124: James Clear, NYT bestselling author of Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

“Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement,” says James Clear, habit expert and entrepreneur. A debilitating baseball injury made self-improvement a very real priority in James’s life, and he began building routines and systems to aid his recover and reach his full potential. Today he seeks out and distills the latest scientific research to bring his audience relevant, applicable information regarding changing their lives for the better.   

In today’s episode you’ll learn:

• About the baseball accident that made self-improvement a focus in James’s life
• Why the systems you have in place impact your life more than the goals you set
• The four stages of habits and how to manipulate them to your advantage
• How personality plays into habit formation
• Why “How many days does it take to form a habit?” is the wrong question
• James’s recommended habits for entrepreneurs
• About the Clear Habit Journal

The Jay Kim Show : Entrepreneurship | Investing | Startups

James Clear, NYT bestselling author of Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

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What was your biggest insight from this week’s episode? Let Jay know in the comments or on Twitter: @jaykimmer.

LINKS FROM TODAY’S EPISODE

• Read the full transcript from James’s interview
• Find James on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
• JamesClear.com
• Atomic Habits
• The Clear Habit Journal

DETAILED SHOW NOTES

• (1:29) James share his background and how he became an expert in habits
• (4:26) The baseball injury that propelled James into the sphere of habit formation
• (9:07) What’s behind the name, Atomic Habits
• (10:26) Why you should “forget about goals” and instead “focus on systems”
• (13:19) James explains the Plateau of Latent Potential
• (19:13) James explains the four stages of habits: cue, craving, response, and reward
• (22:23) Jay and James walk through an example — four stages of a smoking habit
• (27:39) James addresses the question of personality and how it impacts habit formation
• (32:46) “How many days does it take to form a habit?” is the wrong question
• (36:05) James addresses the issue of burnout
• (42:05) Recommended habits for entrepreneurs
• (46:00) Jay and James discuss powering down at night
• (47:48) James’s plans for 2019