Atomic Habits

We’re back for another episode of our START WELL® podcast with resident book reviewer Michelle Flanagan – this time discussing James Clear’s Atomic Habits, which had sold more than 25 million copies at the time of recording.

And it’s easy to see why, with the book offering a practical approach to creating good habits, breaking unhelpful ones and getting 1% better every day.

Dawn and Michelle both loved reading this one. It helped them look more closely at the habits already shaping their days – including the positive routines they rely on and the areas where a small change could make life feel a little easier.

Many of the ideas can be applied to our financial habits, too. There’s also plenty for parents who want to help their children build the routines and confidence to become the best possible versions of themselves.

Accessible and inspiring

One of Dawn’s first observations was that she felt far less defensive reading Atomic Habits than she did while reading another recent START WELL® book, Stolen Focus.

Rather than making the reader feel judged for their current habits, James Clear encourages us to become curious about them. One exercise involves listing the things you do each day – from the moment you wake up to the routines you automatically default to – and simply noticing the patterns.

Dawn shares that restarting her computer and choosing an essential oil to suit her mood is her preferred way to start her workday – and when she skips that, she notices that she feels more frazzled.

And Michelle appreciated the diagrams throughout the book, which make its key concepts easy to understand and put into practice.

Goals matter – but systems create progress

Two people can have exactly the same goal and achieve very different results. According to James Clear, the difference often lies in the systems they follow consistently.

As he writes: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

This is helpful when thinking about children, too. Instead of focusing only on outcomes such as grades, sporting results or performance, we can help them recognise the behaviours that support progress – including studying regularly, practising, preparing and continuing to show up.

The same thinking applies to money. Wanting to save more, reduce debt or feel more in control of your finances is a good starting point, but progress comes from a simple system you can repeat – whether that means automatically transferring a small amount to savings each payday, checking your spending once a week or pausing before making an unplanned purchase.

The power of getting 1% better

At the heart of Atomic Habits is the idea that small changes compound.

Improving by 1% may not feel particularly exciting in the moment. In fact, there will be periods when you are putting in the work without seeing evidence that it’s making a difference – but that’s totally normal. 

Over time, those small actions begin to add up.

Make progress visible

One of the practical examples Dawn and Michelle discuss is the paperclip strategy: someone in the book who moved 120 paperclips from one jar to another every time they made a sales call.

This kind of visual encouragement can be useful for both adults and children, providing motivation to keep going and reach their goal.

For a financial habit, that could be as straightforward as marking each no-spend day on a calendar, colouring in a savings tracker or watching a regular bank transfer build towards a goal.

Identity-based habits

As James Clear explains in the book, “The goal is not to read a book; the goal is to become a reader.”

Instead of concentrating only on what we want to achieve, we can think about the kind of person we want to become – and use our small, repeated actions as evidence of that identity.

For children, this might sound like: “I’m someone who studies,” “I’m someone who keeps trying” or “I’m someone who shows up.” 

It works financially, too. A person who sees themselves as someone who plans ahead, saves consistently or makes thoughtful decisions with money is more likely to keep reinforcing that identity through their actions.

Every small choice becomes a vote for the person you want to be.

Small habits, meaningful change

What Dawn and Michelle enjoyed most about Atomic Habits was how achievable its ideas felt. 

Whether you want to feel calmer at the beginning of your workday, help your kids develop positive routines or build healthier financial habits, the message is encouraging: you don’t have to do everything at once.

You simply need to start with one small action – and keep showing up.

Listen to the full episode of START WELL® here.

Want more START WELL® book reviews? Read our takes on The Art of Spending Money and The 100-Year Life.