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Reddit mentions of The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

Sentiment score: 27
Reddit mentions: 47

We found 47 Reddit mentions of The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. Here are the top ones.

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
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  • by Charles Duhigg The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
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Found 47 comments on The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business:

u/Antiax · 148 pointsr/Greekgodx

Let this be an inspiration for Greek. He would be an absolute chad if he lost weight.

Greek if you are reading this - you can do it. Start by reducing sugar in your life and drink water.

I also recommend reading a book about habits like this one: "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business" it helped my brother to lose weight :)

u/Ganglio_Side · 11 pointsr/askscience

Yes. Discussed in "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg, a person with no ability to lay down new memories because of a hippocampal injury can learn new habits by repetition. It doesn't work as well as moving short term memory into long term, but it still works.

It's a terrific book, by the way.

u/zeltrine · 7 pointsr/Entrepreneur

Here are recommendations that I've helped me because I'm very much the same way.

Bullet Journaling
http://bulletjournal.com/

After a month, this has helped me tremendously. I used the simple set up to turn my life almost into an RPG. I start counting up how many "to-dos" I can get done by the end of the day/week/month. I also rate it by category, assign points, etc. Basically I can't go anywhere else without my bullet journal now.

Another thing is this reading this book:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Habit-What-Business/dp/1400069289

Get the audiobook so you can listen to it while driving. I listened to it while going to class and it has changed my entire perspective on human behavior. What if 40% of what you do everyday are determined by habits?

Last is to check out these 10 TED talks:
http://ayearofproductivity.com/10-ted-talks-make-you-more-productive/

If you commit seriously to these 3 things, then you should definitely see a change in a month.

u/TimFTWin · 7 pointsr/loseit

I started off at 6'3" 440, obese my whole life, compulsive over eater, fast food and sugar consumption through the roof.

I've thought about and tried to talk about on my blog the thing(s) that helped me replicate my success (I lost 200 pounds in a year plus 9 days). There are obvious lifestyle changes that you probably already know you should do: cut sugar, eliminate some calories, possibly light exercise at some point, etc..

But if I can tell you what in my opinion really matters, it's this:

You need to believe that you deserve to be healthy and being healthy will feel amazing. You deserve to feel amazing.

Once you know that, find a way to get the reward you used to get from food somewhere else and when you find that action, do it when you feel the urge to overeat. This is why exercise can be a great choice if it gives you that feeling or takes away the boredom you are fighting with food. I recently read a great book on this called The Power of Habit, which I recommend.

For me, the cue was be bored/sad, the response was to get food, and the reward was to feel happy. Instead, I changed the response: get sad/bored, go workout or read or pursue some other hobby, then I would feel happiness and fulfillment. For you, the cue and reward may be different, but I think you get the general picture.

I would be glad to help. If you want to be friends on MyFitnessPal, troll my blog, or you just need somebody to bounce ideas or frustrations off, feel free to PM me any time and I'd be glad to send you my online info,

u/third_ear · 6 pointsr/college

I was having a similar problem. When I got some free time I read a great book by Charles Duhigg on habit formation and it gave me some useful insights. One point he makes is that every habit has certain cues. When your brain perceives the cues (ie. emotional state, location, time), it launches you into a learned habit. I started to give myself certain cues to study, like going to the same library at the same time every day. I would hide my phone, and use SelfControl to block distracting sites. Now when I do these things, it feels like I work automatically.

Maybe your ideal cues would look a little different, but it's worth experimenting.

u/pabloe168 · 6 pointsr/bestof

Like people have said here, a journal will most certainly make you aware of you eating habits.

What most people do that makes them fail miserably in their diets is fight their body, fight the habits. Going cold turkey on food is probably harder than going cold turkey on cigarettes just because availability is 100% granted, ergo people stitched their lips in the 90s...

Don't fight it, sway yourself into consuming less calories. Don't cut off, replace.

In my opinion losing weight is a process of self acknowledgement and patience, more than endurance and motivation.

Identify what is the highest calorie foods you eat. Is it dinner? lunch or breakfast? snacks maybe? Now what specific food from those do you think might be specially detrimental to your weight.

For the part above you might have to educate yourself a little about caloric relativity. What foods are more calorie dense, and which foods are more water based. Tip, vegetables are low calories and high water, candy is zero water 100% calories.

