Building Better Habits: 5 Lessons From 5 Best Books on Habit Building
Improve your life with science-backed insights from experts.
Habits are the actions we perform subconsciously.
If we want to bring positive changes in our lives, we need to work on building good habits and letting them sink in.
Motivation doesn’t work every time to get things done.
Learning better habits and breaking bad ones is the only way to reach our goals.
In this article, I’ve discussed some books that helped me understand the concept of habits, how to remove bad habits and practice good habits in my life. Read these books to let your habits pave the way to success.
(Note: The links mentioned in this article are affiliate links. If you choose to purchase these books through these links, it will help me earn a small amount of money — at no extra cost to you. Thanks!)
1. Atomic Habits by James Clear
Sometimes, even if we want to change our lives, some bad habits keep repeating. A wrong system of doing things is to blame.
Atomic Habits tells you how to break this system so good habits become inevitable and it’s impossible to keep up with the bad habits.
An excellent combination of proven strategies from biology, neuroscience, and psychology, this book tells you how to —
- Master habit-building,
- Stay motivated,
- Change your environment to be successful, and
- Get back on track when you miss your goals.
James Clear has listed strategies that work for both organizations and individuals. Atomic Habits teaches you the science of behavior and habits paired with entertaining real-life stories of Olympic gold medalists, renowned comedians, artists, physicians, and successful businessmen.
Biggest takeaway from the book
Small changes in your everyday routine can bring massive changes in your life.
My favorite quotes from Atomic Habits by James Clear
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
“You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results.”
“Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress.”
2. Tiny Habits by B.J. Fogg
If you want to achieve bigger goals, first break them down into small goals or everyday habits which can easily be implemented in your routine.
- Want to exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight? Start with at least 2 push-ups or 10-minute stretches daily.
- Start with five deep breaths in the morning if you want to build the habit of meditating.
Motivation is not always constant, it’s the small habits that take help you incorporate a new routine into your schedule.
Tiny Habits teaches you how to achieve your full potential through small, consistent actions.
Biggest takeaway from the book
No goal seems unachievable, or no habit is unattainable if you make it easy, make it fit into your routine, and make it rewarding.
Changes can be easy once you start working on them.
It’s important to appreciate yourself for trying or just getting the ball rolling. Tiny Habits is a real gem when it comes to taking actionable steps and building better habits.
My favorite quotes from Tiny Habits by B.J. Fogg
“After you put your feet on the floor in the morning, immediately say this phrase, “It’s going to be a great day.” As you say these seven words, try to feel optimistic and positive.”
“there are only three things we can do that will create lasting change: Have an epiphany, change our environment, or change our habits in tiny ways.”
3. The Now Habit by Neil Fiore
The biggest trouble we face when trying to form a good habit is procrastination.
Sometimes, we get overwhelmed by the tasks and don’t feel motivated enough to start them.
If you’re also tired of procrastinating, then I’d suggest you read The Now Habit at least once. This book doesn’t tell you to just start or make lists. It starts with explaining why you’re procrastinating in the first place.
Procrastination can sometimes be a coping mechanism to escape anxiety or avoid large tasks.
You might be procrastinating for fear of being judged or producing inadequate work. All that negative talk starts in our minds and we procrastinate.
This book tells us how to eliminate procrastination from the root and bring motivation back without compromising our spare time for fun.
Biggest takeaway from the book
The first step to avoiding self-criticism is to get involved in a mandatory fun task. Break large tasks into chunks of small tasks and start working on them immediately.
The book has several tips to get started, especially the focusing exercises that can help you a lot and take less than two minutes to do.
My favorite quotes from The Now Habit by Neil Fiore
“The Now Habit perspective does not accept that laziness, disorganization, or any other character defect is the reason you procrastinate.”
“Procrastination is a mechanism for coping with the anxiety associated with starting or completing any task or decision.”
“To make changes, you’ll need to break out of automatic pilot and start making conscious choices when”
4. Rewire by Richard O’Connor
Humans tend to indulge in self-destructive habits or addictions that are difficult to get over.
Rewire explains the reason behind it and how to train our brain not to repeat mistakes from a psychological point of view.
We have two brains that affect our actions-
- A conscious one that is more thoughtful, and
- An automatic self that takes most of our decisions.
Backed by research, the book shows the roadmap to overcoming self-destructive habits, being more mindful, and welcoming discipline into your life. It talks about self-medication, procrastination, overeating, overthinking, and much more. Rewire is worth reading if you want to manifest your higher self.
Biggest takeaway from the book
A small change in your thought process can bring vast changes in your career, mental health, physical health, and other sectors.
Packed with valuable information, Rewire helps you build habits for self-control, mindfulness, discipline, freedom from guilt and fear, and lead a more productive life.
My favorite quotes from Rewire by Richard O’Connor
“Keep a journal of disappointments, failures, and self-destructive actions. It’s important to write this down because these are the kinds of things your self-serving bias will want to forget or minimize.”
“Perhaps the best antidote and preventive for burnout is the feeling of solid connection with the people in our lives. When we can share our frustrations with family and friends, our burden is eased and we can get new perspectives.”
5. The Joy Of Movement by Kelly McGonigal
We know the various benefits of exercising but how this small habit of movement can impact other parts of our lives is interesting.
Often, we ignore physical movements and work continuously for hours. Later, we feel completely drained, both mentally and physically.
The Joy Of Movement will push you out of the bed to exercise as you’ll understand the reason why your body is designed to enjoy movements. This book is a wonderful blend of science and storytelling to teach you how physical movement is related to simple joys such as connecting with others and expressing yourself.
It can also help you combat depression, anxiety, and loneliness through the impactful stories of people who found their happiness by building the habit of moving.
Biggest takeaway from the book
The Joy Of Movement is the best book that I read on exercise and movement.
Now I try to go out and connect with nature at least once a day.
Exercising or running outside has become a part of my daily routine. You’re welcome to try it too. Don’t forget to plug in your favorite music to enhance your performance while exercising.
My favorite quotes from The Joy Of Movement by Kelly McGonigal
“When you exercise, you provide a low-dose jolt to the brain’s reward centers.”
“Around the world, people who are physically active are happier and more satisfied with their lives.”
“I had learned that a pounding heart is not always a sign of fear. Sometimes, it is proof that your heart is being strengthened.”
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