Aspire with Emma Grede

Episode: James Clear’s Habits Advice Sold 26 Million Books, And It Will Change Your 2026

Release Date: January 13, 2026
Host: Emma Grede
Guest: James Clear (Author, “Atomic Habits”)

Episode Overview

This episode of "Aspire with Emma Grede" welcomes James Clear, world-renowned author of "Atomic Habits," whose habit-building framework has transformed millions of lives. Emma and James dive into the science, psychology, and practical steps of habit formation, examine invisible barriers to sustainable change, explore the impact of identity on routine, and discuss how small daily actions set the course for the next decade of your life. James also shares insights from his new workbook and offers a behind-the-scenes look at his latest venture, Author’s Equity. The conversation is rich, actionable, and deeply inspiring for anyone looking to create lasting change in 2026 and beyond.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Habits Matter: The Foundation for Change (03:13)

• James Clear explains that habits are essentially the process of learning and practicing behaviors that shape every aspect of our lives, from health and mindset to business success.
• Quote: “Everything you do now was previously unknown to you… one of the lessons is that you will get better at anything that you practice.” (03:24)
• The most powerful lever for transformation is to consciously shape what you repeat daily.

2. Escaping the Bad Habit Loop (04:27 – 05:57)

• Emma shares her own struggles with unhelpful habits and asks how listeners can break out of negative loops.
• James reframes failure: “If you’re struggling to improve, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system.” (04:57)
• Introduces the Four Laws of Behavior Change:
  1. Make it Obvious
  2. Make it Attractive
  3. Make it Easy
  4. Make it Satisfying

3. Applying the Four Laws: Everyday Examples (06:00 – 09:33)

• James uses phone-checking as a case study for why some habits seemingly form without effort.
• Example: Making exercise obvious (set out your shoes), attractive (meeting a friend), easy (start with five minutes), and satisfying (celebrate small wins).
• Quote: “A habit must be established before it can be improved. You need to standardize before you optimize.” (08:12)
• Notable quote from Ed Latimore: “The heaviest weight at the gym is the front door.” (09:28)

4. The Real Barrier: The Need to Make Starting Easy (09:39 – 10:19)

• At least 25 million readers report that the most effective change is making it easy to start.
• James: “The person who starts consistently is the person who sticks with it.” (10:18)

5. Invisible Mistakes in Habit Formation (10:43 – 13:57)

• First Mistake: We tell ourselves we’re making it simple, but we aim too big and skip the mini steps.
• Key mantra: “Reduce the scope, but stick to the schedule.” (11:12)
• Second Mistake: Focusing on outcomes vs. identity. Real change is asking, “Who do I want to become?” not “What do I want to achieve?”
• Notable quote: "Every action you take is like a vote for the type of person you wish to become." (13:58)

6. Identity-Based Habits and Lasting Change (13:10 – 15:40)

• Emma: “You literally start to believe that you’re the kind of person that can achieve those things.” (14:45)
• James: “Behavior and beliefs are a two-way street. What you believe will impact your actions, but the actions you take also impact what you believe.” (15:04)
• Encourages starting with the smallest possible behaviors as evidence for identity change.

7. Implementing Habits: Why the Workbook? (15:54 – 17:12)

• James created the Atomic Habits Workbook because many know what to do, but need guided, practical exercises to actually change routines.

8. The Importance of Time Horizons: Ten Years and One Hour (17:12 – 18:44)

• James: “The two timeframes that matter most are 10 years and 1 hour.” (17:20)
  • 10 years: Long-term goals and vision.
  • 1 hour: What can be done right now to move closer to that vision.
• Quote: “You never want a day to pass without doing something that will benefit you in a decade.” (18:07)

9. Compounding Small Actions & The Power of Clarity (19:31 – 21:20)

• Small actions only matter if they’re accumulating toward something meaningful.
• Many people lack vision or clarity, not motivation.
• Emma: “People tend to underestimate what they can do in a decade.” (20:25)

10. The A-B-Z Framework for Progress (21:20 – 22:36)

• James: You don’t need to know all steps ahead—just an honest assessment (A), a clear vision (Z), and the next step (B).
• “Action produces information.” (22:36) – Clarity emerges by taking steps.

11. Five Good Minutes & Avoiding Overwhelm (23:02 – 24:01)

• Even small doses of effort can bring real change: “Five good minutes can restore a relationship, get you back on your manuscript, leave you winded…” (23:38)
• Don’t get paralyzed by the scale; just have five good minutes.

12. Energy Management over Time Management (26:24 – 28:50)

• It’s not just about how you spend your hours, but which hours and with what energy.
• James: “If I say my health is important to me, it needs to get some of my best hours—not the leftovers.” (27:14)
• The practice of regular reflection and review is critical.

13. Deep Reflection: What Am I Optimizing For? (29:13 – 34:01)

• Questions for self-inquiry:
  • What am I optimizing for?
  • What season am I in?
  • Can my current habits carry me to my desired future?
  • What would an alien think my priorities are, based on how I spend my day? (31:07)
• The tighter we cling to our identity, the harder it becomes to outgrow it or adapt to new seasons.

14. Upstream & Anchor Habits (34:05 – 36:21)

• Focus on habits that “are upstream from other good things happening.”
• James can sustain one new habit professionally and one personally at a time.
• Habits are context-tied; create dedicated environments for each habit to make them easier.

