by Dianna Brodine, managing editor
Plastics Business

When I came across Atomic Habits at my local library, I was struck by these two sentences in the book description: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

It seems obvious, right? Setting goals is only half the battle – achieving them requires precise steps that lead from the starting point to goal achievement … steps that overcome the embedded systems that are holding us back. Those steps are built on healthy habits. And so, this issue’s Booklist was easy: It starts with Atomic Habits to provide a new system of habit formation, proceeds to a book that helps us understand how human nature influences our habits and ends with a look at the habits of 100 successful people.

pb-booklist-AtomicHabitsAtomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
Authors: James Clear
Released: October 16, 2018

One of the world’s leading experts on habit formation reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.

If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.

Here, the author draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field. Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits.

pb-booklist-ThePowerofHabitThe Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do  in Life and Business
Author: Charles Duhigg
Released: January 7, 2014

In The Power of Habit, award-winning business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. Distilling vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives that take us from the boardrooms of Procter & Gamble to the sidelines of the NFL to the front lines of the civil rights movement, Duhigg presents a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential.

At its core, The Power of Habit contains an exhilarating argument: The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, being more productive and achieving success is understanding how habits work. As Duhigg shows, by harnessing this new science, we can transform our businesses, our communities and our lives.

pb-booklist-1Habit1 Habit: 100 Habits from the World’s Happiest Achievers
Author: Steven Samblis
Released: July 10, 2019

We set out to gather habits from the most successful people we could find. We learned not just the habit, but the “Why” as well. Of the wealth of knowledge each person held, they could each offer only 1 Habit™. So, why was their 1 Habit™ so important to them? We took the answers and put them into one incredible book, which will allow you to tap into and make these habits your own.

What’s the most surprising thing about the people we interviewed for the book and their habits? They’re not at all about wealth, fame, or ego – they were about happiness. Even more surprising is each person in 1 Habit™ is super successful in business and life. They are not just High Achievers in business only. They are successful across all planes of existence. 1 Habit is filled with the simple but powerful habits from “Happy Achievers™” that have led these titans of industry, entrepreneurs, artists and visionaries to the holy grail of success: happiness.