Printable

Atomic Habits cheat sheet

James Clear's method on one page: the habit loop, the four laws for building good habits and breaking bad ones, and a habit plan you fill in, then print or keep in your browser.

By Alexis Thomas, maker of Prismo · Updated

The short version

Every habit is a loop: cue, craving, response, reward. To build a habit, make it obvious, attractive, easy and satisfying. To break one, make it invisible, unattractive, difficult and unsatisfying. Start so small it takes two minutes, and never miss twice.

Fill in your habit plan

Atomic Habits on one page

From Atomic Habits by James Clear (2018). Summary in our own words by Prismo · prismo-app.com

Cuesignals that a reward is close
Cravingthe urge for what the reward will change
Responsethe habit you actually do
Rewardsatisfies the craving and teaches the loop
LawTo build a good habitTo break a bad habit
1Cue Make it obvious
  • Plan it: "I will [habit] at [time] in [place]."
  • Stack it: "After [current habit], I will [new habit]."
  • Put the cue in sight: the book on your pillow, the water on your desk.
  • Notice what you do now: list your daily habits and mark each as good, bad or neutral.
 Make it invisible
  • Remove the cues from your surroundings: the phone in another room, no snacks on the counter.
2Craving Make it attractive
  • Bundle it: only allow something you want while doing something you need to do.
  • Join a group where your habit is normal.
  • Warm up with a small ritual you like, right before the hard part.
 Make it unattractive
  • Reframe it: spell out what you gain by avoiding the habit.
3Response Make it easy
  • Cut the friction: fewer steps between you and the habit.
  • Set up the space in advance: clothes out, tools ready.
  • Two-minute rule: start with a version that takes under two minutes.
  • Automate it where you can.
 Make it difficult
  • Add friction: unplug it, log out, put it out of reach.
  • Lock in the choice ahead of time with a commitment device.
4Reward Make it satisfying
  • Give yourself a small reward right after.
  • Track it: a mark on a calendar you can see.
  • Never miss twice: a single missed day is normal, so get back on track the next day.
 Make it unsatisfying
  • Find an accountability partner.
  • Write a habit contract with a real cost for breaking it.
Identity first

Aim at the person, not the result: "I'm a runner" beats "I want to run a marathon." Each small repeat adds proof that it's true.

1% better

Small gains compound: 1% better every day for a year is about 37 times better (1.01365 ≈ 37.8).

Systems over goals

A goal doesn't set you apart, since people who fail often wanted the same thing. Your daily routine does.

Results lag

Progress hides at first, like an ice cube in a room warming from 25 to 31 °F. Nothing shows until 32, then it melts. Keep going.

Your habit plan

Fill this in for one habit you want to build and one you want to break. It saves in this browser as you type, and prints on a second page under the cheat sheet. Nothing is sent anywhere.

The habit to build

When and where

Habit stack

The habit to break
Habit tracker

Tick a box each day you show up, even for two minutes. If you miss one, don't miss the next.

How to use the cheat sheet

  1. Pick one habit, not five. One habit gets your full attention. Choose the one that would make the others easier.
  2. Write the plan before you need it. A specific time and place, or a habit to stack it on, decides in advance what you'd otherwise have to decide every day.
  3. Start embarrassingly small. If the two-minute version feels too easy, it's right. You're practicing showing up, not the full habit yet.
  4. Put the sheet where the habit happens. On the fridge, next to your desk, inside the book. A visible cue is the first law at work.
  5. Come back to the ideas, not just the sheet. A cheat sheet reminds you; recalling the ideas from memory is what makes them stick. Our Atomic Habits quiz takes three minutes and explains every answer.

More on Atomic Habits

For the book's eight key ideas, what later research says about them and ten book club questions, see the Atomic Habits quiz and summary. For a method that works with any book, read how to remember what you read.

Frequently asked questions

What are the 4 laws of Atomic Habits?
To build a good habit: make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy and make it satisfying. To break a bad habit, turn each one around: make it invisible, unattractive, difficult and unsatisfying.
What is the habit loop in Atomic Habits?
Every habit runs through four steps: a cue that gets your attention, a craving for what the habit gives you, the response (the habit itself) and a reward. Each of the four laws works on one of these steps.
What is the two-minute rule?
Scale a new habit down until it takes less than two minutes to start: "read before bed" becomes "read one page". The point is to make showing up automatic first, then improve the habit.
What is habit stacking?
Tying a new habit to one you already do every day, with the formula "After [current habit], I will [new habit]." The habit you already have becomes the cue for the new one.
Is this the official Atomic Habits cheat sheet?
No. This page is our own summary, in our own words, made to be printed and used. James Clear publishes his own resources for the book on jamesclear.com.
GuideHow to remember what you read Learning scienceActive recall: the study habit that feels worse and works better Book clubsBook club questions for nonfiction books

Learn once. Remember forever.

On iPhone, iPad and Android.

Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play
PrismoRemember everything you learn
Get the app