Small Changes, Big Results: How Atomic Habits Can Transform Your Coaching Approach

If you’ve ever felt frustrated by trying to make big changes with little success, you’re not alone.

The truth is, lasting change doesn’t happen through drastic shifts—it happens through small, incremental adjustments that compound over time. James Clear’s book Atomic Habits is all about this idea, and as a coach, you can use these principles not only to improve your own habits but to help your athletes build habits that lead to success.

The key takeaway from Atomic Habits is the power of "1% improvements." Clear argues that tiny improvements, when compounded over time, lead to huge results. This principle can be applied directly to coaching. Instead of trying to overhaul your team’s entire training regimen, focus on small, consistent improvements in both their physical and mental performance. For example, if you want your athletes to improve their agility, start with minor tweaks to their footwork drills or add a few seconds of extra effort at the end of a drill. Over time, these small changes will add up.

You can also use this concept to help athletes develop good habits that support their performance. Perhaps one athlete struggles with nutrition, while another struggles with mental focus during practice. Help them set tiny, manageable goals—like drinking one extra glass of water a day or spending five extra minutes focusing on visualization before each practice. These small changes are often less intimidating and easier to sustain, which makes it more likely that athletes will stick to them.