🚦 Atomic Habits: The Power of Small Habits for Big Change 🚦
- Hicham El Sghiar
- Sep 24
- 5 min read
In this blog, based on the book Atomic Habits, you will discover why small habits are more powerful than drastic changes, and how you can apply them to transform yourself unconsciously. You will learn how micro-actions reprogram your identity, build momentum and lead to sustainable growth – with practical tips and techniques from behavioural psychology.
We all have big dreams. A fulfilling career. A healthy, fit body. Financial freedom. A loving relationship. And yet, some people seem to move forward almost effortlessly, while others get stuck in procrastination, half-hearted attempts, or constant restarts.
Why is that?
The surprising answer is: small habits.
Not the dramatic, overnight transformations we like to imagine, but the tiny, seemingly insignificant choices that add up over time. In Atomic Habits, James Clear shows how becoming just 1% better each day compounds into radical transformation over a year.
And this is exactly what I see in my coaching practice in Waregem. Clients who struggle with perfectionism or procrastination only start to see real progress when they learn that change doesn’t begin with the giant leap. It begins with the small step you can actually sustain.
1. Why Big Plans Often Fail
We love bold resolutions: “This year I’ll finally get fit,” or “I’ll completely change my career.” But reality quickly catches up. Most people overestimate what they can achieve in the short term and underestimate what’s possible in the long term.
Why do big changes so often fail?
Overwhelm: Huge steps feel too heavy and hard to sustain.
Willpower is finite: You can’t rely on sheer discipline every day without burning out.
Lack of quick reward: If you don’t see results immediately, motivation drops.
Why do small habits work instead?
They require less energy and resistance.
They create momentum: each small win builds confidence.
They reprogram your identity: you start becoming the kind of person who naturally chooses differently.
Example:
Big change: “I’ll go to the gym for one hour every day.” (Overwhelming. Likely to fail.)
Small habit: “I’ll do 5 push-ups every day.” (Effortless to start, grows naturally over time.)
2. The Science of Habits
Our brains are pattern-recognition machines. They’re constantly searching for efficiency. Once a behavior repeats, the brain automates it to save energy. That’s why bad habits are sticky, your brain prefers the familiar path.
But you can use this to your advantage. By intentionally repeating new actions, you carve out new “neural pathways.” Over time, these small changes become automatic.
📖 Research highlights:
Habits account for about 45% of daily behavior (Duke University, 2006).
On average, it takes 66 days for a new habit to become automatic (University College London, 2009).
Improving just 1% per day compounds into being 37 times better after one year.
As I often explain to clients: imagine your brain as a forest. Every time you think a thought or repeat a behavior, you walk the same trail. The more you walk it, the clearer the path. Building new habits is like creating new trails. At first, it’s hard. But each repetition strengthens the path until it becomes the easier route.
3. How to Build Micro-Habits
So how do you actually start? Here are three powerful steps I share with my clients.
Step 1: Start Absurdly Small
Want to read every day? Start with one page.Want to exercise? Begin with one push-up.
This sounds ridiculous, but it lowers resistance. Once you start, momentum usually carries you forward.
Step 2: Anchor New Habits to Existing Ones
Attach the new behavior to something you already do:
After brushing your teeth → Do 10 squats.
After your morning coffee → Read one page of a book.
Before going to bed → Write down three things you’re grateful for.
Step 3: Make Habits Visible and Attractive
Place a water bottle on your desk to remind you to hydrate.
Turn off notifications to make scrolling harder.
Leave your running shoes by the door.
4. The Domino Effect
The beauty of small habits is that they rarely stay small. Once you shift one behavior, it often triggers a cascade of positive changes: the domino effect.
One small action leads to other healthy actions.
Your identity shifts: when you see yourself as “the type of person who moves,” choices align naturally.
Habits reinforce each other: morning exercise leads to a healthier breakfast, which leads to better focus.
I’ve seen clients transform simply by starting with something tiny like journaling for two minutes. Weeks later, that small practice had spilled into better sleep, more presence, and improved relationships.
5. The 2-Minute Rule
James Clear’s famous 2-Minute Rule says: Make your new habit so small, it takes less than 2 minutes.
Why? Because the hardest part is starting. Once you’ve begun, you often do more.
Examples:
Want to run? Just put on your shoes.
Want to read? Just read one paragraph.
Want to meditate? Just sit quietly for two minutes.
This removes the mental barrier. And once you’re in motion, it’s easier to keep going.
6. My Experience as a Coach
Many of my clients exhaust themselves by setting big, all-or-nothing goals: “I’ll go to the gym three times a week, eat perfectly, and change careers all at once.”
Three weeks later, they’re burned out and frustrated.
But when we radically lower the bar - one push-up, one line in a journal, one conscious breath - something shifts. Suddenly, change feels possible. That tiny action builds trust, and trust grows into energy. And with energy comes bigger steps.
In my own life, I’ve seen the same. Writing, for instance, used to feel overwhelming. I dreamed of finishing long texts but never started. Once I committed to writing one sentence per day, everything changed. That one line often turned into a paragraph, then a page. And over time, into entire books and blogs like this one.
7. Identity Change Through Habits
The greatest power of habits is not what they help you do, but who they help you become.
Every time you perform a habit, you cast a vote for your identity. Doing one workout doesn’t make you fit, but it’s a vote for being the type of person who values health. Writing one sentence doesn’t make you an author, but it’s a vote for becoming a writer.
Small habits are the way we rewrite our stories.
Reflection: Which identity are you voting for today?
8. Practical Examples for Daily Life
Here are some of my favorite micro-habits that clients have successfully implemented:
Mental health: One mindful breath before opening your laptop.
Relationships: One message of appreciation to a loved one each evening.
Health: One glass of water first thing in the morning.
Productivity: Writing down your top 3 priorities for the day.
Each is so small that failure feels impossible. And yet, repeated over time, they transform lives.
9. The Slight Edge of Consistency
One of the hardest truths to accept is that results rarely show up immediately. This is where most people quit.
Habits compound silently. Like bamboo, they take root beneath the surface before you see growth. One day, after weeks or months, progress suddenly becomes visible. But it wasn’t sudden, it was built brick by brick and habit by habit.
👉 Practice: When impatience hits, remind yourself: “Consistency beats intensity.”
10. Your Action Step Today
You don’t need to overhaul your life to see massive change. Small habits stack up. They reshape your identity and quietly carry you toward success.
So here’s your challenge: choose one micro-habit and start today. Not tomorrow, not next week. Now.
One push-up.
One sentence in your journal.
One breath of mindfulness.
That’s how change begins.
Coaching with Klarvida
Do you want to build positive habits without forcing yourself?
In my coaching, I help you transform small, practical actions into lasting change with more focus, calm, and fulfillment. Step by step, at your own pace.
📩 Book your free introductory session here.
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