# Atomic Habits  ## Metadata - Author: [[James Clear]] - Full Title: Atomic Habits - Category: #books ## Highlights - Behavior that is incongruent with the self will not last. ... It’s hard to change your habits if you never change the underlying beliefs that led to your past behavior. You have a new goal and a new plan, but you haven’t changed *who* you are. ... The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity. It’s one thing to say I’m the type of person who *wants* this. It’s something very different to say I’m the type of person who *is* this. The more pride you have in a particular aspect of your identity, the more motivated you will be to maintain the habits associated with it. ... Once your pride gets involved, you’ll fight tooth and nail to maintain your habits. True behavior change is identity change. You might start a habit because of motivation, but the only reason you’ll stick with one is that it becomes part of your identity. ... Improvements are only temporary until they become part of who you are. * The goal is not to read a book, the goal is to *become* a reader. ^