15. Habit Stacking for Consistency (38:05 – 40:13)

• Tie new habits to existing, reliable routines—a concept popularized as “habit stacking.”
• Emma: Morning coffee followed by meditation became her linchpin morning stack. (39:49)

16. Common High-Performer Habits (41:08 – 42:06)

• Walks, visualization, meditation, and exercise are anchor habits among leaders.
• James shares a visualization practice with his kids to frame a positive day.

17. Visualization and Celebrating Wins (42:26 – 46:48)

• Visualize positive outcomes before challenging events.
• Afterward, reflect on and catalog wins to foster resilience and momentum.
• Quote: “What story are you choosing to emphasize?” (43:28)
• “Grit is fit.” Those best adapted to a challenge are those who will persist and win. (45:41)

18. Fun as a Critical Ingredient (46:24 – 46:48)

• James: “What would this look like if it was fun? Pretty much any habit can be more fun than the default.” (46:29)

19. Organizational Habits & Leadership Modeling (53:29 – 55:03)

• The best culture-building tool is for leaders to model the behaviors they want to see.
• In large organizations, focus and clarity are paramount: choose one main priority at a time (example: Microsoft Azure). (55:03)

20. Authors Equity and Rethinking Publishing (56:40 – 63:19)

• James’s new publishing imprint upends the current model, giving authors a majority of the profit and rights.
• Authors Equity is “the publisher that provides the most value to authors: highest royalties, widest distribution, best rights, best creative team.” (63:21)
• Led by an all-star team of publishing execs, this project excites James as much as writing.

21. How Success Changed James Clear (58:19 – 65:48)

• What endures: love for helping people, working out, and spending time with family.
• The climb—the process—is the fun and most meaningful part, even if it feels hard in the moment.
• Quote: “At the end of your life… if you were granted a wish to go back and get to spend any one day again, we might choose right now.” (78:15)

Notable Quotes

• James Clear:
  • “The person who starts consistently is the person who sticks with it.” (10:18)
  • “Reduce the scope, but stick to the schedule.” (11:12)
  • “Every action you take is like a vote for the type of person you wish to become.” (13:58)
  • “You never want a day to pass without doing something that will benefit you in a decade.” (18:07)
  • “What story are you choosing to emphasize?” (43:28)
  • “What would this look like if it was fun?” (46:29)
  • “The climb is the fun part.” (76:05)
• Emma Grede:
  • “You literally start to believe that you’re the kind of person that can achieve those things.” (14:45)
  • “People tend to underestimate what they can do in a decade.” (20:25)

Important Timestamps

• [03:13] — Habits and the learning process
• [05:57] — The Four Laws of Behavior Change
• [07:35] — Making exercise easy with practical tricks
• [09:28] — “The heaviest weight at the gym is the front door.”
• [11:12] — “Reduce the scope, but stick to the schedule.”
• [13:58] — Identity-based habits
• [17:20] — “10 years and 1 hour” principle
• [18:07] — “You never want a day to pass without doing something that will benefit you in a decade.”
• [22:36] — “Action produces information.”
• [34:50] — “Upstream” habits for a good day
• [38:05] — Habit stacking explained
• [43:28] —: “What story are you choosing to emphasize?”
• [46:29] — “What would this look like if it was fun?”
• [55:03] — Microsoft Azure and choosing a single organizational focus
• [63:21] — Author’s Equity: Redefining publishing
• [76:05] — “The climb is the fun part.”

Memorable Moments

• Personal anecdotes from both Emma and James—Emma’s own small morning habits, James’s visualization with his preschool-aged son, and both reflecting on parenting provide a touching, relatable underpinning to the discussion.
• The “alien test” (31:07) for discovering your true priorities—imagine an alien followed you for a day: what would they say you truly care about?
• Emma and James agree that the greatest opportunity comes from being ruthlessly reflective about what season you’re in, what you’re really optimizing for, and how willing you are to unlearn old identities to grow.

Section Highlights: At-a-Glance

Habit Formation Fundamentals:

• Small, repeated actions form the foundation for change.
• Identity, not just outcomes, drives sustainability.

Actionable Techniques:

• Start with the smallest version.
• Reduce friction as much as possible.
• Use existing routines as triggers ("habit stacking").

Self-Reflection Practices:

• Routinely ask: What am I optimizing for? What season am I in?
• Use contextual cues and environmental shifts to jump-start new habits.

Organizational Application:

• Model habits as leaders.
• Clarity of priorities matters more as organizations grow.

Long-Term Success:

• Celebrate the process, the “climb”—that’s where meaning and satisfaction reside.

Rapid Fire (71:52 – 76:33)

• First thing in the morning: Turn off the alarm, shower.
• Last thing at night: Kiss wife goodnight.
• Bad habit broken: No phone before lunch, by keeping it in another room.
• Book recommendations:
  • Manual for Living (Epictetus)
  • Lessons of History (Will & Ariel Durant)
  • A Brief History of Time (Stephen Hawking)
• Early-career values that no longer matter: The “perfect” office or gear does not matter. Doing the work does.
• Current values: Appreciation for the process (“the climb” is the good part).

Final Takeaway

James Clear’s core message: If you want your 2026 to look different, change what you do today. Dream big for the decade, but take tiny, identity-building steps every day—and remember, the journey is the reward.