The Systems Approach to Habits That Actually Works
TL;DR
Atomic Habits offers a bite-sized approach to change that doesn’t require blowing up your life. What most people miss is that tracking without reflection just creates obligations for yourself - but tracking WITH reflection is where the magic happens. I’ve been using this with clients since 202, and it’s the reflection piece that most high-achievers completely skip.
How I Found This Book
Back in 202, during the pandemic, I was catching up with a friend - you know, one of those conversations where you’re talking bout what you’re reading lately. She mentioned Atomic Habits by James Clear, specifically the two-part interview he’d done with Brené Brown on her “Dare to Lead” podcast.
I took her recommendation and listened to those two episodes and ended up snagging the book shortly thereafter. What hooked me initially was Clear’s 1% better appraoch - the idea that tiny improvements command over time. As someone who has watched clients and colleagues exhaust themselves trying to make massive changes, this felt important. Small, manageable experiments that didn’t require blowing up your life.
The Problem I Was Seeing
Here’s what I was noticing, brilliant professionals would set ambitious goals. They’d map out detailed plans. They’d implement new routines.
And then they’d get frustrated and quit.
I’m guilty of this too. I had to learn that tracking habit just to track them is basically creating obligations for yourself. Maybe even frustrations, because you’re spending time on something without connecting to its impact.
What I Learned Through Practice
It wasn’t until I started using Clear’s system myself and working with clients that I discovered the real magic - tracking and reflection work together.
You can track just to track, but without reflection, you’re just creating busy work. You a reflect without tracking, but then you don’t have verified evidence of what you’ve actually accomplished. You might convince yourself you didn’t do as well as you really did - or the opposite, overinflated your progress without any accountability.
The tracking gives you evidence of progress, and it’s that evidence of progress that creates motivation. Why would anyone keep doing something if they don’t experience that they’re moving forward?
The 1% Better Connection to Life Alchemy
Clear’s approach connects directly to my Life Alchemist philosophy: leaving things better than you found them, not perfect, just better.
Instead of “I need to completely overhaul how I lead my team,” try “I’ll ask one curiosity question in each one-on-one this week.” If that feels too big after a week, break it down further. Maybe it’s one curiosity question per day. The point is making it manageable - 1% better is still better.
What I’ve Noticed Working With Clients
Since reading this book, I’ve recommend it to dozens of clients who want to change habits. Working with them, I discovered that the tracking and reflection pieces are where people struggle most - and where the real transformation happens.
Most high-achievers are phenomenal at doing but terrible at pausing to see what’s actually working. They’ll diligently track because the book says to, but they never connect the dots between their actions and their progress.
When clients get discouraged, I ask them to look at their tracking data differently. Not just “Did I do the thing?” but “What has this habit created in your life? What challenges have you already overcome? What evidence do you have of your progress?”
This is where understanding how people process sinformatsonb becomes helpful. Some people are future-focused - they need help seeing current progress, not just what’s next. Others get stuck in present-moment firefighting and need help stepping back to see patterns over time. Then there are people who are past-oriented - they might get so caught up in reflecting and analyzing what happened that they struggle to take action on what they’ve learned.
The key is finding the right balance for how YOU process. Everyone needs both the evidence that tracking provides AND the meaning-making that reflection creates - but some people need help doing more reflection, while others need help moving from reflection into action.
The Celebration Thing
Here’s the part that makes a lot of people uncomfortable, celebrating progress. Look, this doesn’t have to be elaborate. It can be literally patting yourself on the back or doing a little happy dance. Just acknowledging to yourself, “I showed up. That matters.”
I emphasize this because it seems difficult for high-achievers to embrace, but it’s often the most impactful part of the entire process.
My Own Experiment
I’ve been practicing Clear’s two-minute rule with meditation. Each day, I meditate for at least two minutes. Some days it’s twenty minutes. Some days it’s literally two minutes before I fall asleep.
The magic isn’t necessarily in the meditation itself, it’s in proving to myself, daily, that I’m someone who prioritizes inner calm. That identity shift has influenced dozens of other choices, from how I respond to difficult meals to how I structure my day.
Who This Works For (And Who Should Skip It)
This book is perfect if:
you get frustrated by “just believe in yourself” approaches to change,
have tried to muscle through with willpower and burned out,
want practical frameworks instead of inspirational fluff,
struggle with acknoleginfg your own progress, or
like the idea of small experiments over big commitments.
Skip this if:
you’re not ready to start small and track consistently,
be patient with tiny improvements, or
actually reflect on what’s working (or not working)
Try This Before You Buy
Pick one habit you’ve been wanting to build. Commit to the smallest possible version for one week - something under two minutes.
Want to read more? Read one page.
Want to exercise? Put on workout clothes.
Want better boundaries? End one meeting five minutes early.
Want to meditate? Sit quietly for two minutes.
Track it daily. But here’s the curicial part: at the end of the week, reflect. What made it easier or harder? What did you learn about yourself? How does it feel to have kept this tiny commitment? Did you acknowledge that you showed up?
If this experiment teaches you something about yourself - about resistance, about systems, about the gap between intention and action - then Clear’s deeper frameworks will be worth your time.
What small habit experiment will you try this week?
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend books that have genuinely impacted my work with clients or my own journey from drained professional to authentic living.
