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Calculated Shard: 185 (from laksa118)

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curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa185.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

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{"found_url":"https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/","crawl_time":1775276406,"first_indexed_time":0,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,thesamaritansong!\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/ s443","src_root_hash":"9256759916725162385","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Book Review: Atomic Habits by James Clear – Samaritan's Song","meta_descriptions":["A review of James Clear's Atomic Habits. [Click title to read more.]"],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Most of the books I cover here are explicitly Christian, in that they are written by Christians or touch on specific Christian topics.  But the book I am going to review today is not written for a Christian audience specifically, and I cannot speak to the author’s faith.  Still, I found it helpful for my Christian walk, and so I wanted to share it here.\nAtomic Habits\nis not a book that is trying to hide what it’s about.  The topic is right there in the title: habits.  It’s a book about how to instill good habits, and how to break bad ones, and it delves into some of the science and psychology behind how we develop habits and how habits affect our lives.\nI’ve been thinking a lot about my own habits ever since Tish Harris Warren’s\nLiturgy of the Ordinary\n, which points out the ways in which small, carefully-cultivated acts of habit can determine our identity over time.  In some ways, we are what we do every day – and yet a lot of what we do every day is subconscious and reflexive, based on patterns and routines we developed long ago without fully realizing it.\nFor Warren, the cultivating of a God-centered awareness in her daily habits, and a culling out of the habits that were distracting her from God, were integral.  After reading her book, I became more than a bit troubled about my own habits and routines, most of which centered around various indulgences and electronic devices.  I too wanted to pray more; I wanted to read Scripture more; I wanted to make more time for ministry.  I wanted to develop a consistent set of godly habits that were better than the ones I have now.\nBut making and breaking habits is hard.  Which is where Clear’s book comes in.\nThis book is all about practice and application.  It not only offers explanations for what why we do what we do – the cues and the contexts that guide our habits – but turns those explanations into useful applications.  Clear points out that most of us are unsuccessful at changing old habits or adopting new ones because we 1) view habits as a goal rather than an identity (i.e, we say we want to “stop smoking” rather than that we want to “become non-smokers,”), 2) we only make surface changes rather than system-level changes, and 3) we ignore the cues and contexts that make or break habits altogether.\nMany of what Clear says sounds like common sense, and yet it’s not something many of us apply regularly.  He recommends “habit stacks”: tying a new habit you want to keep to a habit you already engage in every day.  He offers up concepts like “implementation”: in other words, keeping habits by specifically scheduling them (i.e., “I will exercise tomorrow at 1 pm” versus “tomorrow I will exercise!”)  He encourages us to consider context and cues: what environmental triggers or practices encourage us to keep or abandon a particular habit?  How can we alter our environment or practices to make a habit\neasier\nto keep?\nSince reading his book, I’ve implemented three immediate habit practices, two spiritual and one not, and they have both worked well:\nI rearranged my pantry to influence better daily eating habits;\nI “stacked” an additional and specific God time of intercessory prayer with another daily habit;\nI moved around some items on my desk so that my card ministry will be more regular and consisten\nClear’s book isn’t a cure-all, of course.  No amount of working on what he describes is going to help without a will or desire to change.  But the book is an easy read that offers everyone – including believers – a chance to consider how their habits shape them, and why they might be worth changing or keeping.\nIf you’re a Christian, you too are made by your habits.  Our prayer times, our Scripture reading, our acts of ministry – all of these things can become good and nurturing reflexive practices in our lives if we want them to be.  And we can eliminate the things that distract us and prevent us from closeness with God, too, if we want to do so.  If you’re interested in analyzing your own habits and how they shape you, and if you find yourself wanting to make a break or few to alter your Christian walk, this book is a good and useful place to begin.