I’ve not read Atomic habits, but keep hearing it recommended. If it is appropriate for me to ask, how do you distinguish the motivation derived from the book and that from 3 days in hospital with extremely high blood pressure? I live with a fear of hypertension because of genetics. My diet and exercise (what I can control) is at front of mind and so far so good, but my high level of motivation is driven by knowing where the disease road can lead. Not intending to diminish the book but just curious about how you balance the contribution of those two in your mind.
The book isn't about motivation, it's about steps that you can take that make creating new habits easier. In fact, the book tells you that motivation wanes quickly and we need to force ourselves to create determination instead
It's a combination of both. The book alone wouldn't have made me motivated to workout. The catalyst was obviously the health scare, but what the book did was to help me get regular and build upon my habit. The book essentially tells you that a small step is all that is required and not to give up in case you miss one or two days. Making something a habit takes time. I started small. 15 mins a day. Gradually it increased. Would I have continued working out even without having read the book? Yes. Did the book help? Yes.