Atomic Habits and my game plan for reading more books
“People go to sleep over good books not because they are unwilling to make the effort, but because they do not know how to make it.” — Mortimer J. Adler
Atomic Habits by James Clear is a bestseller for one reason: it delivers practical strategies. One can build and one can destroy habits by understanding the four steps in a habit loop: Cue, craving, response, and reward.
Picture this:
You walk into a dark room (Cue)
You want to be able to see (Craving)
You flip the light switch (Response)
You satisfy your craving to see (Reward)
Inevitably, to build a habit you will need to make the cue, obvious: the craving, attractive: the response, easy and the reward, satisfying.
In this case, I can simply ask myself:
1. How can I make reading books obvious?
2. How can I make reading books attractive?
3. How can I make reading books easy?
4. How can I make reading books satisfying?
Driven by the desire to read more books this year, here are 15 ways of how I plan to make my reading habit obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying:
MAKING IT OBVIOUS
1. Designing my environment to make the books visible and easy to reach for
I intentionally place books all over my place from my nightstand to my studying table. The more I surround myself with books the easier it is to reach for them and read.
“Out of sight, out of mind”
2. Pairing reading a book with a specific time and location
Using this formula: “I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION].”
I made mine to - “I will read for 30 minutes at 6 o’clock on my study table.”
Being intentional forces you to perform the habit rather than just saying “I will read when I wake up”
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
3. Using the habit stacking method
Atomic Habits Formula: “After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].”
I made mine to — “After I wash my face, I will sit down and read”
Inserting a new habit into your already functioning routine makes it easier to go with the flow.
MAKING IT ATTRACTIVE
4. Reading partners and joining a book club
By joining a culture where my desired behavior is the norm, I will reinforce the habit I want to acquire. Joining a book club motivates me to read.
“The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives.”
5. Linking reading with an action, I want to do
I love going to the beach, and recently, I’ve been bringing a book with me. This way, I can enjoy the breeze while reading. This practice is known as temptation bundling: pairing something you want to do with something you need to do.
6. Creating a motivation ritual
I’m adjusting my reading habits to focus on the benefits rather than the drawbacks. This approach helps me reprogram my mindset and makes reading more appealing.
Instead of telling myself, “I need to read a book in the morning,” I remind myself, “It’s time to gain knowledge and improve myself.”
MAKING IT EASY
7. Mastering the habit of showing up
I love reading, and I want to keep it enjoyable rather than make it feel like work. For that reason, I’ve set a goal of reading a minimum of 30 minutes a day.
“The truth is, a habit must be established before it can be improved. The duration for which you have been practicing a habit is not as important as the number of times you have performed it.” — James Clear.
8. Reading what I love
A strategy from Naval Ravikant suggests starting with topics you love to develop a reading habit naturally. Over time, this leads to a genuine appreciation for reading.
9. Reading while listening
I learned this tactic from Alex Hormozi: Combining audiobooks with physical books improves focus, comprehension, and retention, especially when paired with increased audiobook speeds.
10. Going to the library
Some small choices can have a significant impact. I can apply this effective strategy to reading books. Once I make a decisive choice, it becomes much easier to keep going.
For example, when I decide to go to the library, being there motivates me to look for a good book and read it.
11. Reducing friction by:
- Reading with a purpose: knowing why or for what reason you are reading a certain book
- Leaving my phone in a different room, put it to silent or ‘Do not disturb mode’
- Reading in a place that has a noise level I am comfortable with, is how I will read faster and more efficiently.
- A good-lighted room, which is neither too hot nor too cold, is more conducive to faster reading.
MAKING IT SATISFYING
12. Reading in the mornings
Understanding my peak times of day has significantly improved my reading speed. I find that I can read non-fiction books most effectively in the morning, while I prefer other genres at different times throughout the day.
Determine your own peak and non-peak times and use them to your advantage.
13. Tracking my reading habit
Benjamin Franklin at age twenty carried a small booklet everywhere he went and used it to track thirteen personal virtues. Making progress is satisfying, and visual measures provide clear evidence of your progress.
The most basic format is to get a calendar and cross off each day I do some reading. If one can automate the tracking, the better.
“Don’t break the chain. Try to keep your habit streak alive. Never miss twice. If you miss one day, try to get back on track as quickly as possible.”
14. Physical condition
I’ve discovered that when I am well-rested, not hungry, wearing comfortable clothes, and feeling good, I can read faster than if I am exhausted, starving, wearing tight clothing, or unwell.
15. Finding time nuggets
To find more reading time, I review my log and look for the following:
- Time-robbing activities. For example, watching TV, talking on the phone, or surfing the Net.
- Unaccounted for time
- The time when I can multitask. For example, I can read while commuting or waiting for meetings to start or appointments to arrive.
PS: I always carry reading materials with me, since I never know when I’ll have a few free moments.
