliefs about ourselves and the world around us, and that lasting change comes from identity-based habits. This requires us to think carefully about who we want to become and to act accordingly. For me, that looks like shifting from being someone who just eats whatever they fancy to believing that ‘I am a person who makes healthy choices’. Following Clear’s advice, the next step is to think about the actions and decisions that kind of person would make and to commit to doing those things consistently.
Understand the habit feedback loop
The feedback loop outlined below explains how habits are maintained and gradually become automatic over time.
- Cue – the trigger that sparks the behaviour
- Craving – the desire for a change in state
- Response – the resulting action or thought
- Reward – the benefit you gain from the behaviour
In the workbook, Clear encourages you to explore your own habit loops. When it comes to my diet, one of my habit loops looks a little something like this…
- Cue: It’s the evening, I’ve finished all my prep for the next day, the TV is on, I feel tired and, depending on the kind of day I’ve had, I may even be emotionally drained.
- Craving: I want comfort, relaxation, and a little pick-me-up!
- Response: My immediate thought is ‘I deserve a treat’ and so I head to the kitchen, make a cup of tea, grab some biscuits from the cupboard, and settle on the sofa with my tea and snacks.
- Reward: Instant pleasure, comfort, and a sense of relief (though usually followed later by guilt if I’ve had one biscuit too many!)
How to build good habits
To create good habits, Clear advises that we follow the ‘4 laws of behaviour change’:
- Make it obvious
- Make it attractive
- Make it easy
- Make it satisfying
Reflecting on my gym habit, I realise I’ve already applied these principles without even thinking about it. I signed up to a gym that is conveniently located near my son’s school and my workplace. I just cross the road and I’m there, making it an obvious and easy choice (I feel incredibly grateful for that!) I also have a Plan B if I can’t get to the gym: a simple home workout setup with dumbbells, kettlebells, and a handy list of go-to routines I enjoy on YouTube.
I also incorporate the habit into my week by identifying specific days and times to go the gym and making sure to either pull on my exercise gear first thing in the morning or take it with me to work. For me, going to the gym is both attractive and satisfying. I see it as my time to switch off, put on my favourite music (usually something mega upbeat for the treadmill!) and to do something good for my wellbeing. The endorphin rush and sense of accomplishment that I get at the end of my workout also keeps me coming back for more. I’ve become a fully-fledged gym bunny!
Going forward, I know I need to apply the same principles to my diet which, I’ll admit, is easier said than done. Having tried and failed to make positive changes in this area before, I expect this will be a bit of a journey for me! I’ll share updates and any top tips as I work through The Atomic Habits Workbook over the next few weeks. If you’re making a few changes of your own this year, I hope it will help you too!