\nPost navigation","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to content](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/#content)\n\n[Samaritan's Song](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/)\n\nChristianity, Scholarship, Service\n\nPrimary Menu\n\n- [Read](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/read\/)\n- [Pray](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/song-reviews\/)\n- [Listen](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/listen\/)\n- [Support](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/support\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/cropped-dsc_3910.jpg)](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/)\n\n# Book Review: Atomic Habits by James Clear\n![](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/old-books-436498_1920.jpg?w=863&h=0&crop=1)\n\nMost of the books I cover here are explicitly Christian, in that they are written by Christians or touch on specific Christian topics. But the book I am going to review today is not written for a Christian audience specifically, and I cannot speak to the author’s faith. Still, I found it helpful for my Christian walk, and so I wanted to share it here.\n\n*Atomic Habits* is not a book that is trying to hide what it’s about. The topic is right there in the title: habits. It’s a book about how to instill good habits, and how to break bad ones, and it delves into some of the science and psychology behind how we develop habits and how habits affect our lives.\n\nI’ve been thinking a lot about my own habits ever since Tish Harris Warren’s *Liturgy of the Ordinary*, which points out the ways in which small, carefully-cultivated acts of habit can determine our identity over time. In some ways, we are what we do every day – and yet a lot of what we do every day is subconscious and reflexive, based on patterns and routines we developed long ago without fully realizing it.\n\nFor Warren, the cultivating of a God-centered awareness in her daily habits, and a culling out of the habits that were distracting her from God, were integral. After reading her book, I became more than a bit troubled about my own habits and routines, most of which centered around various indulgences and electronic devices. I too wanted to pray more; I wanted to read Scripture more; I wanted to make more time for ministry. I wanted to develop a consistent set of godly habits that were better than the ones I have now.\n\nBut making and breaking habits is hard. Which is where Clear’s book comes in.\n\nThis book is all about practice and application. It not only offers explanations for what why we do what we do – the cues and the contexts that guide our habits – but turns those explanations into useful applications. Clear points out that most of us are unsuccessful at changing old habits or adopting new ones because we 1) view habits as a goal rather than an identity (i.e, we say we want to “stop smoking” rather than that we want to “become non-smokers,”), 2) we only make surface changes rather than system-level changes, and 3) we ignore the cues and contexts that make or break habits altogether.\n\nMany of what Clear says sounds like common sense, and yet it’s not something many of us apply regularly. He recommends “habit stacks”: tying a new habit you want to keep to a habit you already engage in every day. He offers up concepts like “implementation”: in other words, keeping habits by specifically scheduling them (i.e., “I will exercise tomorrow at 1 pm” versus “tomorrow I will exercise!”) He encourages us to consider context and cues: what environmental triggers or practices encourage us to keep or abandon a particular habit? How can we alter our environment or practices to make a habit *easier* to keep?\n\nSince reading his book, I’ve implemented three immediate habit practices, two spiritual and one not, and they have both worked well:\n\n1. I rearranged my pantry to influence better daily eating habits;\n2. I “stacked” an additional and specific God time of intercessory prayer with another daily habit;\n3. I moved around some items on my desk so that my card ministry will be more regular and consisten\n\nClear’s book isn’t a cure-all, of course. No amount of working on what he describes is going to help without a will or desire to change. But the book is an easy read that offers everyone – including believers – a chance to consider how their habits shape them, and why they might be worth changing or keeping.\n\nIf you’re a Christian, you too are made by your habits. Our prayer times, our Scripture reading, our acts of ministry – all of these things can become good and nurturing reflexive practices in our lives if we want them to be. And we can eliminate the things that distract us and prevent us from closeness with God, too, if we want to do so. If you’re interested in analyzing your own habits and how they shape you, and if you find yourself wanting to make a break or few to alter your Christian walk, this book is a good and useful place to begin.\n\n### Share this:\n- [Share on X (Opens in new window) X](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/?share=twitter&nb=1)\n- [Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/?share=facebook&nb=1)\n- [Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email](mailto:?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Book%20Review%3A%20Atomic%20Habits%20by%20James%20Clear&body=https%3A%2F%2Fthesamaritansong.com%2F2019%2F03%2F28%2Fbook-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear%2F&share=email&nb=1)\n- [Print (Opens in new window) Print](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/#print?share=print&nb=1)\n\nLike Loading...