Find a bridge between calories - > water - > balance.

You can't go from eating to eating less. Good luck with that... The amount of self discipline to battle our instincts will take most of your mental energy and eventually beat you in the long run. Instead spend time educating yourself and turning cognitive goals into habits. You know you want to lose weight it just so happens to not be a habit you can practice.

So start building a habit. For this I don't want to get into it but I want to recommend you a book which you can find in audio books and helped me know myself.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Habit-What-Business/dp/1400069289

Not loosely reviewed as you can see.


This book will help you believe. Actually believe you can change your habits and have control over your life.

Back to weight loss. Anyway, try things like getting food of other stuff that is less calorie dense prior you start actually exercising stronger restraint. So instead of eating a full meal like you usually would.

an example of a smoothie : 1 scoop of protein powder, handful of spinach, ice, half a cup of milk, water, teaspoon of xantham gum, and sweeten it with splenda if you like. Why? that will yield over 1/4 gallon or 1 litter of just ~300 calories. It has ice creamy texture, its sweet and stimulating and will get you full so you have a much easier time eating less of other more caloric stuff you may normally eat.

Just keep in mind. Go step by step, make a log of what you eat and can you eat instead, and like I said before. Patience. Just do it, don't question it, wait and let results surprise you, don't weight yourself every day twice that is not patience that is anxiety. Know you are doing things right and diligently and you will be rewarded. Do it long enough and it will become inherent in you.

This is as briefly I can tackle one of today's most complicated issues. Good luck.

There is another thing though, that I would like to add quickly. If there is some kind of food that may be detrimental to your goals you will have to make a choice or a plan about it. Let's say beer. Beer is not the best to lose weight. So if I want to drink a lot of beer and lose a lot of weight I am in a tough spot because only one can happen at a time. When it comes to things like this ask yourself:

Is there a replacement? no?

can it be moderated? no?

can it happen less frequently no?

If none apply. Are your goals to lose weight something you want in your life more than (beer for example).
Which one will you give up so you can be happy with the other. Note that if you choose to let the weight loss go, at least you will have beer without guilt. Just an example. Coming into terms with yourself is an important tool when making this kind of changes.

u/screenwblues · 6 pointsr/selfhelp

You're getting a lot of great practical feedback so I'm going to come at it from another angle.

I'm not trying to be a wise old man. In truth, I'm just talking to me when I was there. Right where you are. 16 - no confidence, issues of my own, problems to solve, girl I wanted... I found my way - it started when I forced myself to walk and bike and get to the gym - small steps. More than 20 years later, I am the same person but my weaknesses turned into my strengths and I fought and earned a confidence that is hard to shake.

If I had not made the changes that you are contemplating today, my life would be 1/10th of what I imagined. If you push for this, you can have it all. I'm not exaggerating - I literally have a life that I would not have had the balls to even dream of when I was in your position. I wouldn't have believed it if you told me this is where I would be.

You can get there too. But you have to start now.

First thing, and most important - you need to know that this isn't about that girl. I mean it is - but it has nothing do do with her.

When you see her, you see an ideal. The person you want to be next to. The dream you want. The love you want.

It's you that you're chasing. Your ideal. The person you want to be. The dream you want. The love you deserve.

Chase that. Find that. Feel that. Forget telling yourself that anxiety is sabotaging you and forget telling yourself that she's a girl you'll never get. It's not true. If it was, then you wouldn't see that possible ideal you.

Whatever system or behavior you adapt to change, remember that it's truly you that you're doing it for. That is the only way change lasts. The only way that it's real. Otherwise it's an act that you're putting on. If you don't believe it then you can't expect anyone else to believe it either.

Some nuts and bolts suggestions:

  • Everything is a system. EVERYTHING. Any goal, big or small can be broken down into steps. You don't climb Everest - you take one step at a time and end up at the top of Everest. Don't overwhelm yourself. Steps.

  • Break down what you want into systems. You want to get stronger? Look into how a gym works with your body. Find out the best workout routine. Look into nutrition. Research it. Find the steps. Take them.

  • Do what you just did - ask for help. Keep asking. Someone knows more than you, ask. "I don't know." is a powerful three words. Learn from the experience of others and you won't have to learn it yourself.

