Many people start off the New Year with resolutions. Things they plan to change about their lives and their work. In order to make significant changes in our lives we have to change or habits. For my January book review, I read “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg.
About the Book
Charles Duhigg understands as a journalist how to develop stories that keep the reader engaged. The science included in the book and the cue, routine, reward loop is a good description of how we behave. The author does a great job of acknowledging that there are both good and bad habits. For example brushing your teeth in the morning is a habit or putting on your shoes. These habits allow our brains to rest and conserve our energy for other times when we need to use our brain power.
The book is divided into three parts, but this does not actually work so well. Often when Mr. Duhigg is in the sections on organizations and societies, he goes back to the individual level, which can be confusing. The information is also a bit repetitive towards the end of book, almost like a student with a page quota who repeats information.
The book is very helpful as an individual to be more conscious of your habits. The key is to recognize your triggers in order to make changes to your habits. There are a lot of stories about how people were able to create lifelong changes to their habits and how you can apply these techniques.
Overall a good read, but the clips and shorts may be just as beneficial for those familiar with the topic.
Happy 2018 and enjoy the clip below on “The Power of Habit.”