\n\nPosted on\n\n[March 28, 2019](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/)\n\nby [samaritansong](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/author\/samaritansong\/)\n\nPosted in [book reviews](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/category\/book-reviews\/), [Christian growth](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/category\/christian-growth\/), [Christian living](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/category\/christian-living\/), [Christianity](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/category\/christianity\/), [Uncategorized](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/category\/uncategorized\/)Tagged [book reviews](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/tag\/book-reviews\/), [Christian living](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/tag\/christian-living\/), [Christianity](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/tag\/christianity\/), [spiritual growth](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/tag\/spiritual-growth\/).\n### *Related*\n\n## Post navigation\n[Previous Previous post: The Francis Chan Question: Or, Why To Be Wise In Your Assumptions About Other Believers](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/23\/the-francis-chan-question-or-why-to-be-wise-in-your-assumptions-about-other-believers\/)\n\n[Next Next post: Consistency Is The Foundation For Transformation in Christ](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/31\/consistency-is-the-foundation-for-transformation-in-christ\/)\n\n## 5 thoughts on “Book Review: Atomic Habits by James Clear”\n1. ![Cosmicknitter-ReginaMary's avatar](https:\/\/0.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cc5fc1501d29e73fbb5eaf20fc037917f75190d1b95b28f0970dfe0ff9295fe8?s=48&d=identicon&r=G) **[ReginaMary](http:\/\/cosmicknittercom.wordpress.com\/)** says:\n   \n   [March 29, 2019 at 1:19 pm](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/#comment-3369)\n   \n   I am definitely putting this on my ‘to read’ list.  \n    Have a wonderful weekend.\n   \n   [Like](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/?like_comment=3369&_wpnonce=1c2ac3616d)Liked by [1 person](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/)\n   \n   [Reply](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/?replytocom=3369#respond)\n   1. ![samaritansong's avatar](https:\/\/0.gravatar.com\/avatar\/35a4c8cd09fd6d269e51bb782a3879f6625647b9774cb4e67f17f84322778cc2?s=48&d=identicon&r=G) **[samaritansong](https:\/\/samaritansong.wordpress.com\/)** says:\n      \n      [March 30, 2019 at 1:06 am](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/#comment-3373)\n      \n      I hope you’ll enjoy it when you read it! Have a wonderful weekend yourself. ![🙂](https:\/\/s0.wp.com\/wp-content\/mu-plugins\/wpcom-smileys\/twemoji\/2\/svg\/1f642.svg)\n      \n      [Like](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/?like_comment=3373&_wpnonce=bc70294fa2)Like\n      \n      [Reply](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/?replytocom=3373#respond)\n2. ![Maggie's avatar](https:\/\/0.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cea7f58e313c3c9f6fc01c7ac97c8ee728999d84b7f26f6fa76a0848aea739fc?s=48&d=identicon&r=G) **[Maggie](http:\/\/maggiemckenzie.wordpress.com\/)** says:\n   \n   [March 30, 2019 at 12:23 am](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/#comment-3371)\n   \n   Second time that book has been recommended. I better get it on my list. Thank you.\n   \n   [Like](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/?like_comment=3371&_wpnonce=9197d88633)Like\n   \n   [Reply](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/?replytocom=3371#respond)\n   1. ![samaritansong's avatar](https:\/\/0.gravatar.com\/avatar\/35a4c8cd09fd6d269e51bb782a3879f6625647b9774cb4e67f17f84322778cc2?s=48&d=identicon&r=G) **[samaritansong](https:\/\/samaritansong.wordpress.com\/)** says:\n      \n      [March 30, 2019 at 1:06 am](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/#comment-3372)\n      \n      I love it when that happens! Means it’s a must-read. ![🙂](https:\/\/s0.wp.com\/wp-content\/mu-plugins\/wpcom-smileys\/twemoji\/2\/svg\/1f642.svg)\n      \n      [Like](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/?like_comment=3372&_wpnonce=2c45e90c9d)Like\n      \n      [Reply](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/?replytocom=3372#respond)\n3. ![pgn's avatar](https:\/\/2.gravatar.com\/avatar\/52c5cbde7b15f937561a4f61a11d4ebb263cbc97e640ca9956f6b3c003e486a3?s=48&d=identicon&r=G) **pgn** says:\n   \n   [April 13, 2022 at 5:22 pm](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/#comment-10213)\n   \n   If the author is not a Christian meaning does not hold a Christian worldview, how can you possibly recommend it? Evil uses lies mixed with truth so how would you decifer the authors motiviation, humanistic at best.\n   \n   [Like](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/?like_comment=10213&_wpnonce=99393ed068)Like\n   \n   [Reply](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/?replytocom=10213#respond)\n### Leave a comment [Cancel reply](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/#respond)\n\n## The Jonathan Study Available For Purchase Now In Kindle And Paperback!\\!