Finished Atomic Habits… Waiting on My Perfect Life to Arrive in 2–3 Business Days

So yeah… I finally read Atomic Habits. ( Well Audio Book) The book that’s supposed to turn me into the type of girl who wakes up at 5 AM, meditates, writes in a gratitude journal, and drinks warm lemon water like she’s Gwyneth Paltrow.

Spoiler: I finished the book and the next day I overslept, ate a stale granola bar for breakfast, and realized I’ve owned three planners this year and all of them currently say “January.”

But listen, I get it. James Clear is smart. He’s got this whole four-laws-of-habits thing. The problem? I’m the type of person who reads about habit stacking while eating cold pizza over the sink and calling it “multitasking.”

Let’s Break Down the Laws (Chaotic Edition)

1. Make it obvious.

Supposedly if you want to work out, you should lay your workout clothes out the night before.

I tried this. The next morning I saw them and said, “No thanks,” and put them back in the drawer. Obvious? Yes. Effective? Absolutely not.

2. Make it attractive.

You’re supposed to pair a new habit with something you enjoy. Like listening to your favorite podcast while folding laundry.

I did this. Now I’ve binged an entire season of Crime Junkie and the laundry is still sitting in a basket giving me side-eye.

3. Make it easy.

Start small. Do one push-up. Drink one glass of water. Floss one tooth.

I did one push-up, laid down on the floor, and immediately considered taking a nap. Progress?

4. Make it satisfying.

Reward yourself. Which in my brain translated to: eat a cookie every time you send an email.

By 11 AM I was six cookies deep and my inbox still looked like a haunted house.

The Chaotic Reality

Reading Atomic Habits was like looking at a Pinterest board for a life I will never have. The aesthetic girlies on TikTok are waking up at dawn, journaling in beige notebooks, sipping matcha out of glass cups.

Me? I’m running out the door with wet hair, trying to remember if I actually put deodorant on, and yelling at my kids to find their shoes. (Spoiler: the shoes are never where they’re supposed to be.)

But here’s the thing—I did finish the book. And maybe that’s my habit victory. Maybe the first atomic habit I actually nailed was just… not quitting halfway. That’s basically a personality upgrade, right?

So no, I’m not suddenly a “new me.” I’m just the same me—with slightly more self-awareness, an unfinished to-do list, and a habit tracker that already has coffee stains on it.

But I’ve decided that counts. Because if Atomic Habits taught me anything, it’s that even tiny wins matter. And let me tell you, around here? Sometimes the tiny win is just remembering to move the laundry from the washer to the dryer before it smells like moldy pile of shit.

Baby steps, friends. Baby. Steps.