Book Review of "Atomic Habits"

Snowballs

Have you ever played with snowballs? When I was growing up in Korea, we used them to build snowmen. We would start with a small lump of snow in our hands and roll it across the snowy ground. Bit by bit, the snow stuck together, and before we knew it—voilà!—it became a snowball so big we could hardly lift it. Even more amazing was watching it grow as we rolled it downhill along a snowy road.

This imagery captures the essence of the book Atomic Habits. Like snowballs, our habits can compound over time, growing into a powerful system that shapes who we are. This book makes a compelling case that such habits can be the difference between greatness and mediocrity.

My reflection on the book covers four key points.

1. Irreversibility

James Clear uses the analogy of a deviated flight to illustrate how habits create consequences. Imagine an airplane bound for New York: if it adjusts its heading just 3.5 degrees south, it will end up in Washington, D.C. instead.

Clear’s example refers to a flight of about 5.35 hours—but what if the flight continued for 20 hours? Or, hypothetically, for 1 year, 5 years, or even 10 years? The result would be unimaginably far from the original destination—practically irreversible.

Consider a 30-year-old woman who hopes to raise her TOEIC score by 300 points in a single month. She can try to order a magic wand on Amazon! Such improvement would require years of steady study, planning, and repeated testing.

We cannot simply undo years shaped by our habits. It’s difficult to catch up with those who have invested years in productive routines. But here’s the hopeful part: it’s never too late to start. No matter where you are in life, you can still set a new course today.

2. Be Gracious

Take it easy on yourself—it’s a winding journey filled with setbacks, disappointments, and plateaus. Habits take time: time to build the good ones, time to break the bad ones, and plenty of chances to relapse along the way.

Be patient, and keep going no matter how small the initial changes may seem. This mindset runs counter to today’s instant-gratification culture. Learn to overlook some failures, celebrate small wins, and stay mindful of your overall progress. Hang in there!

Clear says, “Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them for years. We all deal with setbacks but in the long run, the quality of our lives often depends on the quality of our habits.”

3. Intentionality

“Forget about goals; focus on systems instead,” Clear argues. Different teams may compete for the same goal—a championship—but only one will actually win it. Goals can inspire us, but without a solid system and disciplined habits to back them up, they remain little more than daydreams.

I have met successful businesspeople whose every action and approach had become part of an internal system—a way of life—all pointing in one direction: profit, whether large or small. No wonder!

We shouldn’t, however, overemphasize systems at the expense of goals. Without a destination in mind, even the best systems can fall short of their full potential. Remember the snowballs? They’re most powerful when they roll downhill with both direction and momentum.

4. Communality

You are not alone in this journey. Chapter 6 reminds us, “Motivation is overrated; environment often matters more.” Chapter 7 reinforces this idea with the example of heroin addiction among U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War. Environment matters—especially the people around us.

Our motivation may falter and our willpower may fade, but when we are surrounded by role models and a supportive environment, we can keep going.

Conclusion

I’d like to end my reflection with the life motto of my Singaporean friend, Desmond, which perfectly captures the essence of this book: “Dream big; start small; start now!”

Think of two or three good habits you want to build and two or three bad ones you want to break—in line with both your short-term and long-term goals.

Identify your accountability partners or role models who can walk this journey with you.

And last but not least—join our book club!