“You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results.”
Atomic Habits is one of the best self-help books on habits. James Clear’s 2018 work delves into the science behind how habits are formed and provides practical strategies on how to develop good, healthy ones, break negative ones, and how even the smallest of behaviours can lead to remarkable results. Renowned for its ability to make even the most complex psychological topics into simple behaviours that can be applied to daily life and work, readers have been inspired by Atomic Habits and the true case studies Clear delves into, exploring individuals ranging from Olympic gold medalists, comedians, business leaders, to life-saving physicians. Join us here at What We Reading as we explore some of the best books like Atomic Habits that delve into habits and inspire new ways of viewing time, teamwork, and success.
The Power Of Habit: Why We Do What We Do In Life And Business – Charles Duhigg
First up on our list of books like Atomic Habits is Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit. In it, the New York Times business reporter takes readers on a tour of the scientific discoveries that explain how habits are formed, why they exist, and how they can be changed.
Duhigg exposes how people and businesses struggle to adapt and evolve, even after years of trying, and why others can transform themselves seemingly overnight. The Power of Habit takes readers into the laboratories of neuroscientists and through the diaries of successful athletes, civil rights activists, and CEOs to demonstrate exactly how habits work, where they reside, and how they can be used to transform our businesses, communities, and our own lives. Like Clear, Duhigg can condense a huge amount of information into a read that is both accessible and engrossing.
The Culture Code: The Secrets Of Highly Successful Groups – Daniel Coyle
In his 2017 book, The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle asks what Pixar, Google, and the San Antonio Spurs all have in common. Similar to Atomic Habits, he reveals that their secrets to success lie in their effective teamwork skills.
The Culture Code sees Coyle going inside some of the most successful organizations in the world to showcase what makes them tick but also to demonstrate the crucial cogs that encourage cohesion in any walk of life. Along this fascinating journey, readers learn all about the verbal and nonverbal cues that bring people together, encourage collaboration, build trust, and help reform toxic cultures. Above all else, The Culture Code is an essential resource for demonstrating the extraordinary results that can come when we know how to cooperate effectively.
Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action – Simon Sinek
Author Simon Sinek explores the power of asking ‘why’ in his book, Start With Why. Studying an array of leaders and innovators who have had the most profound impact on the world, Sinek argues that these remarkable individuals all thought the same way, which is the polar opposite of how the majority of us operate.
Introducing readers to what he dubs ‘The Golden Circle’, Start With Why weaves together a clear vision of what it takes to truly lead and inspire by going beyond the ‘whats’ and ‘hows’ and, instead, asking ‘why’. Essential reading for both big and small businesses and their leaders, Sinek’s framework is for anyone looking to inspire others or looking for someone to inspire them.
168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think – Laura Vanderkam
There are 168 hours in a week. Laura Vanderkam takes on the modern-day hustle culture and how many of us feel starved for time in 168 Hours and shows how many of us have the potential to find more time for the things that make us happy and fulfilled.
Like Atomic Habits, Vanderkam’s book is based on extensive research conducted on dozens of successful and happy people, revealing how they allocate their time differently than the majority of us. 168 Hours shows that with a little examination and more worthwhile prioritizing of things that matter, it is possible to do what we want without sacrificing quality time for work, family, and friends.
Designing Your Life: Build A Life That Works For You – Bill Burnett And Dave Evans
A New York Times bestseller, Designing Your Life aims to answer the question: ‘What do you want to be when you grow up’, regardless of what age a reader is. Authors Bill Burnett and Dave Evans use their expertise to identify what it is they want and how to go about getting it.
Their Life Design Course has been tried and tested by thousands of people ranging from students, and mid-career professionals to retirees contemplating a new chapter in their lives. Designing Your Life marks the first instance of this acclaimed course being condensed into book form, imparting real-life case studies and proven techniques for a read like Atomic Habits that demonstrates how a well-designed life is fundamental to a life being well-lived.
Effortless: Make It Easier To Do What Matters Most – Greg McKeown
Another bestseller similar to Atomic Habits, Greg McKeown’s Effortless explores how we can make getting the right things done much easier.
McKeown teaches readers how to eliminate nonessential activities from their routines and focus their energies on the things that really matter. Based on thousands of conversations with readers about the obstacles they face in putting this idea into action, Effortless is grounded in real-life practicality and makes sense of the complexities of modern society. Like Clear in Atomic Habits, McKeown showcases how making the toughest tasks easier enables readers to achieve more of what matters without the risk of burning out in the process.
Happier Hour: How To Beat Distraction, Expand Your Time, And Focus On What Matters Most – Cassie Holmes
Cassie Holmes demonstrates how to reframe your time around life’s happiest moments to create a schedule that isn’t just full but also fulfilling in her 2022 self-help book, Happier Hour. Labelled a ‘joyful guide to overscheduling’, Holmes explains how time is our most precious resource, yet, despite the constant bombardment of modern society, we feel starved for time.
Happier Hour is the ultimate guide to reframing and changing our perceptions of time. Like Atomic Habits, it is delivered with an energetic and upbeat narrative and backed up with groundbreaking research that makes its tips and advice not only inspiring but also practical.
How To Change: The Science Of Getting From Where You Are To Where You Want To Be – Katy Milkman
For a book like Atomic Habits that tackles impulsivity, forgetfulness, and procrastination, Katy Milkman has you covered in How To Change. The award-winning Wharton Professor and host of the podcast Choiceology draws on extensive original research to present a path for getting readers from where they are to where they want to be.
From turning temptation into assets to identifying how timing can be crucial to making a change, Milkman’s work is a science-based blueprint for finding inspiration, motivation, and achieving goals, whether it be losing weight or helping others in your team succeed.
Check Out The Best Books On Habits
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
