Atomic Habits by James Clear, Why Is it Worth the Hype? A POV

"Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results."

This is the mantra of the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. This #1 New York Times Bestseller has been present on my social media feed for the whole year of 2020. From reactions, snippets, and anecdotes, all motivational and lifestyle pages I follow, freely promote this book. During the pandemic, which is two years ago, that one chapter in our life comes and goes like September's wind, has shown me a more vulgar approach to life appreciation - self-help books. You might be asked, what do you mean by vulgar? Self-help books are compilations of stories of different people with major twists that serve as the turning point of their life which gave birth to their life-changing principles. These true-to-life examples in every chapter show what is meant to live. It shows the beauty and darkness of life. The victory in failure. The loud and proud behavior of mankind as well as the silence of humanity. It is also more straightforward than old English literature, still, masterpieces, but for a young adult like me, I crave something more commanding. Because at such phase of a sudden change in our life, we need some sort of guidance that is more systematic and doable. Like some sort of direct answer from which path to take. And during my course of early indulgence of self-help books, I discovered one if not the best.

"Supremely practical."

This is how Mark Manson describes James Clear's book. This book did not just show what habit to change and let go of but also the process of changing the habit and the whole course of letting go. But more importantly, Clear highlights the hows and why of building a habit effectively and efficiently in a very systematic and practical manner. For an in-depth explanation of how this book changed my life, I'll tell you first how I get hold of the book. Believe me or not, the whole process was like 'meant-to-be.'

I graduated senior year amid the pandemic.

Yes, we are the depraved ones. Going into college without meeting people for half a year gives me anxiety. And just like any other human, I asked YouTube, "how to not give an f?" I was desperate. And from desperation, I get to know Mark Manson's The Subtle Art of Not Giving an F. For a whole month, I indulge myself in his two books wanting to learn the earth of living a life with less overthinking. But what I learned from him was more of like a realization I needed to learn. His books show me ways how to trick your brain to give less care. And so I did. I learned to focus less on the world, and more on myself. But then I found myself wondering, "What's the next step?" How can I give more to myself? HABITS!

It is a routine we built. It is a lifestyle. A choice.

Habits are activities turned to practice as we continuously do them. But what habit should I have to give more to myself? I have a huge love for literature and art. The wonders of geometric figures lead me to my course, Civil Engineering.

So I told to myself, that I wanted a habit that could help me enhance my craft and also serves as my scapegoat. And so I decided to start reading! Yes, I know it is not surprising.

You might be expecting some painting.

I tried before! But my imagination and creativity work and improve better as I read. I explore new genres, I read books with more controversial issues. I discovered a lot of universes! I've witnessed almost all shades of life from happiness to agony, from liberty to subjugation. I am also surprised that the inner peace I lost from the distress of the pandemic was brought back by the world I built in my mind. And this is possible because of atomic habits

Atom is the smallest unit of matter.

It is indestructible. Atomic, according to the book is the source of immense energy of power. These two definitions inclined with an atom are pretty ironic. How can something be so tiny but powerful? Atom is proof of small but incredible! And thus, if you combine atomic with habits, you can expect amazing outputs from the smallest acts. Sounds like 80/20 and Pomodoro right? But these techniques only focus on time management. Atomic Habits focuses on habit management. I wanted to keep on reading every day, so instead of just setting time to read, I created an opportunity to read every time, anytime. Just like the example in the book, my books are everywhere! Aside from my E-book, I have books on shelves, tabletops, beds, and cabinets. Through this, I was able to trick my brain into reading voluntarily and out of curiosity and willingness, not compulsory!

We have habits, some are developed unintentionally, but either way, all habits represent our personality. So choose and built a habit that reflects the person you wanted to be. You may not see sudden changes, just because there is no overnight success, but small changes complete the big picture of a masterpiece called 'goal.'