• Atomic Habits

  • An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
  • By: James Clear
  • Narrated by: James Clear
  • Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (133,030 ratings)

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Atomic Habits

By: James Clear
Narrated by: James Clear
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Editorial review


By Madeline Anthony, Audible Editor

THE ATOMIC RISE OF ATOMIC HABITS

As anyone who knows me will tell you, I’m a person who tends to get caught up in emotion. I feel sometimes like a walking whirlwind of feelings, an open nerve, my days often changing drastically depending on the rise and tide of my moods. I pay attention to my intuition and believe deeply in the things we cannot see. It is for all of these reasons, that despite this book being recommended by friend after friend in the year following its release date, I avoided reading it. "It’s too practical," I thought. "It’s too X + Y equals Z." Snooze.

Fast forward to April of 2020—a few years since the book’s initial boom—and I am feeling sluggish and supremely unproductive in a pandemic-induced haze. In my now-virtual writers' group, we chat about what we are all reading. One member perks up, looking a bit more alert than the rest of us, and credits Atomic Habits by James Clear for taking her out of her creative slump and helping her feel a sense of control in this eerie moment we all found ourselves living in.

I can’t say what it was, exactly, about this particular recommendation that drew me in. Was it the time frame or the sense of calm I felt emanating from this usually chaotic person on the other end of the screen? Or was it just that I finally decided to listen to what people were telling me? Either way, the next night I decided to download the audiobook, which is narrated by the author. About 20 minutes after pressing "play" on this book that seemed to have been following me for years, popping up all over the place like meerkats in the jungle, I wished deeply that I had listened sooner.

Surprisingly, the practicality of Atomic Habits turned out to be just what I needed. The small steps suddenly felt important. Clear’s analogies—particularly. one about not getting mad at ice that doesn’t melt when you heat it to 29 and 30 degrees because it will melt entirely at 32—resonated with me as a writer who works on her craft daily, and who regularly submits to publications only to be rejected a very high percentage of the time. Things started to click. One day the ice will melt. Getting up every day at 5:30 to write for a precious few hours in the solitude of the early morning is not for nothing.

The concrete steps a person can take daily to achieve their goals and the processes that are needed in order to realize dreams are just as important as the overarching, emotional vision we all have for our successes. And being practical doesn’t mean to stop listening to your heart. All it means is that now, in addition to your spirit, you also have tangible steps you can take every day that will bring you just a little bit closer to the reality you have always imagined.

Continue reading Madeline's review >

Publisher's summary

The number one New York Times best seller. Over one million copies sold!

Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results

No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving - every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.

If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you'll get a proven system that can take you to new heights.

Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, listeners will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field.

Learn how to:

  • Make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy)
  • Overcome a lack of motivation and willpower
  • Design your environment to make success easier
  • Get back on track when you fall off course
  • And much more

Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits - whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.

©2018 James Clear (P)2018 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Atomic Habits was a great read. I learned a lot and think it’ll be helpful to a lot of people." (Gayle King, co-anchor of CBS This Morning and editor-at-large for O, The Oprah Magazine)

"In Atomic Habits, Clear will show you how to overcome a lack of motivation, change your environment to encourage success, and make time for new (and better) habits." (Glamour.com)

"Atomic Habits is a great book for anyone who is frustrated with the way they can’t seem to kick that one (or two dozen) bad habit(s) and wants to finally achieve health, fitness, financial freedom, great relationships, and a good life." (Medium.com)

Featured Article: 40+ Motivational Quotes to Lift and Rev You Up


Doubting yourself? Need a push to keep on climbing? To give you a surge and get you back up and moving forward, we've collected 40+ quotes from folks who know a lot about motivational ebbs and flows: authors. Their works span a variety of genres, from classic literature to career success, and offer a diversity of perspectives. We're sure you'll find at least a few wise and uplifting words that speak directly to you and will soon have your motivation flowing.

What listeners say about Atomic Habits

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Author went overboard hawking his site

I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if he had held back in promoting his website half a dozen times per chapter. That was completely unnecessary and created a disappointing experience for readers.

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1,011 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Frequent mention of website very annoying.

It is hard to listen after the 3rd plugin to the website, kinda lost interest in the book.

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530 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Habits: The James Clear Story

Signed up for a self-help book. Got a grueling history of the authors high school sports accomplishments. Pass.

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398 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • NL
  • 10-22-18

start here, if you are looking to achieve in life

I'll state this, this book should be read, then studied. I'll probably read this book twice a year until my life habits are conducive to the life I desire to live. many times we try to change but life gets in the way. the author provides a framework to overcome the mental aspect towards establishing the habits you want.

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144 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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The "after book" is awful

The book itself is very good, it really brings very interesting things, although they are common sense, they are very well said, the problem is that the author throughout the book (seriously, all the time) promises extra material in a web page that ... oh surprise, it does not exist, honestly that was a disappointment to me, because if I buy the book, where a thing is promised that then does not exist, I feel like I have been cheated. Inevitably every time I see some other product of this same author, I do not intend to buy it, because I think I will be deceived again with something else.

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116 people found this helpful

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Good Book but did not deliver on resources promise

Lots of bonus stuff promised but could not access online. Not credible. So was disapointed.

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97 people found this helpful

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Ok but not great

Some good content in here but I thought it was just ok. Also: the author keeps referring to his website instead of just providing a PDF which is odd.

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81 people found this helpful

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Website plugin torture

The constant plugin of the website was torture. I couldn’t even finish the book. Please keep that to a minimum.

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Great Book on Habits!

I haven't even finished yet and I have used some of the information. If you want to begin a new habit or stop an old habit, look no further. The book is short and concise. The subject matter is very clear an easily understood. The author tells where to go for downloads, but I wish there was a PDF download with Audible. That is the only problem I have encountered so far. I think you will need the downloads. As a low vision user, the easier the process is, the better for me. I seldom do a review; so, you know I highly recommend this one.

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Immature tone and mediocre contet

Though this book has some ok advice on forming habits it's been much better presented in other books. The whole tone of the author is extremely self obsessed and he comes across sounding like an imatture 15 year old who thinks he's an expert because he's read two book in his life. If you want a good book about habits that is both much better researched and written, you should instead go for The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg.

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