If you’re reading this, you’re here at the beginning of a long-term journey focused on understanding self-improvement through a scientific lens – seeking evidence, not opinion.

What this blog is about

Skeptical Improvement is built on one simple idea:

If you want to improve your life, you need to understand what actually works, not just what’s going viral and feels good.

That means:

• Questioning popular advice
• Examining claims through peer-reviewed research
• Avoiding pseudoscience and guru-speak
• Building habits based on evidence, not vibes

I’m not here to sell hacks or shortcuts (although I’m always down for a good life-hack). Instead, I’m here to explore the science of behavior change with curiosity, honesty, and a healthy dose of skepticism.

About me

Hey, I’m Cody — chemist, researcher, and someone who has spent years trying to improve my life using advice that often sounded good but didn’t actually work. With a mixture of autism, ADHD, and both mental and chronic illnesses, frustration built quickly and eventually pushed me toward a more scientific approach to self‑improvement.

My background as a physical chemistry research student trained me to question assumptions, look for evidence, and avoid weak conclusions. I bring that same mindset here. I’m not a guru, a coach, or a productivity influencer. I’m just a person trying to understand how the world works; consider this my lab notebook that I’m sharing along the way.

If you’re someone who wants to build a sustainable life tailored to your needs — and grounded in real evidence — you’re in the right place.

Why start with Atomic Habits?

Simply, because it’s everywhere.

Atomic Habits is one of the most influential self-improvement books on the market right now. People quote it, recommend it, and build entire routines around it. That alone makes it worth investigating… carefully.

Over the next following weeks, I’ll be breaking down:

• The “habit loop” (cue, craving, response, reward) as proposed by James Clear
• The core claims of Atomic Habits
• The psychological principles behind these claims
• The research that supports or contradicts those ideas

I’ll be bringing in outside academic sources and insights from The Willpower Instinct to give a fuller, more scientific picture of how habits actually form.

This isn’t a teardown, but it’s not blind praise either.

It’s a skeptical, evidence-based exploration of a book that has shaped how millions think about change.

What to expect each week

To keep things structured and sustainable, I’m committing to a simple posting rhythm:

• Monday Mains – the primary weekly post, focused on a major idea or chapter featured in a self-help book
• Friday Flux – a shorter, research-oriented post that presents relevant studies and evidence while giving you the skills to do more research on your own

If you want to follow along with the full series, you can subscribe below to get both posts delivered to your inbox.

No fluff. No hacks. Just science, skepticism, and steady improvement.

Let’s go team.