We’re always talking about the keys to success and the practical ways to achieve our dreams.
Charles Duhigg, a writer for New York Times, has written a book about the habits that shape our lives and how we can, in turn, shape our habits.
His new book is called “The Power of Habits: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business,” and in it, he describes how habits are responsible for the success of our companies, our bodies and our relationships.
Charles explains how this idea of habits was planted in his head nine years ago when he was covering the war in Iraq. He met a captain who helped stop riots in an Iraqi village by just removing the kabob sellers. The captain explained how the military trains its soldiers to constantly be aware of habits and how changing habits can actually influence the world around them.
For Charles, he’s now practicing what he preaches in the book. Since starting the project, he has lost 35 pounds and he’s training for the New York City Marathon. He’s also thinking more carefully about how to create habits in the lives of his two kids.
He explains how we can all become more aware of our cues and figure out what triggers them. For some people, he says, it’s simply the time of day.
Once you figure out what’s triggering your cues (such as a cookie every afternoon at 3 p.m.) and what rewards you’re craving, you can start to change your habits.
Find out the difference between habit and routine.
Habits aren’t just for individuals. He explains how Target can identify which of its shoppers are pregnant, often before their own families, based solely on their shopping habits.