Bestselling Author James Clear Tells Simon the Secrets to Changing Your Habits

When it comes to personal development and habit formation, one name invariably comes to mind: James Clear. Renowned for his expertise in habit formation, Clear has sold more than 5 million copies of his bestselling book, Atomic Habits. Backed by science and easily understandable, his practical strategies for making life-altering improvements through small, manageable changes have made him the go-to expert for anyone seeking to reshape their habits and transform their lives.

In a recent episode of A Bit of Optimism, which you can listen to here, Simon asked Clear if there is a way to anyone to get a firmer grasp on managing habits, both good and bad. He also asked Clear to explain the psychology behind how good habits are built and bad habits are broken.

Clear explains, “This all boils down to what I call the four laws of behavior change, which is a central theme in my book. There are many ways to approach it.”

When it comes to building a good habit, Clear emphasizes the importance of four key factors. “On the other hand, breaking a bad habit requires the opposite of these four factors that are essential for building a good habit,” he says.

This concept of the four laws forms the foundation of Clear’s philosophy. For more insights from Clear, be sure to listen to the full podcast. However, we’ll do our best to break down these four laws for you.

How to Build Better Habits

The first law of habit-building? You need to make your new habit “obvious.” This means placing visual cues in plain sight to remind you of your goal. “You want the cues of your habits to be obvious, available, visible, easy to see,” explains Clear.

Secondly, you want to make the new habit “attractive.” A good habit becomes enticing when associated with positive feelings. “The more compelling, motivating, or enticing it is, the better off you are,” says Clear.

Thirdly, you want to make it “easy.” Simplify the process of adopting a good habit to reduce friction, making it almost effortless to do. Clear explains, “Scaling it down, reducing friction. And then you want to make it satisfying, more rewarding or beneficial, the more enjoyable it feels, the more likely you are to repeat it.”

Lastly, you want to make the habit feel satisfying. If you can find a way to celebrate your progress that feels good to you (and doesn’t sabotage it), you’ll be more likely to make further progress. Reward yourself after completing a good habit to reinforce it.

So what does this look like in practice? For example, let’s say you want to start exercising regularly. Improving your health can often feel overwhelming and daunting, but if you take it one step at a time and apply Clear’s framework, it can feel much more doable.

• Make It Obvious: Place your workout gear in a visible spot. This way, you will be more likely to use it.
• Make It Attractive: Choose a workout routine you enjoy. If you like music, try dancing. If you love watching a certain sport, try playing it. When you have a passion or joy for what you are doing, you will see the activity as less of a chore.
• Make It Easy: Start with short, manageable sessions. To quote Simon, “Dream big, start small, but most of all, start.”
• Make It Satisfying: You completed your first week of regular workouts? That’s amazing! Go see a movie you’ve been wanting to watch. Reward yourself with a healthy treat post-workout. Buy those workout leggings you’ve heard great things about. Celebrate the fact that you stuck with it and continue to do so as you feed your new habit.