\n[![](https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/samaritansong.files.wordpress.com\/2015\/04\/jonathan-banner.png?ssl=1&w=450)](https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/1521414750?ref_=pe_870760_150889320)\n\n## Links\n- [Bible Hub](http:\/\/biblehub.com\/)\n- [Random Bible Verse](http:\/\/www.sandersweb.net\/bible\/verse.php)\n\n## Follow Blog via Email\n## Categories\n- [Yes, The Parable of the Prodigal Son Is Unfair and Uncomfortable.](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2016\/01\/18\/yes-the-parable-of-the-prodigal-son-is-unfair-and-uncomfortable\/)\n- [Book Review: Brant Hansen's Unoffendable](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2016\/07\/28\/book-review-brant-hansens-unoffendable\/)\n- [The EUCHRST License Plate and Balaam's Ass](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2026\/04\/02\/the-euchrst-license-plate-and-balaams-ass\/)\n- [An Introvert's Confession: I Don't Like The \"Small Groups\" Church Trend](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2015\/05\/25\/an-introverts-confession-i-dont-like-the-small-groups-church-trend\/)\n- [The Beautiful, Rigorous Practice of Christian Acceptance](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2025\/04\/14\/the-beautiful-rigorous-practice-of-christian-acceptance\/)\n- [Book Review: Beth Moore's All My Knotted-Up Life](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2023\/04\/14\/book-review-beth-moores-all-my-knotted-up-life\/)\n- [Christianity Is Not About Being A Good Person. It Is In Fact About Us Being Very Awful People.](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/02\/07\/christianity-is-not-about-being-a-good-person-it-is-in-fact-about-us-being-very-awful-people\/)\n- [What I Learned From Being Quiet](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2017\/02\/24\/what-i-learned-from-being-quiet\/)\n- [All The Healing We Require](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/09\/23\/all-the-healing-we-require\/)\n- [Christian Problems: \"What Do I Do When I Can't Stand My Pastor?\"](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2018\/01\/04\/christian-problems-what-do-i-do-when-i-cant-stand-my-pastor\/)\n\n[Blog at WordPress.com.](https:\/\/wordpress.com\/?ref=footer_blog)[Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information](https:\/\/wordpress.com\/advertising-program-optout\/)\n\n- [Comment](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/#comments)\n- [Reblog](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/)\n- [Subscribe](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/)\n  [Subscribed](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/)\n  - [![](https:\/\/s0.wp.com\/i\/logo\/wpcom-gray-white.png?m=1479929237i) Samaritan's Song](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/)\n  - Already have a WordPress.com account? [Log in now.](https:\/\/wordpress.com\/log-in?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fr-login.wordpress.com%2Fremote-login.php%3Faction%3Dlink%26back%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fthesamaritansong.com%252F2019%252F03%252F28%252Fbook-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear%252F)\n- [Privacy](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/)\n- - [![](https:\/\/s0.wp.com\/i\/logo\/wpcom-gray-white.png?m=1479929237i) Samaritan's Song](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/)\n  - [Subscribe](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/)\n    [Subscribed](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/)\n  - [Sign up](https:\/\/wordpress.com\/start\/)\n  - [Log in](https:\/\/wordpress.com\/log-in?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fr-login.wordpress.com%2Fremote-login.php%3Faction%3Dlink%26back%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fthesamaritansong.com%252F2019%252F03%252F28%252Fbook-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear%252F)\n  - [Copy shortlink](https:\/\/wp.me\/p66DUC-6Oz)\n  - [Report this content](https:\/\/wordpress.com\/abuse\/?report_url=https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/)\n  - [View post in Reader](https:\/\/wordpress.com\/reader\/blogs\/90241410\/posts\/26199)\n  - [Manage subscriptions](https:\/\/subscribe.wordpress.com\/)\n  - [Collapse this bar](https:\/\/thesamaritansong.com\/2019\/03\/28\/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear\/)\n\n%d\n\n![](https:\/\/pixel.wp.com\/b.gif?v=noscript)","attrs_readable_markdown":"Most of the books I cover here are explicitly Christian, in that they are written by Christians or touch on specific Christian topics. But the book I am going to review today is not written for a Christian audience specifically, and I cannot speak to the author’s faith. Still, I found it helpful for my Christian walk, and so I wanted to share it here.\n\n*Atomic Habits* is not a book that is trying to hide what it’s about. The topic is right there in the title: habits. It’s a book about how to instill good habits, and how to break bad ones, and it delves into some of the science and psychology behind how we develop habits and how habits affect our lives.\n\nI’ve been thinking a lot about my own habits ever since Tish Harris Warren’s *Liturgy of the Ordinary*, which points out the ways in which small, carefully-cultivated acts of habit can determine our identity over time. In some ways, we are what we do every day – and yet a lot of what we do every day is subconscious and reflexive, based on patterns and routines we developed long ago without fully realizing it.