  • Don't focus on how far you have to go or what you weren't able to do. Focus on what you did today that your old self wouldn't have done. You wanted to hit the gym 3 times this week and went twice? Old you wouldn't have gone at all. That's momentum. Keep it.

  • No excuses. You have a plan. You have steps. If you don't get where you're going it is only and exactly because of you. It is exactly and only your fault. I don't care if you have a great reason. You broke your legs and you can't bike like you wanted in your plan? Then find an exercise that you can do with your arms. Your 80 year old self doesn't care if you had a great reason to give up on your goals. Your 80 year old self is wishing he could have had one more drop of life.

    I'm not saying you're to blame for bad things that happen in your life - I'm saying that it's your responsibility to deal with them as they occur. Don't collapse under the weight of bad things. Push through. You owe that to yourself.

  • Read this book. Study it. Implement it. The good news is, as evolved as we all are, we are still dumb apes. Hard wiring your lizard/animal self with your higher self is easier than you'd think. Use this right and you will fix your lazy (and a lot of problems that will come down the road) http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Habit-What-Business/dp/1400069289

  • At the beginning of this reply I mentioned that I "earned" and "fought" in my life. It is no accident that I chose those words and it is no exaggeration. If you want change then you will have to earn it and fight for it. Growth is the most worthwhile thing in the world and the only constant in nature. It doesn't come cheap. Don't hate what you have to do - it's making you become who you will be.

    Edit: Me type bad.
u/1Ender · 5 pointsr/getdisciplined

You're not a special snowflake, none of us are. It's only through dedicatedly doing shit you don't want to that you can chisel yourself into something better. Improving oneself is difficult because you are both the mason and the block of marbel. its not easy.

You want to develop self control? Realise that you are completely normal and not entitled to anything. Go and read some books ont he science of self control and you would see the fact that you lack it shows that you most likely will not succeed in life no matter how "gifted" you were as a child. You can change this through constant hard fucking work which is essentially all that self control is but thats about it. There are no tricks. Self control is a muscle that is developed through use. Sit down for 4 hours a day and study. WHen you can do that start studying for 5 hours. ect.

it's not easy. Realise that you are nothing without developing yourself and then build yourself up. Anyone can do the work, you are not special, the dedication to work is what differentiates the wannabees from the true acheivers.

As for books on the topic

http://www.amazon.com/Power-Habit-What-Life-Business/dp/1400069289

http://www.amazon.com/Willpower-Instinct-Self-Control-Matters-ebook/dp/B005ERIRZE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1368309907&sr=1-1&keywords=self+control

Good luck.

u/VonStraussKoc · 5 pointsr/ENFP

The Power Of Habit. Seriously, ENFPs need to fucking read this book cause we're generally shit at staying on task and focused. After reading this, i'm a little less shit at it and I should probably read it again.

Also Russell Brand's autobiography My Booky Wook. A wickedly funny and heartfelt insight into someone who is a complete off the wall ENFP.

u/bestPoet · 5 pointsr/INTP

The biggest thing I've done for my productivity/follow through is reading books about willpower, habits, productivity, etc. As an INTP that needs to really understand things and feel like I'm making my own decisions, rather than follow some advice a parent or whatever gave me, I love books because they give me a deeper understanding that makes sense.

Thus, I recommend reading these books:

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
Changed the way I think about productivity and life changes. They key to accomplishing goals isn't developing pure willpower, but developing habits that help you achieve what you want. However, I'd still recommend...

Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength by Roy F. Baumeister
Just a very interesting book about willpower. Will shatter some misconceptions and teach you some new things.

Zen to Done by LeoBabatua
A practical approach to setting the habits and structure necessary to be productive.

Also read The 7 Rules of Highly Effective Habits, which is just a blog post so it wont take long.

I still can't sit down for hours and concentrate at will, but by implementing some of the stuff I've learned from these resources, I've set up a good system that works for me. As a very simple idea, are you familiar with the Pomodoro technique?
Basically, it goes like this. When you want to work on something, set a timer for 25 minutes and know that you only have to sit down and focus for 25 minutes. Don't worry if what you're doing is great or sucks, if you get in your 25 minutes it's been a success (expecting to spend a certain amount of time on something rather than get a certain amount of quality work done has been a game changer for me). Then, after 25 minutes, take a 5-10 minute break... and put in another 25 minutes. Then, repeat... or not.. depending on if you're feeling up for it.

u/Loisdenominator · 5 pointsr/stopsmoking

I have issues with failure too...we are both perfectionists, I bet.

