Atomic Habits and the Science of Habits

Breni's Atomic Habits path teaches the science of habits through three popular books. There are 3 courses: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, Atomic Habits by James Clear, and Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg. Duhigg explains the habit loop, Clear gives the four laws and identity-based habits, and Fogg shows how to start so small it is hard to fail. Learners finish by writing and testing a habit recipe of their own.

  • 3 courses
  • 38 learning objectives
  • Level: beginner
  • Language: English
  • Price: Subscription, free trial

What you will be able to do

  • Find the cue, routine and reward behind one of your habits
  • Apply the four laws of behaviour change to a new habit
  • Write a habit stack using a habit you already have
  • Shrink a new behaviour to a version that takes seconds
  • Use celebration to make a new habit stick

Full curriculum

Part 1 · Why habits form

1. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg: Understand the Habit Loop

Find the loop behind a habit and change the routine. Units, in order: The habit loop: cue, routine, reward; Cravings power the loop; The golden rule of habit change; Keystone habits; Willpower and what later research found; Changing one of your own habits.

  • — The Habit Loop Basics
    Learn how cues, routines, and rewards form your daily habits.
    • The Core Habit Loop
    • Recognizing Cues
    • Routines and Rewards
    • Brain Efficiency
  • — Cravings Power the Loop
    See how anticipation and craving drive lasting habits.
    • Beyond Cues and Rewards
    • Creating Cravings
  • — The Golden Rule of Habit Change
    Learn how to transform bad habits by changing routines.
    • The Golden Rule
    • The Power of Belief
  • — Keystone Habits for Big Changes
    Discover habits that start a chain reaction of success.
    • What Are Keystone Habits?
    • Small Wins
  • — Willpower and Self-Control Research
    Explore how willpower acts as a keystone habit and its limits.
    • Willpower as a Habit
    • Anticipating Inflection Points
  • — Changing Your Own Habit
    Apply habit science to transform an environmental or personal behavior.
    • Planning a Habit Change
    • Tracking and Testing

Part 2 · How to build them

2. Atomic Habits by James Clear: Build Habits That Stick

Use small changes, identity and the four laws to build lasting habits. Units, in order: Small habits compound over time; Identity-based habits; The four laws of behaviour change; Habit stacking; Breaking a bad habit by inverting the laws.

  • — Small Habits Compound
    Tiny daily improvements create massive long term results.
    • Small habits matter
    • Systems over goals
  • — Identity-Based Habits
    Change what you believe about yourself to build lasting habits.
    • Create new identity
    • Prove your identity
  • — The Four Laws
    Learn the cue craving response and reward habit loop.
    • The habit loop
    • The four laws
  • — Habit Stacking
    Link new habits to old routines using brain connections.
    • Synaptic pruning
    • Habit stacking formula
  • — Breaking Bad Habits
    Invert the four laws to break unwanted habits easily.
    • Inverting the laws

3. Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg: Start So Small You Cannot Fail

Design a tiny habit with an anchor, a small behaviour and a celebration. Units, in order: Motivation, ability and prompt; Why motivation is unreliable; Finding a place in your daily routine; Shrinking a behaviour to its tiny version; Celebration and the feeling of shine; Fixing a habit that will not stick.

  • — Motivation, ability and prompt
    Learn the three parts of human behavior.
    • The three parts of behavior
    • Understanding motivation
    • Understanding ability
    • Understanding prompts
  • — Why motivation is unreliable
    Discover why relying on motivation fails.
    • The problem with motivation
    • The boom and bust cycle
  • — Finding a daily routine anchor
    Attach a new habit to an existing routine.
    • The anchor routine
    • Writing a habit recipe
  • — Shrinking behavior to tiny size
    Make your new habit extremely small.
    • Start tiny to succeed
    • Doing extra credit
  • — Celebration and the feeling of shine
    Use celebration to wire in new habits instantly.
    • Emotions create habits
    • The feeling of shine
    • Ways to celebrate
  • — Fixing a habit that won't stick
    Adjust your habits when they fail to stick.
    • Make the habit tinier
    • Change anchor or celebration

Sample: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg: Understand the Habit Loop

The opening tier, (The Habit Loop Basics). Learn how cues, routines, and rewards form your daily habits.

The Core Habit Loop

Understand how a cue, routine, and reward form every habit.

Recognizing Cues

Identify internal and external triggers that start automatic habits.

Routines and Rewards

Explore physical, cognitive, and emotional routines and rewards.

Brain Efficiency

Discover how the basal ganglia stores automatic habit patterns.

Questions about Atomic Habits and the Science of Habits

What are the four laws of Atomic Habits?

James Clear's four laws are make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy and make it satisfying. Inverted, they help break a bad habit.

What is habit stacking?

Habit stacking links a new habit to one you already do, in the form "after I do this, I will do that". The Breni course has you write your own.

How long does it take to build a habit?

It varies a lot by person and habit, so there is no fixed number of days. The path focuses on making habits small and rewarding rather than counting days.

Is Breni affiliated with the authors?

No. Breni is not affiliated with James Clear, Charles Duhigg, BJ Fogg or their publishers.

Do I get a certificate?

Yes, finishing all 3 courses earns a Breni certificate of completion.

Related learning paths

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