\n\nFor Warren, the cultivating of a God-centered awareness in her daily habits, and a culling out of the habits that were distracting her from God, were integral. After reading her book, I became more than a bit troubled about my own habits and routines, most of which centered around various indulgences and electronic devices. I too wanted to pray more; I wanted to read Scripture more; I wanted to make more time for ministry. I wanted to develop a consistent set of godly habits that were better than the ones I have now.\n\nBut making and breaking habits is hard. Which is where Clear’s book comes in.\n\nThis book is all about practice and application. It not only offers explanations for what why we do what we do – the cues and the contexts that guide our habits – but turns those explanations into useful applications. Clear points out that most of us are unsuccessful at changing old habits or adopting new ones because we 1) view habits as a goal rather than an identity (i.e, we say we want to “stop smoking” rather than that we want to “become non-smokers,”), 2) we only make surface changes rather than system-level changes, and 3) we ignore the cues and contexts that make or break habits altogether.\n\nMany of what Clear says sounds like common sense, and yet it’s not something many of us apply regularly. He recommends “habit stacks”: tying a new habit you want to keep to a habit you already engage in every day. He offers up concepts like “implementation”: in other words, keeping habits by specifically scheduling them (i.e., “I will exercise tomorrow at 1 pm” versus “tomorrow I will exercise!”) He encourages us to consider context and cues: what environmental triggers or practices encourage us to keep or abandon a particular habit? How can we alter our environment or practices to make a habit *easier* to keep?\n\nSince reading his book, I’ve implemented three immediate habit practices, two spiritual and one not, and they have both worked well:\n\n1. I rearranged my pantry to influence better daily eating habits;\n2. I “stacked” an additional and specific God time of intercessory prayer with another daily habit;\n3. I moved around some items on my desk so that my card ministry will be more regular and consisten\n\nClear’s book isn’t a cure-all, of course. No amount of working on what he describes is going to help without a will or desire to change. But the book is an easy read that offers everyone – including believers – a chance to consider how their habits shape them, and why they might be worth changing or keeping.\n\nIf you’re a Christian, you too are made by your habits. Our prayer times, our Scripture reading, our acts of ministry – all of these things can become good and nurturing reflexive practices in our lives if we want them to be. And we can eliminate the things that distract us and prevent us from closeness with God, too, if we want to do so. If you’re interested in analyzing your own habits and how they shape you, and if you find yourself wanting to make a break or few to alter your Christian walk, this book is a good and useful place to begin.\n## Post navigation","meta_canonical":null}

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Meta Title	Book Review: Atomic Habits by James Clear – Samaritan's Song
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Boilerpipe Text	Most of the books I cover here are explicitly Christian, in that they are written by Christians or touch on specific Christian topics. But the book I am going to review today is not written for a Christian audience specifically, and I cannot speak to the author’s faith. Still, I found it helpful for my Christian walk, and so I wanted to share it here. Atomic Habits is not a book that is trying to hide what it’s about. The topic is right there in the title: habits. It’s a book about how to instill good habits, and how to break bad ones, and it delves into some of the science and psychology behind how we develop habits and how habits affect our lives. I’ve been thinking a lot about my own habits ever since Tish Harris Warren’s Liturgy of the Ordinary , which points out the ways in which small, carefully-cultivated acts of habit can determine our identity over time. In some ways, we are what we do every day – and yet a lot of what we do every day is subconscious and reflexive, based on patterns and routines we developed long ago without fully realizing it. For Warren, the cultivating of a God-centered awareness in her daily habits, and a culling out of the habits that were distracting her from God, were integral. After reading her book, I became more than a bit troubled about my own habits and routines, most of which centered around various indulgences and electronic devices. I too wanted to pray more; I wanted to read Scripture more; I wanted to make more time for ministry. I wanted to develop a consistent set of godly habits that were better than the ones I have now. But making and breaking habits is hard. Which is where Clear’s book comes in. This book is all about practice and application. It not only offers explanations for what why we do what we do – the cues and the contexts that guide our habits – but turns those explanations into useful applications. Clear points out that most of us are unsuccessful at changing old habits or adopting new ones because we 1) view habits as a goal rather than an identity (i.e, we say we want to “stop smoking” rather than that we want to “become non-smokers,”), 2) we only make surface changes rather than system-level changes, and 3) we ignore the cues and contexts that make or break habits altogether. Many of what Clear says sounds like common sense, and