James Clear: Mastering Your Habits

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS

When it comes to maximizing success in life, one thing you absolutely can’t ignore is your habits—those unconscious behaviors that you do without thinking. For many of us, habits, good or bad, may represent 40-50% of our actions in a given day.

My guest today, James Clear, shares how you can master your habits, so they work for you instead of against you. James and I talk about why habits are the compound interest of self-development, the critical link between identity and habits, how to build good habits and break bad ones, and much more…

James Clear

James Clear is a is a writer and speaker focused on habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement. He is the author of Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Entrepreneur, Time, and on CBS This Morning. He is a regular speaker at Fortune 500 companies and his work is used by teams in the NFL, NBA, and MLB. Through his online course, The Habits Academy, Clear has taught more than 10,000 leaders, managers, coaches, and teachers. I have to say, having James on the podcast is a real treat since I’ve been following him for a few years, and I think you’ll get a lot out of this interview.

You don’t rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

Episode Highlights

Why unconscious habits are an “entrance ramp” to conscious decisions that may have big impacts in your life
How tiny 1% changes can lead to remarkable results over time
Why sticking to habits can be more difficult in our results-oriented society
Why you should focus more on systems than goals
The importance of feedback in optimizing your system
The 4-part framework of understanding habits
How changing your environment can impact your habits for good or bad
How to reclaim a lost habit when your routine is interrupted
Why true behavior change is, in essence, identity change