In case you don’t know this about me, let me clue you in on something: I’m somewhat of a productivity nerd. It’s always been part of my DNA to get things done as efficiently as possible. I think I’m this way for three reasons: 1) it is a learned behavior. My mom was a school teacher, and my dad was a military officer. Enough said. 2) self-preservation to conserve energy and maximize performance. Being born with a physical disability meant I had to learn how to get more done with less from a young age. 3) I happen to enjoy it.

A few years ago, habit formation became very popular in the productivity world. It was spurred mainly by books by Charles Duhigg and James Clear. I’ve read Duhigg’s book, but only half of Clear’s. By the end of this post, you should understand more clearly why I didn’t finish Clear’s Atomic Habits.