Book Report- The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

The Power of Habit, written by Charles Duhigg, is named one of the best books of the year by The Wall Street Journal-Financial

Times. The book addresses why we do what we do in life and in business. Research shows that up to 40% of our daily actions are

based on habits which is a huge matter. If we change our habits, we change our lives. Willpower is the most important habit, and

you can strengthen it over time with 3 things. Any habit can be broken down into a three part loop: cue, routine and reward. For

example, your alarm clock rings in the morning which is your cue. The routine actions are you walking into the bathroom and

brushing your teeth. The reward would be a minty fresh, clean mouth. Your brain activity increases when a cycle is completed and

reinforces the length between the cue and the routine. This is exactly how a habit is created.

Habits stick because they create craving. Breaking a bad habit is difficult because you develop a craving for the reward at the end

of the habit loop. The golden rule of changing any habit is to not resist craving but instead redirect it, keep the same cues and

rewards but change the routine that occurs as a result of that craving. Research indicates that most of the alcoholics crave relaxation

and companionship far more than the actual intoxication by providing them new routines that address those cravings such as going

to meetings and talking to sponsors for companionship could effectively substituting with something less harmful.Willpower is the

most important key. Some days hitting the gym is no problem but some days leaving the sofa is close to impossible. It turns out

that will power is like a muscle, you can strengthen it by engaging in habits that demand resolution. Following habits is not only a

key part of our lives but also a key part of organizations and companies. All habits comprise a cue routine reward loop and the

easiest way to change this is to substitute the routine with something else. Achieving lasting change in life is difficult, but it

can be done by focusing on important keystone habits such as willpower. 

I wanted to share my favorite part of the book which is a quote written directly from Charles Duhigg himself, “the difference

between who you are and who you want to be is what you do.” Lately I have found that my success is limited by my embedded

routines and habits. Changing a habit can be very difficult and we often don't even realize we have a habit that is restricting our

potential to improve overall in our lives. I am currently at a stage in my life where I am not the happiest, but I am comfortable

which is making the process of breaking my habits and routines extremely challenging. I see two paths that I can take, I can stay

exactly where I am because it’s all I know and it’s what I’m comfortable with, or I change my current situation which would push

me out of my comfort zone and force me to grow as a person which is exactly what I want for myself. As per the quote stated by

Charles Duhigg, I can stay unhappy in my current situation or I can force myself to move out of it in order to become who I want to

be. For example, if I continue living in New Jersey with my parents, I know that I will continue to feel unhappy and lonely. But if I

force myself to break out of these habits/ routines and move to Pittsburgh where my boyfriend is, I know that I would be happy

with him and I would be working towards my goal of becoming what I know I am capable of. I am aware that it will take a lot of

motivation to fully break a habit/ routine, but it's possible when you really want something in life. Motivation is the key to pushing

and fighting for what you want, and how you see your best self and life. You are in complete control of your life if you learn the tricks to mastering motivation.

Here is a helpful video that I found to best describe the process of breaking a habit: