Snapshot

In The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg uses a number of captivating stories to highlight the science behind the formation and existence of habits. He explains how habits are formed and provides a useful research-based framework for understanding how to change habits to improve your personal life and business. Duhigg ultimately wraps up the discussion of habits by moving beyond the science and talking about what it takes to get over the hump and change habits permanently.

Impressions

For me, this book was life-changing. Over the past few years, it’s not that I’ve developed particularly negative habits, but I feel as if I haven’t developed many good ones. As someone that lives their life based on fact and logic, the research-based approach to the discussion of the Habit Loop appealed to me. Understanding the framework in which my habits are structured has allowed me to identify cues I can use to trigger and encourage certain habits. With a better understanding of the Habit Loop, I have been able to exercise more regularly, read more, and introduce daily writing into my life. These three habits have made me happier, healthier, and more productive on a daily basis. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone that is struggling to start a new habit or reprogram an old one. This book will give you the push and understanding you need to make a difference in your life.

My 5 Favorite Quotes

Habits aren’t destiny.

This is how new habits are created: by putting together a cue, a routine, and a reward, and then cultivating a craving that drives the loop.

Belief was the ingredient that made a reworked habit loop into a permanent behavior.

Willpower becomes a habit: by choosing a certain behavior ahead of time, and then following that routine when an inflection point arrives.

To modify a habit, you must decide to change it. You must consciously accept the hard work of identifying the cues and rewards that drive the habits’ routines, and find alternatives.

Key Concepts

The Habit Loop = cue, routine, and reward. A cue sends a signal to the brain indicating which habit to use. The routine can be either physical or emotional but is the actionable part of the habit. The reward signals to the brain that this particular loop is worth remembering. Over time, this process becomes more automatic.

Craving = the element missing from the habit loop described above. The cycle of cue, routine, and reward is a basic learned pattern that can become automatic, but it doesn’t have a driving force. When a craving is developed for the reward, the basic habit loop has a driving force. With the addition of a craving, a habit is born.

Golden Rule = a bad habit cannot be eradicated, only transformed. The concept of habit change is to maintain the same cue and reward while substituting a different routine. This concept alone is not enough to change habits. Time and time again, it has been observed that people will resort to old habits in difficult times. The final ingredient to change a habit loop permanently is belief. Those who don’t believe they can change their habits won’t.

Keystone Habits = some habits matter more than others. This is the idea that one habit has the ability to influence a number of other habits and routines. The Keystone Habit has the power to trigger a domino effect. An environment of constant improvement is driven by a Keystone Habit central to everyday tasks.

Willpower = contrary to many beliefs, willpower is a habit and not a skill. Self-control and discipline are challenging for some individuals, but designing a routine beforehand to handle difficult situations will set them up for success. The routine of determining behavior beforehand is willpower, and this routine can become a habit.

Power of Crisis = habits, routines, and truces develop within organizations to maintain a sense of order. Sometimes these truces are born from a logical hierarchy, but that doesn’t mean they can’t lead to problems. When these truces ultimately lead to problems, leaders will use the crisis to remake habits. “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste” - Rahm Emanuel

Movements = arise through three steps. Social patterns first emerge through the strong ties and habits of friendship. The movement is able to grow to a large scale through the weak ties and habits of a group or community. The movement is then sustained through the creation of new habits in the participants.

Free Will = at times, habits may seem like an unconscious reaction. Even though habits become ingrained in the mind, they are not destiny. Changing a habit is a deliberate and conscious effort. While it may be difficult to change a habit, it is possible, and every element described above underlines the control we have over our habits.