yet it’s not something many of us apply regularly. He recommends “habit stacks”: tying a new habit you want to keep to a habit you already engage in every day. He offers up concepts like “implementation”: in other words, keeping habits by specifically scheduling them (i.e., “I will exercise tomorrow at 1 pm” versus “tomorrow I will exercise!”) He encourages us to consider context and cues: what environmental triggers or practices encourage us to keep or abandon a particular habit? How can we alter our environment or practices to make a habit easier to keep? Since reading his book, I’ve implemented three immediate habit practices, two spiritual and one not, and they have both worked well: I rearranged my pantry to influence better daily eating habits; I “stacked” an additional and specific God time of intercessory prayer with another daily habit; I moved around some items on my desk so that my card ministry will be more regular and consisten Clear’s book isn’t a cure-all, of course. No amount of working on what he describes is going to help without a will or desire to change. But the book is an easy read that offers everyone – including believers – a chance to consider how their habits shape them, and why they might be worth changing or keeping. If you’re a Christian, you too are made by your habits. Our prayer times, our Scripture reading, our acts of ministry – all of these things can become good and nurturing reflexive practices in our lives if we want them to be. And we can eliminate the things that distract us and prevent us from closeness with God, too, if we want to do so. If you’re interested in analyzing your own habits and how they shape you, and if you find yourself wanting to make a break or few to alter your Christian walk, this book is a good and useful place to begin. Post navigation
Markdown	[Skip to content](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/#content) [Samaritan's Song](https://thesamaritansong.com/) Christianity, Scholarship, Service Primary Menu - [Read](https://thesamaritansong.com/read/) - [Pray](https://thesamaritansong.com/song-reviews/) - [Listen](https://thesamaritansong.com/listen/) - [Support](https://thesamaritansong.com/support/) [![](https://thesamaritansong.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/cropped-dsc_3910.jpg)](https://thesamaritansong.com/) # Book Review: Atomic Habits by James Clear ![](https://thesamaritansong.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/old-books-436498_1920.jpg?w=863&h=0&crop=1) Most of the books I cover here are explicitly Christian, in that they are written by Christians or touch on specific Christian topics. But the book I am going to review today is not written for a Christian audience specifically, and I cannot speak to the author’s faith. Still, I found it helpful for my Christian walk, and so I wanted to share it here. Atomic Habits is not a book that is trying to hide what it’s about. The topic is right there in the title: habits. It’s a book about how to instill good habits, and how to break bad ones, and it delves into some of the science and psychology behind how we develop habits and how habits affect our lives. I’ve been thinking a lot about my own habits ever since Tish Harris Warren’s Liturgy of the Ordinary, which points out the ways in which small, carefully-cultivated acts of habit can determine our identity over time. In some ways, we are what we do every day – and yet a lot of what we do every day is subconscious and reflexive, based on patterns and routines we developed long ago without fully realizing it. For Warren, the cultivating of a God-centered awareness in her daily habits, and a culling out of the habits that were distracting her from God, were integral. After reading her book, I became more than a bit troubled about my own habits and routines, most of which centered around various indulgences and electronic devices. I too wanted to pray more; I wanted to read Scripture more; I wanted to make more time for ministry. I wanted to develop a consistent set of godly habits that were better than the ones I have now. But making and breaking habits is hard. Which is where Clear’s book comes in. This book is all about practice and application. It not only offers explanations for what why we do what we do – the cues and the contexts that guide our habits – but turns those explanations into useful applications. Clear points out that most of us are unsuccessful at changing old habits or adopting new ones because we 1) view habits as a goal rather than an identity (i.e, we say we want to “stop smoking” rather than that we want to “become non-smokers,”), 2) we only make surface changes rather than system-level changes, and 3) we ignore the cues and contexts that make or break habits altogether. Many of what Clear says sounds like common sense, and yet it’s not something many of us apply regularly. He recommends “habit stacks”: tying a new habit you want to keep to a habit you already engage in every day. He offers up concepts like “implementation”: in other words, keeping habits by specifically scheduling them (i.e., “I will exercise tomorrow at 1 pm” versus “tomorrow I will exercise!”) He encourages us to consider context and cues: what environmental triggers or practices encourage us to keep or abandon a particular habit? How can we alter our environment or practices to make a habit easier to keep? Since reading his book, I’ve implemented three immediate habit