James Clear is an author and speaker focused on habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement. His new book Atomic Habits breaks down the four laws of behavior change and explains how striving to get 1% better every day can give you remarkable results. He is a regular speaker at Fortune 500 companies and his work has been used by teams in the NFL, NBA, and MLB. You can follow his work at JamesClear.com.

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3:03 – James reveals his inspiration for the new book and what he hopes to achieve with it.

5:30 – “Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.”

10:08 – What makes habits atomic?

12:10 – How to stay engaged in habit change? The Goldilocks Rule.

13:29 – You can be an expert on habits and still struggle with them.

14:23 – That time when James got hit in the face with a baseball bat.

17: 29 – Why setting goals can set you up for failure and Scott Adams’ article on goals versus systems.

21:48 – What if you don’t start because you fear you won’t get the results you want?

22:34 – Don’t be so blinded by your goal that you miss the other benefits of the journey.

23:28 – Voting for the person you want to be: how to address limiting beliefs around your personal story.

28:56 – James adds a stage to the habit loop explained in The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg.

33:34 – Perceived value is what motivates you to act. Actual value is what gets you to repeat the action again. 

35:13 – The role of dopamine in habit formation.

37:20 – Habit Stacking. Helpful tips for making or breaking a habit. BJ Fogg’s Tiny Habits.

40:47 – Self-awareness and willingness to experiment are key to success.

42:40 – The Four Laws of Behavior Change.

44:00 – You need to buy in to the idea that building habits is worth it to prime your environment for success.