The thing is, having made it those 3 days I felt great pride in myself and quite the feeling of achievement that has just continued building. Kind of like "I knew I had it in me all along" (despite my numerous failures before).

This sub is also a great place to share, ask, discuss and it just dawned on me, very much part of the quitting process (like therapy).

If I can suggest another book that I think I'm going to reread: The Power of Habit

I think it's timely as I look forward to 3 weeks, the time it takes to form a habit (or break one).

See you around, stay strong.

u/benihana · 4 pointsr/loseit

This book might really help you:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Habit-What-Business/dp/1400069289/ref=sr_1_1_ha?ie=UTF8&qid=1375559502&sr=8-1&keywords=the+power+of+habit

>I hate that if I do everything perfectly it will still be YEARS before I reach my goal weight.

You can either post on the internet how much you hate everything, or you can do something about it. You may not reach your goal for a few years, but every day you make progress will make you feel better about yourself because you're doing something active to fix it and not just complaining about it.

u/becomingmanofsteel · 3 pointsr/getdisciplined

Mindfulness helps us being aware of our own thoughts, feelings, emotions and sensations. Each of our emotional state has a different set of feeling and sensations with it.

If you are aware you can literally feel the change in your sensations while the urge for watching porn is coming. If you can watch the urge coming, you can distract yourself by doing something else or confront it and watch how long the urge will stay. It dies out fast if you are watching.

If you don't see the urge coming and blindly react and start watching porn. After a while the practice of mindfulness kicks in. It watches how you are getting dopamine kicks. Again you get a choice of stopping that thing or continuing.

This cycles happens in all kinds of habits - there is an urge (also called the cue), then there is the actual habit, then there is a feeling of reward (or punishment).

There is this book for reference : The Power of Habit.

Mindfulness can actually reduce and eliminate the urges themselves. Being 100% mindful and destroying your life on any addiction just do not go together.

Mindfulness makes you equanimous. Basically you stop giving a damn about yourself and understand your responsibility for helping others.

u/artaru · 3 pointsr/OkCupid

Forget about couple out there, let them be on their merry (or miserable) way). Focus on yourself. Find the things you like and love. Pursue those. Make YOURSELF happy (with caveats of course. you can't do anything illegal or shouldn't do anything that'd hurt others)

Why would it scare the shit out of you to go get in shape? Why would you be afraid to cultivate a hobby or two? I mean there's just about as little pressure as there is in a person's life. Hobbies and getting in shape.

You know, maybe you should check out this book. For quite some time, my life has been pretty messy and unfocused. But having read and been inspired by this book, I tried to build up many GOOD habits in my life (sleeping/working out/many others). It took a while but right now they are really paying dividends for me as I really need to be good physical shape for my professional/academic career. It's not just about being in shape also. It's many little things.

I highly recommend it. Maybe you can find a barnes and noble somewhere (or a library...) and check it out. It's helped me tremendously and perhaps it can help you out also.

u/shinosa · 3 pointsr/books

Charles Duhigg's The Power of Habit is a great, science-based read on why people behave the way they do. Does a great job tying our behaviors to the biology of our brains.

It's not a "self-help book" by any stretch, but I stopped biting my nails after 30 years while reading it, so there's that.

u/richy869 · 3 pointsr/GetMotivated

Looks like you've heard some of the terminology, and now it's time to apply it. Have you read the book where this comes from? The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. There is a simplified website you can walk through too here. You don't necessarily have to change your cues and rewards, it's easier to change the routine.

Set some goals and targets. What exactly are you trying to achieve? To set a goal, it has to be specific, measurable, achievable, make it relevant, and in what time frame (this is known as the SMART criteria for setting objectives). You haven't told us what you need to work on, but it sounds like you want to study more, so I'm assuming that from now on. Don't just set a goal like "I want to read this textbook". Be more like, "I want to read and summarise x number of pages by y date by using z"

Once you've set a goal like that, then you can look at your habit loop. Your reward should be linked to your objective that you worked a bit on your studies/project etc, or that you didn't snack. Your cues seem like it's when you get up, and when you get home when you have time on your hands. You've set a wide 5h time frame when you get up. If you regulated your sleep more so that have a more predictable schedule, then you can put in time to the books. If you set aside 1h per day on studies for 1 month, that's 30h of solid work time there. If you put a cost on that and said $30/h for a tutor to help you, then that's $900. Ask yourself how much time and money you will waste keeping on doing what you're doing now and have a hard think about it.