practices, two spiritual and one not, and they have both worked well: 1. I rearranged my pantry to influence better daily eating habits; 2. I “stacked” an additional and specific God time of intercessory prayer with another daily habit; 3. I moved around some items on my desk so that my card ministry will be more regular and consisten Clear’s book isn’t a cure-all, of course. No amount of working on what he describes is going to help without a will or desire to change. But the book is an easy read that offers everyone – including believers – a chance to consider how their habits shape them, and why they might be worth changing or keeping. If you’re a Christian, you too are made by your habits. Our prayer times, our Scripture reading, our acts of ministry – all of these things can become good and nurturing reflexive practices in our lives if we want them to be. And we can eliminate the things that distract us and prevent us from closeness with God, too, if we want to do so. If you’re interested in analyzing your own habits and how they shape you, and if you find yourself wanting to make a break or few to alter your Christian walk, this book is a good and useful place to begin. ### Share this: - [Share on X (Opens in new window) X](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/?share=twitter&nb=1) - [Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/?share=facebook&nb=1) - [Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email](mailto:?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Book%20Review%3A%20Atomic%20Habits%20by%20James%20Clear&body=https%3A%2F%2Fthesamaritansong.com%2F2019%2F03%2F28%2Fbook-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear%2F&share=email&nb=1) - [Print (Opens in new window) Print](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/#print?share=print&nb=1) Like Loading... Posted on [March 28, 2019](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/) by [samaritansong](https://thesamaritansong.com/author/samaritansong/) Posted in [book reviews](https://thesamaritansong.com/category/book-reviews/), [Christian growth](https://thesamaritansong.com/category/christian-growth/), [Christian living](https://thesamaritansong.com/category/christian-living/), [Christianity](https://thesamaritansong.com/category/christianity/), [Uncategorized](https://thesamaritansong.com/category/uncategorized/)Tagged [book reviews](https://thesamaritansong.com/tag/book-reviews/), [Christian living](https://thesamaritansong.com/tag/christian-living/), [Christianity](https://thesamaritansong.com/tag/christianity/), [spiritual growth](https://thesamaritansong.com/tag/spiritual-growth/). ### Related ## Post navigation [Previous Previous post: The Francis Chan Question: Or, Why To Be Wise In Your Assumptions About Other Believers](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/23/the-francis-chan-question-or-why-to-be-wise-in-your-assumptions-about-other-believers/) [Next Next post: Consistency Is The Foundation For Transformation in Christ](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/31/consistency-is-the-foundation-for-transformation-in-christ/) ## 5 thoughts on “Book Review: Atomic Habits by James Clear” 1. ![Cosmicknitter-ReginaMary's avatar](https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/cc5fc1501d29e73fbb5eaf20fc037917f75190d1b95b28f0970dfe0ff9295fe8?s=48&d=identicon&r=G) [ReginaMary](http://cosmicknittercom.wordpress.com/) says: [March 29, 2019 at 1:19 pm](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/#comment-3369) I am definitely putting this on my ‘to read’ list. Have a wonderful weekend. [Like](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/?like_comment=3369&_wpnonce=1c2ac3616d)Liked by [1 person](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/) [Reply](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/?replytocom=3369#respond) 1. ![samaritansong's avatar](https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/35a4c8cd09fd6d269e51bb782a3879f6625647b9774cb4e67f17f84322778cc2?s=48&d=identicon&r=G) [samaritansong](https://samaritansong.wordpress.com/) says: [March 30, 2019 at 1:06 am](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/#comment-3373) I hope you’ll enjoy it when you read it! Have a wonderful weekend yourself. ![🙂](https://s0.wp.com/wp-content/mu-plugins/wpcom-smileys/twemoji/2/svg/1f642.svg) [Like](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/?like_comment=3373&_wpnonce=bc70294fa2)Like [Reply](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/?replytocom=3373#respond) 2. ![Maggie's avatar](https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/cea7f58e313c3c9f6fc01c7ac97c8ee728999d84b7f26f6fa76a0848aea739fc?s=48&d=identicon&r=G) [Maggie](http://maggiemckenzie.wordpress.com/) says: [March 30, 2019 at 12:23 am](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/#comment-3371) Second time that book has been recommended. I better get it on my list. Thank you. [Like](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/?like_comment=3371&_wpnonce=9197d88633)Like [Reply](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/?replytocom=3371#respond) 1. ![samaritansong's avatar](https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/35a4c8cd09fd6d269e51bb782a3879f6625647b9774cb4e67f17f84322778cc2?s=48&d=identicon&r=G) [samaritansong](https://samaritansong.wordpress.com/) says: [March 30, 2019 at 1:06 am](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/#comment-3372) I