BOOK REVIEW: ‘THE POWER OF HABIT’ Gives You the Tools to Change Unwanted Behavior
instill in your staff go a long way in determining the success of your company. Duhigg looks at organizations ranging from huge corporations like Target to the more intimate structure of NFL teams. If you’re not creating positive habits in your staff, you’re not doing your all as a leader. If you notice a way to replace a bad operational habit with a good one, you’ll improve productivity and employee happiness.
Habits affect us in every aspect of our lives, from our offices to our houses. Whether it’s nail biting, eating too many sweets, or putting off tasks until the last minute, we all have habits we wish we could break. But how do you escape a behavior you know little about? In his book “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business,” New York Times reporter Charles Duhigg examines the structure of habit, its underlying causes, and the impact of habit on our careers and personal lives. The first part of “The Power of Habit” investigates what Duhigg calls the “habit loop.” This loop comprises the cue (the situation that leads to habitual behavior), the routine (the behavior itself), and the reward
Finally, in one of the most instructive sections in any book in recent memory, Duhigg details four steps to changing any habit. First, you pinpoint the routine. Then, you interrogate the reward you receive from that routine. After that, you isolate the situations that cue your behavior. Finally, you make a plan to change the behavior. Self-belief is a huge part of this process. As Duhigg says, “You have to actually believe in your capacity to change for habits to permanently change.” With the tools and examples Charles Duhigg details in “The Power of Habit,” you’ll be able to take control of actions you thought were unbreakable. In both business and life, there’s hardly a more valuable asset.
(the feeling of satisfaction provided by the behavior). Breaking down this loop, Duhigg argues, is the key to altering behavior. If you don’t understand the “why” for an action, it becomes much harder to escape that action itself. “Once you break a habit into its components,” Duhigg writes, “you can fiddle with the gears.”
From there, Duhigg zooms out to take a look at the habits of successful organizations. As a business owner, the habits you
HAVE A LAUGH!
SLOW COOKER Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients
• 5 cups chicken or vegetable stock • 1 cup coconut milk • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 pounds sweet potatoes, roughly chopped • 1 onion, chopped • 2 stalks celery, sliced • 2 medium carrots, chopped • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
Instructions
1. Place all the ingredients except for the coconut milk in a slow cooker. 2. Season everything to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. 3. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours. 4. Puree everything until smooth, using a blender or an immersion blender. 5. Add the coconut milk, give everything a good stir, and cook for another 30 minutes. 6. Adjust the seasoning and serve warm.
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