add notes about chapter 2 of atomic habits

self-help/atomic-habits/README.md

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+# Atomic Habits
+# The Surprising Power of Atomic Habits
+The UK cycling team went from absolute noobs to winning championships in 5y all thanks to some coach who focused on the team improving via micro habits, which stack up over time.
+
+Examples:
+ * Experimented with different fabric for the outfits which are more aerodynamic
+ * Tried different massages to optimize for fastest muscle recovery
+ * Optimized hand-washing to minimize players getting a cold
+
+Why does this work? Because of compounding, famously expressed via the formula 1.01^365 = 37.78, ie 1% improvement every day.
+
+On the flip-side, getting 1% worse every day (0.99^365) results in 00.03.
+![one-percent-better-worse-graph](images/one-percent-better-worse-graph.png)
+
+Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. They seem to make little difference day to day, but deliver massive impact over months & years.
+
+Unfortunately, the slow velocity results in us underestimating the effect of both good and bad habits:
+ * We tend to skip workouts
+ * We tend to binge-watch netflix or eat a lot
+
+We do this because short-term positive and negative impact is minimal, but that's not the case in the long-term.
+
+**Key takeaway** - focus on putting yourself on the path to success, not on being successful. Focus on your trajectory, rather than current results.
+
+The effect of habits is similar to the behavior of a melting cube. 
+While the temperature in a room is increasing, the ice cube seemingly stays in tact, but at some point, a 1 degree increase leads to the cube melting.
+
+Breakthrough moments are the result of many previous actions that build up the potential for a major change. Habits work similarly.
+
+This is one of the core reasons people don't stick to habits - they don't have the patience to wait for the breakthrough because they expect linear gains.
+
+The author refers to the time before a breakthrough as **the plateau of latent potential**.
+![plateau-of-latent-potential](images/plateau-of-latent-potential.png)
+
+**Forget about goals, focus on systems.**
+
+Goals are about the results you want to achieve, systems are about the processes that lead to those results.
+
+Goals make sense for setting direction, but systems are best for making progress towards that direction.
+
+Problems with goal-setting:
+ * Winners and losers share the same goals - survivorship-bias kicks in. Only a handful of goal-setters succeeded and those are the ones we see. We don't see the dozens of failures.
+ * Achieving a goal is a momentary change - by achieving a goal, you're treating a symptom, not the root cause. You can clean your room once, but you need a system to keep it tidy over time.
+ * Goals restrict your happiness - you defer happiness until you reach your goal, after which you defer for the next one. Enjoying the process lets you be happy while your system is running.
+ * Goals are at odds with long-term progress - once you reach your goal, there's nothing motivating you to keep going. Goal-setting focus is winning the game, systems focus is to continue playing it.
+
+**You don't rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems.**
+
+**Atomic** habits are partially about creating tiny habits, but also, they're meant to be the atoms of something bigger, the building blocks of remarkable results.
+
+# How Your Habits Shape Your Identity (and Vice Versa)
+It's often difficult to keep up with good habits or prevent yourself from doing bad habits for more than a few days.
+
+The reason we fail to change our habits is for two reasons:
+ * We try to change the wrong thing
+ * We try to change our habits in the wrong way
+
+This chapter addresses the former issue, the rest of the chapters focus on the latter.
+
+## Three Layers of Behavior Change
+![onion-layers](images/onion-layers.png)
+
+A change can occur at three layers.
+ * Outcomes (what you get) - changing results, ie losing weight, winning a championship, publishing a book
+ * Process (what you do) - changing your habits and systems, starting a new gym routine, decluttering workplace, etc
+ * Identity (what you believe) - changing your beliefs, self-image, judgements, biases, etc
+
+Neither level is better or worse. The issue is with the direction of change we attempt.
+![direction-of-change](images/direction-of-change.png)
+
+Former builds outcome-based habits. These people focus on what they want to achieve.
+
+Latter builds identity-based habits. These people focus on who they wish to become.
+
+Behavior that is incongruent with the self will not last.
+
+Examples:
+ * you want more money but if your identity is of one who consumes, rather than create, that will not happen
+ * you want better health but if you continue to prioritize comfort over accomplishment, that will not happen
+
+The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity. 
+If you take pride in the outcomes you achieve by sticking to a habit, you'll fight hard to maintain your habits.
+
+Focus on changing your identity, not achieving a particular goal:
+ * Don't aim for reading a book, aim for becoming a reader
+ * Don't aim for running a marathon, aim to become a runner
+ * Don't aim to learn an instrument, aim to become a musician
+
+This is a double-edged sword. If your identity is working against you, it is a curse:
+ * "I'm not a morning person"
+ * "I'm always late"
+ * "I'm horrible at math"
+
+Over time, you start resisting certain actions because they are against your identity.
+
+## The Two-Step Process To Changing Your Identity
+Your identity emerges out of your habits. Every belief is learned and conditioned through experience.
+
+You believe things about your identity because you have proof of it.
+ * You go to church every sunday for 20 years - you have proof you're religious
+ * You study biology for 1h every night - you have proof you're studious 
+ * You go to the gym when it's snowing - you have proof you are committed to working out
+
+You habits are not the only thing reinforcing your identity but it's usually the most important one.
+
+The effect of one-off experiences fades away while the effect of habits gets reinforced with time.
+
+Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. 
+No single instance of working out will make you an athlete, but working out continuously will.
+
+Meaningful change does not need radical change. Small habits make a meaningful difference by being applied over time.
+
+Each habit not only gets results, but more importantly, teaches you to trust yourself. 
+When the votes of change mount up, you start to believe you're a different person.
+
+It works in the opposite direction as well unfortunately. However, note that it's normal to have votes in opposite directions.
+
+You don't win the election by having unanimous votes, you win by having the majority.
+
+Decide who you want to be. It's okay to start from the results you want, but work backwards to figure out what type of person you have to become that will achieve those results.
+
+Once that's settled, begin taking small, consistent steps, that will take you in that direction.
+
+The formation of habits is a feedback loop - your habits shape your identity and your identity shapes your habits.
+
+It's important to let your habits, principles and values drive that loop, not your results.
+
+## The Real Reason Habits Matter
+The first step in behavior change is not what or how. It is who - who you want to become.
+
+The real reason habits matter is not what you can achieve through them, but what you can become through them.
+
+You become your habits.