love it when that happens! Means it’s a must-read. ![🙂](https://s0.wp.com/wp-content/mu-plugins/wpcom-smileys/twemoji/2/svg/1f642.svg) [Like](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/?like_comment=3372&_wpnonce=2c45e90c9d)Like [Reply](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/?replytocom=3372#respond) 3. ![pgn's avatar](https://2.gravatar.com/avatar/52c5cbde7b15f937561a4f61a11d4ebb263cbc97e640ca9956f6b3c003e486a3?s=48&d=identicon&r=G) pgn says: [April 13, 2022 at 5:22 pm](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/#comment-10213) If the author is not a Christian meaning does not hold a Christian worldview, how can you possibly recommend it? Evil uses lies mixed with truth so how would you decifer the authors motiviation, humanistic at best. [Like](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/?like_comment=10213&_wpnonce=99393ed068)Like [Reply](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/?replytocom=10213#respond) ### Leave a comment [Cancel reply](https://thesamaritansong.com/2019/03/28/book-review-atomic-habits-by-james-clear/#respond) ## The Jonathan Study Available For Purchase Now In Kindle And Paperback!\! 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Readable Markdown	Most of the books I cover here are explicitly Christian, in that they are written by Christians or touch on specific Christian topics. But the book I am going to review today is not written for a Christian audience specifically, and I cannot speak to the author’s faith. Still, I found it helpful for my Christian walk, and so I wanted to share it here. Atomic Habits is not a book that is trying to hide what it’s about. The topic is right there in the title: habits. It’s a book about how to instill good habits, and how to break bad ones, and it delves into some of the science and psychology behind how we develop habits and how habits affect our lives. I’ve been thinking a lot about my own habits ever since Tish Harris Warren’s Liturgy of the Ordinary, which points out the ways in which small, carefully-cultivated acts of habit can determine our identity over time. In some ways, we are what we do every day – and yet a lot of what we do every day is subconscious and reflexive, based on patterns and routines we developed long ago without fully realizing it. For Warren, the cultivating of a God-centered awareness in her daily habits, and a culling out of the habits that were distracting her from God, were integral. After reading her book, I became more than a bit troubled about my own habits and routines, most of which centered around various indulgences and electronic devices. I too wanted to pray more; I wanted to read Scripture more; I wanted to make more time for ministry. I wanted to develop a consistent set of godly habits that were better than the ones I have now. But making and breaking habits is hard. Which is where Clear’s book comes in. This book is all about practice and application. It not only offers explanations for what why we do what we do – the cues and the contexts that guide our habits – but turns those explanations into useful applications. Clear points out that most of us are unsuccessful at changing old habits or adopting new ones because we 1) view habits as a goal rather than an identity (i.e, we say we want to “stop smoking” rather than that we want to “become non-smokers,”), 2) we only make surface changes rather than system-level changes, and 3) we ignore the cues and contexts that make or break habits altogether. Many of what Clear says sounds like common sense, and yet it’s not something many of us apply regularly. He recommends “habit stacks”: tying a new habit you want to keep to a habit you already engage in every day. He offers up concepts like “implementation”: in other words, keeping habits by specifically scheduling them (i.e., “I will exercise tomorrow at 1 pm” versus “tomorrow I will exercise!”) He encourages us to consider context and cues: what environmental triggers or practices encourage us to keep or abandon a particular habit? How can we alter our environment or practices to make a habit easier to keep? Since reading his book, I’ve implemented three immediate habit practices, two spiritual and one not, and they have both worked well: 1. I rearranged my pantry to influence better daily eating habits; 2. I “stacked” an additional and specific God time of intercessory prayer with another daily habit; 3. I moved around some items on my desk so that my card ministry will be more regular and consisten Clear’s book isn’t a cure-all, of course. No amount of working on what he describes is going to help without a will or desire to change. But the book is an easy read that offers everyone – including believers – a chance to consider how their habits shape them, and why they might be worth changing or keeping. If you’re a Christian, you too are made by your habits. Our prayer times, our Scripture reading, our acts of ministry – all of these things can become good and nurturing reflexive practices in our lives if we want them to be. And we can eliminate the things that distract us and prevent us from closeness with God, too, if we want to do so. If you’re interested in analyzing your own habits and how they shape you, and if you find yourself wanting to make a break or few to alter your Christian walk, this book is a good and useful place to begin. ## Post navigation
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