From what I've read, your cues:

  1. Waking up
  2. Finishing breakfast
  3. Getting home from work

    Rewards:

  4. Getting social media fix
  5. Good feelings from listening to music
  6. Satisfaction from watching tv/movies

    Translating to the habit loop becomes (Cue > Routine > Reward):

  7. Wake up > Check fb/reddit > social media fix!
  8. Finish breakfast > Turn on Netflix > caught up on tv/movies!
  9. Finish breakfast > Turn on music > dopamine fix!
  10. Get home from work > Check fb/reddit > social media fix!
  11. Get home from work > Turn on music > dopamine fix!

    This is where your goal and habit tie in. How do you feel when you achieve the milestones along the way in your goal? You feel good! That's dopamine as you've already identified. I know when I learn something new or do something well, you get that same feeling. Why not use that same thing as a starting point for your reward? Clearly you will need to give up your 8+h of slacking around on fb/reddit/netflix. I sincerely hope that you can see that this is the part that's hurting you. You will need to sacrifice something here, but in the long run, social media, watching tv and listening to music are not necessarily going to help you achieve your goals (unless intrinsically linked like you want to be a musician/actor etc).

    Some new habits you could try:

  12. Wake up > Study > dopamine fix!
  13. Finish breakfast > Study > dopamine fix!
  14. Get home from work > Study > dopamine fix!

    Some further thoughts and questions I had:

  • Do you have to work nights? Can you switch to a day job?
  • Can you eat at work or on the way home so you don't snack when you get home?
  • Can you sleep less? 8h is great, but if you could go on 6h, you could also get some time there
  • Why do you feel the need to check social media so much? Can you cut down? (Is this a stupid old person comment?)
  • Can you delay gratification? As in, can you focus on study during the week and then reward yourself with netflix on the weekend?
  • Another thing you can try is to not turn your computer on when you get up and hit the books straight away
  • Can you try streamlining your day more and fit in some exercise? This would also be beneficial to your energy levels
  • I usually like to work with music in the background. If not too distracting, then you can do the same, and get some additional motivation/dopamine while studying

    Anyways, that turned out to be a monster post. Hope it helps. PM me if you want to talk further. You seem like you're heading into a dire situation and need help. Happy to lend a helping hand if you need mate.

    Cheers,
    Richy
u/danjr321 · 3 pointsr/MortalKombat

Try it in stages. If it is a habit thing, try replacing that habit with something different. For instance if you find you want a soda at a certain time each time you can start going for a walk instead and over time your brain will replace the soda habit with a daily walking habit.

There is a book I got from a former job that helped me with a couple things called The power of habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business it is some interesting stuff that could help change bad habits.

u/Live_like_a_man · 3 pointsr/GetMotivated

Maybe the thing is not so much that there is a reason why you don't do these things, rather there is a reason why you do other things instead.

This book gave me an insightful view on that.

in short: I simply fall into behavoural patterns - habits - and that is the reason why I don't do the things I objectively want to do. The habit to watch an episode of something (futurama, ted, etc) while I eat dinner leads to me spending more time watching another episode and then some on Reddit or other places.

reading a book during dinner instead (if I'm alone) leads me to do productive things afterwards.

tl;dr: Think about why you do the things you do, rather than why you don't do the things you don't do. Maybe you can realign your triggers (e.g. if you want to start woodwork, why not take your dinner to the shed where you work and look at plans while you're doing it)

u/eisenreich · 3 pointsr/Paleo

As someone who had a similar bedtime ritual (pour scotch, read in bed, repeat until tired), I was able to break the cycle simply by substituting another drink for alcohol. In my case, tea worked perfectly as a replacement beverage. It was more about the habit of sipping something while I was reading.

