Remember the beginning of 2020? Many of us were determined to start a new decade with blazing saddles. New goals and intentions to change our habits once and for all! Then 2020 happened not quite as planned. If you’re reading this, you might be wanting to turn things around and kick off 2021 with a fresh start. So today I am sharing my 3 favorite books to spark habit change. I hope you add them to your reading list!

1. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

“Willpower isn’t just a skill. It’s a muscle, like the muscles in your arms or legs, and it gets tired as it works harder, so there’s less power left over for other things.” ― Charles Duhigg

The Power of Habit will blow your mind as it showcases many scientific studies and dives into how the brain works with habits. The habit nerd in me went crazy, and I especially liked the part where Charles Duhigg said willpower is a muscle. I’ve applied this to my life by trying to always have dinner prepared in advance. Does anyone else struggle to eat healthy after a long day of work? Having the meal already made helps me avoid having to use willpower later in the day. I also use this by sleeping in my workout clothes the night before. That way when I wake up in the morning I don’t need the willpower to change out of cozy pajamas!

2. Atomic Habits by James Clear

Atomic Habits dives into strategies around habit building. The chapters are broken down around The Four Laws of Behavior Change.

1. Make it obvious
2. Make it attractive
3. Make it easy
4. Make it satisfying.

One way to “make it easy” is to incorporate habit stacking. For example, after I finish dinner, I clean the dishes and wipe down the countertops. I’ve used this in a silly way to exercise more! After I use the bathroom, I do 20 squat pulses. TMI? The point is stacking an action right after a cue can help you create a good habit.

3. The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson

“The truth is, what you do matters. What you do today matters. What you do every day matters. Successful people just do the things that seem to make no difference in the act of doing them and they do them over and over and over until the compound effect kicks in.” – Jeff Olson

I might be biased, but this was the best book to start out with when diving into personal development books. The Slight Edge is all about the simple decisions that create big momentum. I learned many things that are easy to do are also easy not to do. Every decision you make is either progressing you or regressing you. Overtime these add up to make a compound difference!

Listen or buy!

Hopefully, you found a book that sparks your interest. I typically listen to audiobooks first, and if I really like the book I order a hard copy! Push hard to find 15 minutes a day incorporate some knowledge into your routine. There’s a place to track what you are listening to or reading in the weekly layout of The One Life Planner!