🎙️ START WELL® Podcast Atomic Habits: Helping Kids Build Habits That Stick with resident book reviewer Michelle Flanagan

Episode Overview

In this episode of START WELL®, we explore one of themost influential behaviour change books of our time—Atomic Habits by James Clear.

With over 25 millions of copies sold worldwide, thisbook has reshaped how we think about habits, motivation, and long-term success.

But this conversation goes beyond personal development.

We focus on how parents can apply these ideas to help children and teens build habits that actually stick—whether it’s study routines, screen time, health, or money behaviours.

Because raising capable young people isn’t aboutperfection… it’s about creating systems that make good choices easier.

Key Themes We Explore

Systems Over Goals

We unpack the idea that:

You don’t rise to the level of your goals—you fall to thelevel of your systems.

While goals give direction, it’s daily systems androutines that drive results. For kids, this means shifting focus from outcomes (grades, performance) to repeatable behaviours.

Identity-Based Habits

One of the most powerful ideas from the book:

The goal is not to read a book, the goal is to become areader.

We explore how helping kids shape identity—
“I’m someone who studies” or “I’m someone who shows up”— can lead to more sustainable behaviour change than external pressure alone.

The Habit Loop

Every habit follows a pattern:
Cue → Craving → Response → Reward

We discuss how this plays out in everyday life.

General Advice

Warning – This Podcast contains general advice. The information, including tax information and any advice provided in this Podcast, does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Because ofthat, you should before acting on the advice, consider the appropriateness of the advice, having regard to those things. If the advice relates to a particular financial product, you should obtain the relevant Product DisclosureStatement for any product mentioned and consider its contents before making any decision. You should consider talking to a financial adviser before making afinancial decision. Dawn Thomas is a Senior Financial Adviser and is an authorised representative of TWD Licensee Services Pty Ltd ABN 88 605 064 480 Australian Financial Services Licence No.475964 (TWD Licensee Services).