Check out "The Power of Habit" for a good read on the subject.

u/WurzelGummidge · 3 pointsr/photography

Then read The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. Same thing written properly and without the shitty pictures

u/surefireway · 3 pointsr/Paleo

On the urges, I find that the urges are reflective of habits--and you have to treat them as such. There's a trigger, which can be anything, people, time of day, something, that corresponds to a reward; find that trigger, change the behavior, and then associate a new behavior with the reward. tl;sr: The Power of Habit.

As for the gum, if you look at the nutrition on various gums, there's some sugars/other weird stuff. If you're trying to lose weight, I would think that gum would hurt a bit, especially the sweetened stuff--I think of it like berries and nuts--if you're worried about weight loss, do them sparingly, and try to find the best gums that fit with paleo guidelines that you can.

Hope that helps.

u/mworg · 3 pointsr/NoFap

Yea, I can't remember the name of the book. Just kidding, one google search found it..

But the example they gave was of someone biting their nails, and they gave this girl a notecard. And every time she wanted to bite her nails, she was supposed to mark the notecard. But what you said about triggers is true because I remember them trying to get her to realize what sensations, restlessness, nervous, itchy fingers, whatever it was that she felt that then led her to bite her nails. When she felt those things, she was supposed to mark the card.

The idea I guess is that habits are so ingrained in us (I think they're part of the reptilian brain, whatever that one is called, the one near the brain stem I think), that it is easier to change some part of the habit loop than try to eliminate the whole thing in one fell swoop.

u/Lightfiend · 2 pointsr/psychology

Behaviorism? Behavior therapy? Operant conditioning?

There's a recent book you'd probably like called The Power of Habit that talks about "habit loops" and how they can be used to change behavior. The basic idea is that the structure of every habit is "Cue -> Routine -> Reward."

u/TheSilentChemist · 2 pointsr/pics

That's not exactly what I meant. I just finished reading part of The Power of Habit for my psychology course which discusses how habits are formed in the brain and how they can be changed or broken. This is directly from chapter 3: The Golden Rule of Habit Change.

>We know that a habit cannot be eradicated--it must instead be replaced...If you want to quit smoking, figure out a different routine that will satisfy the cravings filled by cigarettes. Then, find a support group, a collection of former smokers, or a community that will help you believe you can stay away from nicotine, and use that group when you feel you might stumble...The evidence is clear. If you want to change a habit, you must find an alternative routine, and your odds of success go up dramatically when you commit to changing as part of a group.

[page 92,93]

I'm sorry if I gave the wrong impression. I hope that helps clear things up.

u/TheRainMonster · 2 pointsr/MMFB

I'm really sorry, that sounds so frustrating and dispiriting. You're very self-aware though to be examining your patterns. I just read a book that deconstructs habits and gives advice on how to restructure them so that you're not caught in a downward spiral. It's called The Power of Habit. That or something like that might help you battle your anxiety. Also, when my skin breaks out I put a baking soda paste on the blemishes. It works really well on my skin, and also my SO's who has a history of acne. Good luck with your new products, I've heard it takes a month for a big change to come about with skin care so don't get dispirited yet.

u/DeltaIndiaCharlieKil · 2 pointsr/getdisciplined

The Power of Habit is a really interesting book that goes into the psychology of our habits, how they affect our daily lives, the best ways to change our own habits and make it stick, and how companies use our habits to market products, etc. I've been listening to it on tape while I clean my house and it's been fascinating so far.

u/rshackleford161 · 2 pointsr/GetMotivated

Read The Power of Habit (not an affiliate link, to be clear). I believe you'll find that the author clarifies particular patterns of behavior in a way that can help us.

I've found that I've been able to break certain bad habits about work, namely not "just getting started". However, we should recall that we're of finite resources and cannot change everything at once. Pick one thing, just one thing, and hammer it.

u/The_Chicken_Cow · 2 pointsr/TrueAskReddit

I know you said no books, but a book called [The Power of Habit] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Habit-What-Business/dp/1400069289) might be of interest to you.

There is some cool info in there about analyzing your habits to find out what the true habit is.

He has a great example that his afternoon trip to get a cookie in the lunch room wasn't about the cookie it was about walking around and seeing some people.

It goes in all sorts of other directions, but it gives you insight into the concepts of habits that might spark some change.

u/[deleted] · 2 pointsr/Fitness

I've started reading The Power of Habit. It talks to a lot of different routines that we all need to shake up; not just exercising.

