Easily turn Bad Habits into Good Ones: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg Book Summary and Synopsis

Overview:

In this book, Charles Duhigg explains the science behind habits, and how you can use them for your personal success! He delves into the 3 stages of habit formation: the cue, routine and reward and how understanding these elements can help improve your productivity in your personal and professional life.

Why did we evolve to have habits?

The brain consumes a significant portion of the body's energy. If a person repeats a task long enough, the pattern is stored in the part of the brain called the basal ganglia to conserve energy and turns it into a habit. This way, repetitive tasks can be efficiently performed which frees up energy for higher cognition in other parts of the brain, such as the prefrontal cortex.

The 3 Stages of Habit Loop - Cue, Routine Reward

• The Cue: The cue is what triggers a habit, for example, a certain emotional state (hunger), or an environmental state (time of a day).
• The Routine: The action or habit itself.
• The Reward: A positive reinforcement the reinforces the habit.

How can we change habits?

According to the author, a habit cannot be destroyed but can be altered. The first step is to understand and analyse the routine you want to change identifying the cue and reward components of the routine. The next step is to change the routine while keeping the cue and reward constant.

For example, let's say you have a habit of eating junk food. You should first identify the cue (feeling hungry) and the reward (pleasure of eating). Then, with a little bit of willpower, replace the routine with a healthier alternative, such as eating a healthier snack. This shift can slowly rewire the brain to a more productive habit.

In Depth Analysis

This book also discusses more topics such as keystone habits (habits that have ripple effects, such as habits that result in other positive habit changes as well) and how large scale organisations can leverage habit psychology to improve employee performance. Please do check this book out "The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg" for a complete experience and if you don't have the time to read a 300 page book, be sure to check my website for an interactive AI generated book summarizer and be sure to sign up to my newsletter for weekly scientific and productivity book summary articles.