How to internalize atomic habits
This is neither a book review nor a boring lecture—this is the journal of one of my 30-day career growth project.
In December of 2024, I knew I would wrap up all critical projects at work and my part-time iPEC coaching program. What’s next? I set up this “30-day career growth project”: finish reading a book I’ve always wanted to read and internalize it.
I chose the book “Atomic Habits”. James Clear summarized four laws of behavior change: Make it obvious; Make it attractive; Make it easy; Make it satisfying.
The concept of building small, positive habits is far from new. Ancient Chinese wisdom has long emphasized this idea, as illustrated in Laozi's Dao De Jing about 2,500 years ago: 千里之行， 始于足下 "A journey of a thousand miles starts beneath your feet." It reminds us that instead of worrying about the entirety of a thousand-mile journey, we should focus on taking that first step—then another, and another.
And I found 4 rules helping with first step and another step.
Rose’s observed rules to make first step and another step to build habit
Rule #1: Clear Out Virtual Barriers You Create Yourself
I’d heard so much about the book Atomic Habits, so why hadn’t I started? Let me reflect:
Do I read a paperback? How do I tidy up my books afterward (I’m a digital person and don’t want to stock books)? Why don’t borrow it from the library? Wait, it’s already borrowed out? Should I read it on my phone or Kindle? Do I even have a Kindle? How much is the eBook? What about the audiobook?
STOP. These are all mental barriers I created—and they’re the same ones we create for countless things we want to start but never start. They are not even concrete barriers! They are just virtual.
Choose any option and start.
Two days later, I bought the eBook and began reading.
Rule #2: Make It Obvious and Easy—2 Minutes Is Enough
Among the Four Laws of Behavior Change, “Make it obvious” and “Make it easy” resonated most with me in the early phase for habit building. To start something, all you need is less than two minutes to get yourself into action. Once you’re there, the rest happens automatically.
Whenever I got on the train to commute, I knew I had a 30-minute uninterrupted window for reading. Instead of mindlessly scrolling through short videos, I simply clicked a different app and read for 30 minutes.
Take two minutes to get yourself ready, and the rest will follow.
Ten days in, I read about one-third of the book.
Rule #3: It’s OK to Pause, As Long As You Know It’s Temporary
Then work got crazy. Work deadlines queued up. I was so exhausted that when I sat on the train, I didn’t even want to take out my phone. All I wanted was to rest. Even with my eyes closed, thoughts of work deadlines haunted me.
Sticking to good habits no matter whether the situation is ideal or not, as James Clear notes, “missing one time is an accident; missing twice can become a habit.” In my case, I missed many times. Worse, I started questioning myself: Am I really the type of person who can complete things?
Looking back at my paused progress and the plain, seemingly useless video clips I created, I told myself:
It’s OK.
“It’s OK” is not an excuse to make yourself just feel OK. Actually, it’s important to be OK. We’re human. While compounding habits create great value, sometimes we need to give ourselves grace.
Twenty days in, I was still one-third through the book.
Rule #4: Remember the Joy, So Restarting Isn’t Hard
Good news: I have spare time during year end to finish the book!
Hard situations are just temporary. With more free time, catching up on reading became easy. I even started a morning stretching routine, another atomic habit. Writing on a new website brought me excitement, and the momentum carried me forward, which seems another atomic habit.
By the 30th day, I finished the book.
Starting and restarting reinforced my identity as someone committed to continuous growth. That’s the power of small, consistent efforts. They gradually build into something truly meaningful and deeply rewarding.