Here is a "movie trailer" style intro to the book: How to break habits (from The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg)

u/twocats · 2 pointsr/europe

Oh, there are a dozen sites for that, I'm subscribed to a few and I've actually run into some pretty good books like this one and [this one] (http://www.amazon.com/Power-Habit-What-Life-Business/dp/1400069289/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346255137&sr=1-1&keywords=power+of+habit) that I found when they were free for a couple of days.

u/FlapjackHatRack · 2 pointsr/ZenHabits

This is the third refrerence to The Power of Habit I've come across this week. Twice in Reddit and another on a podcast I listen to. I've got to check it out.

u/volleyballmaniac · 2 pointsr/needadvice

It would appear that procrastination has become a strong habit for you. Also for me as well, I've noticed it has gotten worse with age. I'm currently working on getting back to normal.

It really got worse when my firstborn came into the picture, and gave me a cop-out as well.

Kind of like smoking. You can't stop, but you really want to.

A new book came out that can probably help both of us:
http://www.amazon.com/Power-Habit-What-Life-Business/dp/1400069289

I listened to the author's interview on NPR and was very impressed with the techniques he was using to break his bad habits.


u/Adeoxymus · 1 pointr/LifeProTips

When I read your habit nailbiting I was reminded of a book by Charles Duhigg called "The power of habit "

The book argues that a habit routine is a hard coded routine in the brain that is present in pretty much all animals.
The key idea in this book is that a typical habit routine (for example nail biting) consists of three parts.

  • The first is the cue, this is the event that triggers the habit routine. This can be, for example in nail biting, simply boredom

  • The second is the hard coded routine, that piece of code you run on autopilot

  • The third is the reward. Every habit that runs automically needs to have a reward that makes it worth doing.


    If you want to create a habit you need to make sure that you setup a cue (such as a specific time in the day or a specific event) and a reward that makes you feel good. With this and many repititions you will setup auto pilot habits.
    To break a habit the author suggests to keep the cue and reward, but replace the routine with a different habit. In the book the author gave the example of Mandy who bit her nails. She figured out her cue was boredom and the reward was "a sense of completeness, a physical stimulation". So to replace the bad habit everytime she got bored she would force herself not to bite her nails, but do something else that would give a similar sense of completeness (such as rubbing her arm or rapping her knuckles on a desk - anything that would produce a physical response.)

    I don't know if this is in any way useful, I was just reminded of the book on habits and felt compelled to share :-)
u/dhc23 · 1 pointr/stopsmoking

The Power of Habit talks about this.

In essence, Duhigg argues that a key element in developing willpower is understanding inflection points – the points at which the temptation to quit will be strongest. In a study of Scottish people who had a knee transplant, the people who wrote out in advance a detailed plan of how they would handle the most painful moments in their physical recovery (going to the toilet, picking wife up from bus stop) were able to make it over the hump.

The association you make between drinking and smoking is a habit. You can develop a new habit with new associations, but it will take time. And practice, and forethought.

u/nomic42 · 1 pointr/aspergers

Lots of great posts here. You certainly hit a hot topic that we all relate to quite well.

I had quite the opposite experience with my parents. I was not expected to go to college or do at all well. My highschool grades were meager and I never studied well. It was up to me to either succeed or fail. It's mostly because people pissed me off by saying I couldn't make it that I put in the effort to show them wrong. In my first semester, I got straight A's. After that I did manage to fail a class. I asked the professor to fail me so I could retake it next year. I got over 100% that next year and added a major in the subject. Sometimes failure provides a wake-up call to solve an important problem in ones own life.

I don't know what to advise for him. It's great that he has a parent that is patient and listens. He'll have to find his own motivation and find his own way to make it all work.

Here are a couple books I at least found interesting:

The Power of Habit

Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us

u/david72486 · 1 pointr/GetMotivated

If you feel like motivating to get even small things accomplished takes way more effort than it should, you could try reading "The Power of Habit". Until reading this book, I didn't realize that so much of our brains are controlled by these primitive feelings.

Maybe once you internalize why all people have this tendency, you can consciously fight it and make some forward progress. After getting some successes, you'll be well on your way to bigger things. Good luck to you!

u/wolfehr · 1 pointr/askscience

dainthevta gives a good explanation so I won't repeat, but if you're interested in reading more on the subject I recommend The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg.

