James Clear
Born 1986 · Age 39
American writer and speaker best known for the bestselling book Atomic Habits and for writing about habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement at JamesClear.com.
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Life & Career Timeline
Likely began undergraduate studies at Denison University
Approximate start of college studies (Denison University), where he majored in biomechanics and played baseball (typical 4-year track).
Attended St. Gallen Symposium (first attendance)
Attended the St. Gallen Symposium while a student; later attended a second time and won the Global Essay Competition in his second year attending.
Won St. Gallen Global Essay Competition (second attendance)
Won the Global Essay Competition at the St. Gallen Symposium in his second year attending (during university). Year inferred from college timeline.
Severe cranial injury while playing baseball (rehabilitation)
Sustained a severe cranial injury when playing baseball and underwent rehabilitation; experiences informed later thinking in Atomic Habits (timing inferred during college period).
Graduated from Denison University (degree in biomechanics)
Received a bachelor's degree in biomechanics from Denison University; served as captain of the baseball team and was a pitcher.
Named to ESPN Academic All-America team
Selected to the ESPN Academic All-America team while at Denison (2008).
Began career as a performance coach
After graduating, Clear started working as a performance coach for athletes and executives (role transition into coaching and performance work).
First entrepreneurial app project (iPhone app) — lost investment
Paid an Indian development firm ~$1,600 to build an iPhone app which ultimately made about $100, resulting in a ~$1,500 loss; he cites this as an early entrepreneurial lesson.
Began writing at JamesClear.com
Started writing about habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement on JamesClear.com (source lists 2012 as start of writing).
Website live and publishing schedule established
Reported in interview that the website had been live since 2013 and he published new content consistently (e.g., Monday and Thursday).
Early speaking engagements — ~10–12 talks up to 2,000 people
By the time of a 2013 interview he had given roughly 10–12 speeches, including audiences as large as ~2,000 people.
Published and grew article portfolio
Built a backlog of research and articles by reading heavily and publishing actionable essays on habits and performance (period of heavy content growth).
Listed (incorrectly in one source) Atomic Habits publication date claim (Oct 16, 2016)
One source (Professional Leadership Institute) incorrectly reports Atomic Habits publication as Oct 16, 2016; included to capture conflicting public claims.
Started donating 5% of after-tax profits to charity
Began donating 5% of after-tax profits to charitable causes; primary charity partner is the Against Malaria Foundation.
Atomic Habits becomes a New York Times bestseller
Atomic Habits rose to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and became his signature work.
Published Atomic Habits (major publication)
Published Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones (widely cited publication date Oct 16, 2018; multiple sources reference 2018 publication).
Atomic Habits time-on-list milestones (NYT, Wall Street Journal, Amazon)
Reportedly spent nine months on the New York Times bestseller list, 33 weeks on the Wall Street Journal list, and 31 weeks atop Amazon's Most Sold list (source-specific claims).
Atomic Habits sold over 800,000 copies (reported)
By July 2019 Atomic Habits had reportedly sold over 800,000 copies globally and spent months on bestseller lists (figure from a profile source).
Creator of 3-2-1 newsletter grows subscriber base
3-2-1 weekly newsletter expanded significantly; multiple sources note rapid subscriber growth over the years (subscriber totals vary by source/time).
Products and courses expand (Habit Journal, MasterClass, 30 Days to Better Habits)
Expanded product offerings with Habit Journal, Atomic Habits MasterClass, and the 30 Days to Better Habits email course (site lists these products; exact launch dates vary).
Atomic Habits translated into multiple languages (scaling international editions)
Translations expanded globally; sources report translations into 50+ or 60+ languages depending on time of reporting.
Atomic Habits app / Atoms app launched (productized book content)
Official Atomic Habits app (Atoms) appears on site as a product tied to the book to help users implement habits (site promotes the app; exact launch date not specified).
Media features and profiles increase (Time, NYT, Wall Street Journal, CBS This Morning, Forbes)
Work featured in major outlets including Time magazine, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and CBS This Morning (ongoing media exposure after book success).
Website traffic and content scale: 250+ articles and 10M visitors/year
Site reports over 250 published articles and more than 10 million visitors per year (figures cited on JamesClear.com).
Newsletter reaches millions of subscribers (reported 3M+)
Site reports the 3-2-1 newsletter has more than 3 million email subscribers (timing reflects site snapshot; subscriber count has grown over time).
Selected to Academic All-America Hall of Fame
Named to the Academic All-America Hall of Fame (press release cited on his site in 2024).
Charitable impact milestone — nets provided to protect people from malaria (cumulative count)
Site reports that, to date, his charitable efforts (via donations) have provided nets for over 319,000 people through Against Malaria Foundation (cumulative figure reported on site).
Atomic Habits cumulative sales reported at over 25 million copies
JamesClear.com reports Atomic Habits has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide and been translated into more than 60 languages (site-statements reflect cumulative sales as of site update).
Reported multi-year presence on bestseller lists
Site claims the book spent over 5 years on the New York Times bestseller list (figure reflects cumulative time reported on site).
Regular speaker to Fortune 500 companies and major events
Reportedly delivers 1–2 speeches per month; past clients include American Express, AT&T, Cisco, Disney, ESPN, Google, Honda, IKEA, Microsoft, State Farm, and others.
Personal fitness milestones (best lifts reported)
Publicly listed personal best lifts: deadlift 501 lbs (227 kg), squat 425 lbs (192 kg), bench 305 lbs (138 kg), clean 315 lbs (143 kg). Dates unspecified.
Photography achievements and travel
Has taken photos in 40+ countries; photos published in Travel & Leisure and featured on Flickr; nominated for Travel Photographer of the Year (dates not specified).
Public-facing product offerings and monetization channels established
Monetizes audience via book sales, courses, affiliates, speaking and products (public breakdowns cited in profiles: book deals, courses, Amazon affiliates, speaking fees).
Ongoing writing and content output (250+ articles and weekly newsletter)
Continues to publish weekly (and biweekly) articles and send the 3-2-1 newsletter; site remains a central hub for his work and community.
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