Hi friends,

Happy Saturday. Today, we'll be doing an end-of-book recap of Atomic Habits by James Clear. I'll be sharing my top lessons and overall rating of the book.

For February, we'll be reading Unhinged Habits by Jonathan Goodman. This new book was released a few days ago, and it feels like a natural follow-up to what we just read.

On an unrelated note, only 48 days until the first day of Spring...

— Maneet

Weekly Discussion

As I begin today’s final recap of Atomic Habits, I’ve just made a realization that this is the only book I’ve ever read more than once.

This was my third time reading the book (it seems to have become a January tradition), and I continue to learn something new each time I open it. Even though James Clear has sold millions of copies of this book, I don’t think that matters at all. What sets this nonfiction book apart from many others is not how many times it’s made the bestseller list, but rather how people are actually able to apply what they learn to their own lives.

They say the best books are the ones that stand the test of time. This will certainly be one of them.

It should be no surprise that I give Atomic Habits a five-star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Here are my top three lessons from reading it this year.

My first takeaway is to think systems, not goals.

Transparently, I was surprised that I forgot about this. I’ve been so obsessed with reflecting on goals and long-term visions that I totally lost sight of the systems required to get there. Essentially, the idea here is to focus all your energy on the actions needed to reach your goal instead of worrying about the end result.

For example, one of my goals this year is to grow my YouTube channel. Instead of focusing on subscribers or views, I’d be better off giving all my attention to building a system of uploading a new video every week. If I focus on that system, growing the YouTube channel will be a natural result. I haven’t been doing a good job with this system, but that’s a conversation for another day 😅.

My second takeaway is to limit planning and prioritize action.

Clear describes this as motion versus action. Motion feels like we’re making progress, but it’s really a disguise to avoid action. Motion includes things like planning, outlining, reading, brainstorming, etc. All of these things are necessary to a certain extent, but they must be exercised with caution.

I cannot begin to tell you the number of times I’ve fallen down the planning rabbit hole. It’s a never-ending trap that has sucked countless hours away from actually doing the work I’m trying to plan. Recently, I’ve tried shifting more toward action, even if that means doing things ad hoc without having a prior plan in place. I’ve gotten way more done this way.

My final takeaway from this year’s read of Atomic Habits is to put in the reps and build a new identity.

Throughout the book, there is a big emphasis on building a new identity around the habit you’re trying to build. A personal example I can share is my recent ambition to become a runner. I’m not an athlete by any means, but I’ve become rather obsessed with running over the last couple of years, and it’s been a positive change for my health.

Instead of focusing on a big goal like running a marathon, I’ve been telling myself that my goal is to build a new identity around being a runner. This naturally spills over into many other areas, because I now have a desire to eat healthier, go to the gym more often, and be more in shape.

Each time I go for a run, I’m reinforcing this new identity. I’m not somebody who occasionally runs. I am a runner. The act of simply showing up is a powerful force.

I’d love to hear from you. What are your top takeaways from Atomic Habits, and what would you rate it? Reply and let me know.

Weekly YouTube Video

​🎬 My Bold 2026 Kindle Predictions (I'm Probably Wrong)​

I just published my annual Kindle predictions video, and once again, I’m fully prepared to be wrong. I talk through what I realistically think Amazon will do in 2026, especially around the Kindle Scribe and AI features, and then share my personal wishlist for Kindle software improvements. If you’re curious where Kindle might be headed, this one’s worth a watch.

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