James Clear’s book “Atomic Habits” has sold more than 9 million copies, been translated into more than 50 languages, and spent years on all the bestseller lists. It’s undoubtedly a great book that’s been read by many people, including many lawyers. But as with many books, its key lessons often go unheeded. Absorbing and learning is one thing. Putting principles into practice for sustained periods of time is something else altogether.
The fact that many of us continue to struggle to create good habits and break bad ones—even after reading a book like “Atomic Habits” written for that express purpose—demonstrates how hard it is to transform. We know what we want. We learn how to get it. But life and work gets in the way, and here we are again: Promising ourselves that the coming year will be different, and writing down new goals and resolutions that express our ambitions.
