The Hidden Problem With Atomic Habits Nobody Talks About

You’ve probably tried habit stacking before. The classic idea of, “After I brew my coffee, I’ll do X.”

I did that too. I stacked my physical therapy exercises onto my Nespresso routine, and I did them every single day for years. But the second I traveled? That habit disappeared. It just… evaporated. No Nespresso machine, no physical therapy.

Meanwhile, that same morning coffee routine? I once had to put a Post-it note on my coffee machine to stop myself from brewing it before fasting blood work, because I would do it on pure autopilot. I knew from experience — because the last time, even though I was not waking up at the same time of day and had a totally different morning routine to make it to the place on time, I still hit that brew button first thing. I was halfway through my cup of coffee when I remembered I wasn’t supposed to be drinking it.

Same brain. Both situations had cue disruptions. Two completely different results.

And this is where a lot of habit advice — including Atomic Habits — quietly breaks down. Not because the book is wrong. It’s incredibly useful. But because it doesn’t really spell out one big piece of habit science.

More Actionable Breakdowns Below👇

Recommendations

Note: This section is sponsored by Shortform. They have no input on which books I recommend or why.

I cured my own insomnia. Then I found the book that would have saved me so much sooner.

If you've ever woken up exhausted after a "full" night of sleep, this one might help.

I struggled with insomnia for years and eventually figured my way out of it through trial and error. The short version: I started tracking everything (sleep time, wake-ups, caffeine, alcohol, what I ate) and then adjusted one variable at a time until things actually worked. Diagnose first, then prescribe. It's what I do with clients on bandwidth and productivity, and it works on sleep too.

I found Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker after the fact and immediately wished I'd had it years earlier. The Shortform guide on it confirmed a piece of what I'd taught myself:

The guide was so good I went and bought the full book. I wished I'd had it years earlier. It would have saved me a lot of bad nights to have this spelled out from the start, instead of figuring it out one painful experiment at a time.

This is what I appreciate about Shortform. It's not just a summary of the book. The notes give you the practical version (the actual exercise, the actual steps) that the book itself often buries inside the bigger argument. For someone like me who wants to USE what I read, that's the whole point.

Try Shortform free + get 25% OFF at https://shortform.com/express

More Actionable Breakdowns

Did you miss one of our previous breakdowns? Here are some you might find helpful.

Future-Proofing You: Adapting to Thrive in the Age of Distraction

Are you constantly battling between productivity and distraction in the digital age? As a business owner or freelancer, your smartphone is your lifeline, but could it also be hindering your success? Discover how the digital revolution is rewiring our brains and transforming our behavior. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to master your digital tools and unleash your full potential in the modern business landscape.

Think Smarter, Not Harder: How to Implement Lessons Learned For Business Growth According to Neuroscience

Your daily experiences, interactions, and projects are shaping your mind and influencing your success. By understanding how your brain decides what to remember, forget, and transform into core skills, you can harness the power of experiential learning to skyrocket your business and optimize your life. Learn how to train your brain the right way to think smarter, not harder.

How “Vacation Mode” Unlocks Your Prioritization Ninja (Hint: it’s not about self-care)

I have to admit that I don’t remember where I read the actual term “vacation mode” for the first time but suffice it to say I did not invent it. We could even call it the “vacation phenomenon”. I know most think of “vacation mode” as that feeling of being on vacation and that’s not what I mean here…but whatever you want to call it, I am capitalizing on it now and it also just came up in a discussion in virtual coworking in the inner circle. PLUS, the great news is you don’t need a postponed wedding to use this trick…So let’s get to it. 💪

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I hope you found this valuable!

Wishing you much productivity!

- Jenae :)