🧠 I finally read Atomic Habits—here’s how I build my habits now

Hi friends,

I finally read Atomic Habits by James Clear… and honestly, it’s kinda strange that I hadn’t done it sooner. I’d read his emails, I’d read his articles (he even says in the book that his blog posts were what made people notice him in the first place), and yet—I never read the full book until now.

And I have to say—it’s absolutely worth the hype. If you’ve ever struggled to build healthy habits or let go of ones that aren’t serving you, this book explains why it’s so hard—and gives you tools that actually work.

One idea especially stood out to me: Surround yourself with people for whom your desired behavior is their normal behavior.

I STOPPED FORCING HABITS AND STARTED CHANGING MY ENVIRONMENT

Six months ago, I wasn’t exercising consistently. I wanted to practice yoga regularly, but I kept forcing it—and forcing rarely works long-term.

So I made a small change: I started private yoga classes with a teacher who lives and breathes yoga. For her, it’s not a chore. It’s just life. She does it every day because it makes her feel connected, grounded, and alive. Seeing that made me want to feel the same way.

Then I added something else. I started going to group yoga sessions on the weekend with my girlfriends. That became our new shared ritual. Saturday morning yoga.

And without even thinking about it, my Friday nights changed too. I used to go to wine bars, stay up late, or just doomscroll until 1AM. But now, I sleep early on Fridays—not because I have to, but because I want to feel good during yoga. The whole thing just feels... natural now.

And here’s what’s important: I didn’t “quit” anything. I just shifted what felt normal.

FORGET GOOD VS. BAD HABITS

Another mindset shift I loved from the book: There are no good or bad habits—just habits that align with your future self and ones that don’t.

That made me stop judging myself for every little thing and start asking: Is this habit helping me become the version of myself I want to be? Or is it pulling me away from her?

That’s a way more empowering question.

IT’S NOT ABOUT NEW FRIENDS—IT’S ABOUT NEW CONTEXTS

I didn’t go out searching for new friends who did yoga. I simply shifted how I spent time with the people I already had. We could’ve gone to bars. We could’ve stayed up late. But we started choosing yoga instead. And that shift created a ripple effect in all of our lives.

“People often choose products not because of what they are, but because of where they are.”

Swap the word "products" for "habits" and it still makes sense.

If you're always around people who drink every weekend, that will feel normal. If you're around people who go on morning runs and drink green juice, that will feel normal.

I don’t rely on motivation or willpower to do yoga anymore. I changed my environment so that it became something I naturally do. I’m surrounded by people for whom movement and self-care are normal—and I became one of them.

So if you're struggling with a habit—ask yourself: Can I put myself in an environment where this habit is just the default?

That’s what worked for me. And I have a feeling it’ll work for you, too.

Have you read Atomic Habits? What did you like the most? Reply and let me know! 💬

Talk soon,
Veronika 🤍