📚 Atomic Habits, Free Book Launch Masterclass, and more.

A&B #299

June 16, 2026

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👋 Hey everyone,

Here are a few popular posts you may have missed:

Note: This newsletter usually goes out on Sundays, but this last weekend was incredibly busy for me. Sorry about the delay!

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📚 Book Summary:

This week’s book is “Atomic Habits” by James Clear.

This book has sold over 25+ million copies, making it one of the bestselling non-fiction books of all time.

It will teach you how to build good habits and break bad ones.

If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend it. And if you have read it, I recommend rereading it (I try to reread it every 1-2 years).

If you enjoyed “Tiny Habits” or “The Power of Habit”, you’ll love this book.

📖

1) Apply The Law of Least Effort

Every action requires a certain amount of energy.

But energy is precious and limited. Therefore, the more energy an action requires, the less likely it is to occur. This is referred to as the law of least effort.

Bad habits such as scrolling on your phone, checking email, and watching TV steal so much of our time because they can be performed easily without much effort.

Whereas good habits such as going to the gym, reading a book, or cooking a healthy meal require a lot more effort.

That’s why you want to remove as many obstacles as possible between you and the habits you’re trying to accomplish.

For instance:

  • If you want to eat healthier, put out a bowl of fruit on your kitchen counter (mine currently has a mango, kiwi, and banana).

  • If you want to go to the gym after work, pack your gym clothes in your bag the night before.

  • If you want to read a book in the morning, leave your book on the kitchen table where you drink your coffee every morning.

Redesign your life so the actions that matter most are also the actions that are easiest to do.

📖

2) How to Lock In A Good Habit

In the book, James talks about a friend who struggled with unplugging from work.

So the friend bought an outlet timer that he plugged in between his internet router and the power outlet. At 10 pm each night, the outlet timer cut off power to the router, and the internet turned off. When the internet went off and he couldn’t work, he headed to bed.

That one action led to a healthier sleeping habit that paid off every night.

One-time actions may require a little bit of effort up front, but they can reward you again and again for weeks, months, or years to come.

Here are a few one-time actions I’ve done and recommend:

Instead of relying on willpower or motivation, take a one-time action that helps automate and lock in your good habits.

📖

3) Find A Game Where You Have An Advantage

Boiling water will soften a potato but harden an egg.

You don’t control which one you are, but you can decide which game to play in life.

Take two Olympic athletes, for instance. Michael Phelps and Hicham El Guerrouj both wear the same length of pants.

Except, Phelps is 6’4 tall and weighs 194 pounds, whereas Guerrouj is 5’9 and weighs 138 pounds.

How is this possible?

Phelps has relatively short legs for his height but a very long torso, which makes him the perfect build for swimming.

Meanwhile, Guerrouj has incredibly long legs and a short upper body, which gives him an ideal frame for long-distance running.

If the two were to switch sports, neither of them would have won any Olympic medals.

The secret to maximizing your odds of success is to choose the right field of competition for your strengths.

This isn’t limited to genetics; it applies to personality and all other aspects of your life.

Being extroverted is a strength if you work in sales and get energy from talking to people, but a weakness if you’re an author who has to spend most of their time alone with their thoughts.

Being high in empathy is a strength if you work as a nurse and have to constantly tend to people’s needs, but a weakness if you're an emergency surgeon who has to cut into someone without hesitation.

Every genetic and personality trait has its strengths and weaknesses. Your goal in life should be to find a game that favors your strengths.

And if you can’t find one, create one (that’s what I did).

I combined my passion for learning with my marketing skills to become a book content creator.

Now I spend my days reading, writing, and creating social media content about books.

✅ Actionable Advice:

1) Humans naturally gravitate toward the option that requires the least amount of work. Create an environment where doing the right thing is as easy as possible.

2) One-time choices are single actions that automate your future habits and deliver lasting results.

3) Find a game in life where your traits give you a competitive advantage. If you can’t find one, create one.

💎 Weekly Gem:

Most authors never sell 15,000 copies of their book.

My friend Jayson Gaignard sold 15,000 copies BEFORE his book was even out.

Want to know how?

I’m hosting a free webinar with him where he’ll share book launch strategies, and I’ll share a few strategies as well.

If you’re an author or aspiring author, you won’t want to miss this.

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Alex W.

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