Do you want to know how a single book changed my life in less than a week? Just as you read, and the good news is that it can also change you radically.
In this article I want to tell you how, just by reading a book, I was able to change the way I did many of my daily routines, and finally change my life.
I will even tell you how I managed to change the way I set my goals and I manage to enjoy each process that leads me to a particular goal.
The book that changed my life and can change yours
To begin with, I want to tell you that it is not simply about reading a book and waiting for the magic to take effect.
Beyond knowing that investing in books is one of the smartest things you can do with your money, everything will depend on what you do with that valuable information.
That said, I would like to ask you: What inspiring books have you read lately that have made you rethink your life decisions?
Well, the book that changed my life in less than a week was Atomic Habits of James Clear.
If it is not yet on your list, it is time for you to go to the nearest bookstore or enter Amazon to make one of the best investments you can imagine.
You will find versions in Spanish and English. I think any of them will give you the value you need, but in my opinion, if you can read it in its original language, English, all the better.
You should know that this is not a self-help book, but it will show you a different picture and you will be ready for your life to take a decisive turn.
Are you ready to know what I learned? Stay reading until the end.
How Reading the Atomic Habits Book Gave Me New Insight
When I started reading Atomic Habits I understood that each person is a universe, and what works for someone may not be the solution to your problems.
However, there is a general perspective that can become an effective tool for anyone who is determined to achieve their personal and professional goals.
In this way, I was able to internalize each example, each author’s recommendation, and make it fit my own vision of the future.
But before continuing, I want to tell you a little about the author.
Who is James Clear
James Clear became a long-term habit-forming specialist after his sports career came to an end.
He understood that the way his daily routines were given could be the key to being much more efficient and achieving his goals in a more sustainable way.
To share his knowledge, he created his website (jamesclear.com) where he shares his knowledge through online courses, publications, etc. There he receives more than two million visits a month, from people who have become faithful followers.
Keys to get the most out of the book
The first thing I would like to recommend is that you always look for a time when you have a fresh mind, in this way you make sure you are available to take advantage of all the information without fatigue or distractions.
Personally, I like to make small notes; either in a notebook or in the book itself (and that’s what books are made for, unless you want to keep it impeccable by choice).
Highlighting the ideas that most call your attention will allow you in the future to return to the book and remember those phrases that most impacted you.
You can use separators or guides, to later find the parts that served you the most, the ones you liked the most, or the ones that you could even share with someone else.
A book is like a friend, dedicate time to it daily, don’t leave it abandoned, be constant and set a deadline to finish it.
In addition, James CLrear proposes a series of exercises that you can put into practice as you read it.
Teachings that the book Atomic Habits left me
It is true that each one will find something particular that makes them resonate and decide to make changes.
There may be people who read the book and don’t feel any need to evolve or change anything in their lives, that’s fine.
However, I decided that I was going to put all the knowledge I had gained from the book to work and see that it pays to get results.
So I want to share with you some of the things that helped me the most to make a change in my life.
1. What matters is not the result, it is the process
Throughout my life, I sought to fulfill certain goals:
With the book I understood that the suffering generated by that wait. Wanting to achieve something and feeling that I wasn’t there was because I focused on the results and not on how to get there.
And that is what Atomic Habits is about, discovering that the sum of small changes is what builds great goals in the end.
2. Enjoying the process is necessary
Of course, who wants to feel like they have to suffer to get something?
I personally believe that the sacrifice mentality is misguided. You don’t have to suffer, what you have to do is work to get what you want.
In that sense, what could be better than enjoying the whole process, so that you don’t get overwhelmed by the anxiety of achieving your goal.
Thanks to the book, I discovered how to make each step I take to build a habit lead me to design my own lifestyle that makes me immensely happy.
James Clear defines it as: “It is the idea of pleasure that we pursue.”
3. One step at a time
Surely it happens to you too, impatience is a trigger that is not very compatible with the creation of habits.
I understood that in order to achieve sustainable change, I had to be patient and take one step at a time, but this step would have to be repeated over and over again every day, so that it could produce results.
You don’t have to start going to the gym every day, for hours, and feel that tiredness is the answer to doing something right.
I started doing very simple exercises, for 20 minutes every day, and I can assure you that after a few weeks, I noticed that this became much easier and I was preparing myself to advance to the next level.
With this, I motivated myself to do something that I like, every day, without suffering, until I can set myself a slightly more complex goal.
4. We can only be rational after being emotional
You literally find this in the book, as a teaching that they leave you the four laws that you are going to learn in its content.
I don’t want to tell you anything, but the book develops the idea that the primary way our brain works is with emotions.
We were taught that it was best to keep them under control, even deny them, but the reality is that what we need to do is manage them better.
Once you manage to identify them and use them in your favor, you will be ready to put it into practice and change your life.
Recommended books:
5. Be consistent with what you want and do
Reading the book will not be enough for you to notice a change in your life, you will not achieve wealth, you will not have the long-awaited financial freedom, much less you will become a successful businessman overnight.
If you don’t get down to work, start doing the daily tasks required to reach your goal, then you will be waiting in vain for everything to improve in the blink of an eye.
Make smart decisions, repeat those routines over and over again that will lead you to meet a goal, study, investigate, commit to the process.
Reading Atomic Habits can change your life too
Finally, be kind to your growth, the requirement is only positive if you understand that you do not have to meet anyone else’s expectations, but your own.
Define your dreams, put them down on paper and from there design a map that guides you to them.
One step at a time, a habit that is repeated every day, a routine that you sustain over time and that becomes a lifestyle so that happiness is not the goal, but the path itself.
Continue reading: 30 Finance Books You Need to Increase Your Income