Although it wasn't purposeful, AA uses some of these techniques. Their goal is to replace the "drink alcohol" response to a cue that would normally cause them to drink with a "go to meeting" or "call sponsor" response. The response is different and much more healthy, but the reward is the same, in that they feel better, are able to forget about the cue, etc.

Essentially, figure out what cues are causing the craving response, and replace that response with a healthy one that gives you the same reward. Obviously much more easy to say than do, but based on the book I referenced above it seems to have some success.

Edit: For clarity, you can think of the habit loop like the below and the goal is to replace the response phase with something healthy while keeping the cue and reward the same.

Cue -> Response -> Reward

u/blueandroid · 1 pointr/trees

If you find it difficult, you can try making a new habit, something to do instead when you have that moment of wanting. Maybe, draw something, or pick up a guitar, or chew gum. You may be interested in this book. You might want to unsubscribe from r/trees for now too - great folks here, but maybe not the best to be around when you're moving your attention on to other things.

u/griminald · 1 pointr/GetMotivated

The ironic thing is, if you check out the negative reviews of the book on Amazon, they center around one complaint: "It doesn't tell you enough about how to change your habits."

Those who wanted a one-size-fits-all process think the stories are filler, but they're not; they're examples of how habits are so ingrained in the human psyche that we literally don't think when our brains process them.

The stories give context to the Cue-Routine-Reward process and why it works the way it does.

u/alarmed · 1 pointr/Fitness

I know you've probably had more comments than you can handle, but you should check out the book The Power of Habit while you're at it. Have a read of it in your off times, it is a very interesting read!

u/Funeral_Potato · 1 pointr/coldshowers

Here's a book you might find interesting. The tldr version is that discipline in one area beads over into ither aspects of your life.

https://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Habit-What-Business/dp/1400069289

u/Junkbot · 1 pointr/ketoscience

I mean, there are many studies on the glucose/willpower relationship. When I read the ones referenced in the book, they seem plausible in as much as you can test willpower in a laboratory setting. Granted, some of the willpower tests can seem artificial (time attempting an impossible puzzle, squeezing a stressball, time putting your hand in cold water, etc), but they look to be standard ways to test willpower.

Yes, went through The Power of Habits by Duhigg as well, and I agree with using willpower to establish habits. Then you conserve willpower because the 'harder' tasks turn into mindless/non-willpower consuming habits.

u/IxD · 1 pointr/getdisciplined

Also, i can highly recommend The book / audiobook 'power of habit'.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Habit-What-Business/dp/1400069289

u/npsol · 1 pointr/NoFap

This is going to be a real challenge. i seriously recommend reading The Power of Habit (http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Habit-What-Business/dp/1400069289/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371689543&sr=8-1&keywords=habit). It's a great book and will help with both of your goals.

u/pollyannapusher · 1 pointr/stopdrinking

Thanks! :-)

Many of us here are introverts by nature. Check out the preliminary results of the poll we did here not too long ago...the Myers Briggs personality test section. That shows the majority of us are, including myself. I feel most comfortable out in nature by myself doing my own thing. I feel at home. Like many of us, when I first started drinking, it was an in order to fight against that very nature...to be that gregarious, outgoing person that it seemed others were naturally. Wrong choice made by an immature mind and by continuing those actions, it just compounded the original problem....I was afraid. I was full of fear such as: Fear of rejection, insecurity, feeling controlled by others, being deprived, looking stupid, vulnerability, responsibility...the list goes on. Accepting ourselves as who we really are deep inside is the first step in overcoming those fears. I'm okay with the fact that crowds and lots of people make me uncomfortable. But you know what? I still push my comfort limits with a sober mind to help try to overcome my fear. Exposing my vulnerabilities helps me grow as a person and helps me understand ME more. Yesterday I let go and shared something (exposed my fear) in a meeting that has been eating at me for weeks...and guess what? That's all it took for me to figure out what the hell was going on.

I know I'm all over the board here, so I'll stop for now. But I know you said you like reading so I'll leave you with a few links:

The Power of Habit

Mindful self compassion meditation

Marc and Angel Life Hack

The Gifts of Imperfection

The Big Book

Oh..and a YouTube link The Power of Vulnerability

Edit: Also check out youtube videos by Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. Oh, and Wildmind.

Okay...done now. ;-)