I systematically avoid reading self-help books, or any book that promises to dramatically change my life on the cover. This is not to say that self-help books haven’t ever worked for anyone, or that they are all entirely baseless — they’re just not for me. I struggle with the authority these books tend to establish and as I walk past the self-help section in a bookstore, I cannot help but ask, “why should I listen to you?” or “what is the truly groundbreaking advice you have to offer, that my mother hasn’t shared with me in the past 25 years?”

For many years, that is what I thought about Atomic Habits and I refused to even read its blurb, in spite of recommendations from people I trust with book recommendations. But one life-changing event and plenty of time on my hands to suddenly focus on myself, Atomic Habits landed impulsively on my nightstand. And while I determined that I had nothing to lose at the time, I find myself on this public forum today, ashamed to declare that I actually enjoyed the book.

James Clear, blogger (now author) and former baseball player, has compiled an easy-to-follow manual of how to implement new good habits into your life and maintain them to the point that they become an integral part of your very identity. He emphasises on consistency, patience and time throughout; Clear writes that consistently performing our habits and remaining patient about their outcomes has more power and impact than we give it credit for. These habits can be as miniscule as a grain of sand, and before you know it you’ll have a wonderful beach at your disposal (apologies for the cliche). That these habits are supposed to be good is a given. Clear leaves it up to you to decide what is a good habit for you and conversely, what will end up being a bad habit in your life.

Clear has laid out a very clear plan for you to develop good habits and hold yourself accountable when you catch yourself slipping. Make sure the cue for you to perform the activity is obvious and attractive, and the activity itself is easy to do. The actual habit should also be satisfying to engage in. Finally, reward yourself with something attractive after you’re done. “Easier said than done,” my brain grumbles, while also making me stick page markers to make note of the process because who knows, it might just work.

What stands out amidst all the graphs and tables and doodles though, is Clear’s humility. He doesn’t claim that his methods are foolproof and he doesn’t diminish the quality of your current life. He does not appoint himself as your life-coach either. His approach is simple – if by chance, you would like to improve a few aspects of your identity, here’s how to do it, remember to start small and not give up at the first obstacle. Based on this brief character analysis, I don’t think one would be bored and vexed out of their minds if they were to meet Clear for a cup of coffee.

However, the book does lose momentum a little more than halfway through, and in repeating himself to exhaustion by the end of the book, Clear has made sure I never pick up a self-help book after Atomic Habits. But repetition warrants routine; if you repeat a good (or bad) habit enough times, it will, undoubtedly become a natural part of your day-to-day. One could say that this narrative technique is nothing but Clear’s subtle strategy to stress on the power of repetition.

It also goes without saying that Clear fails to consider cultural and socio-economic nuances in his formula: reinventing your life by writing down your habits and scoring them based on their worth in your life — one of the methods Clear suggests — is often a distant fantasy and a privileged way of living, when you have very little choice in deciding what is good and what is bad for yourself. You are selfish. A topic to deliberate on another time.

Everything said, the converse of what I stated when started this review with is also true: who am I to challenge these so-called experts and review their hard work on my insignificant blog? I have not cracked the code to good living and I am definitely not a world class athlete. But I like this vantage point and I like the mediocrity. I think I’ll keep some of my bad habits.

So I don’t know how far I am willing to go to implement any of Clear’s methodologies in my life (I can report back in a year), or if I will remember any of this in a few months’ time. If I find myself at an impasse, my wise mother is only a phone call away and Atomic Habits will become a mere breezy summer read.