This month's read: Atomic Habits

Atomic Habits came out a couple of years ago, and I'll admit I bought a copy and ignored it for a while. But I think things find us when we need them, and picking this book up just as I'm launching this blog felt like exactly the right timing.

I'm a big proponent of efficiency. At 14, working my first job at a bagel shop on a worker's permit, I was reworking closing procedures, trying to shave time off the end of my shift and get the line moving to expedite service. This isn’t relevant except to say that while I prefer a quieter schedule and plenty of space for breathing room in my life, I’ve always made productive use my time. Because if we want space for the things that we love, or need, like meditation, cooking healthy meals, exercising, we have to be intentional about how we spend the hours around them.

What stayed with me most was actually toward the end of the book. We are genetically predisposed to certain things, right? We have an affinity for skills that may come naturally to us. Maybe you’re a painter, or a gardener. Maybe you’re good with numbers, or reading people, or running. In Atomic Habits, James Clear's point is that our natural inclinations matter. While they are not a substitute for effort, they are potentially a guide. Talent and genetics aren’t the only thing that matters, but they do point us toward certain habits that we will take to more easily, which will feel more rewarding, and be more likely to stick.

When we can combine a natural strength with a marketable skill, we have the potential to excel in a niche market. For me, that's what this blog is—a place where writing, something I have always loved and explored successfully, meets health and wellness, the field I've dedicated my entire life to.

The book is full of quotable ideas and thought-provoking anecdotes, with historical references woven in. Though centered on productivity, I found all of the information shared relevant to other parts of my life, too.

Personally, my challenge has always been building habits, not breaking them. I want to exercise and meditate every day. But it's a struggle and takes real effort. This book reframed the how in ways that felt actionable. In my professional wellness practice, I often emphasize the importance of healthy daily habits—but there's a difference between telling someone they should stretch every day and helping them identify exactly when, where, and what that will look like.

Specificity, it turns out, is paramount.

I'll be writing more soon about what I've always called habit bundling, what Clear calls habit stacking. For now, I can’t recommend the book enough. The audiobook, read by Clear himself, is also really good.