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Inside This Issue
Is Knowledge Really Power? Page 1
Family Activities for St. Patrick’s Day Our Clients Say It Best Page 2
The Curious Case of the Disappearing Flags Homemade Corned Beef Page 3 WhyWe Do What We Do Page 4
‘The Power of Habit’ by Charles Duhigg A Page FromMatt’s Bookshelf
Our life is made up of habits. Habits aren’t inherently good or bad. Most are completely unnoticeable, like what time we brush our teeth or how we pull the car out of the driveway. But watching TV instead of exercising, drinking too much, or overindulging in sweets are habits too. Charles Duhigg, a Pulitzer prize-winning reporter and author of “The Power of Habit,” suggests that by isolating our habits, we can improve our life for the better.
According to Duhigg, you can’t remove a habit, but you can change it. If you identify your cue and reward surrounding a bad habit, you can replace it with a better routine that meets your needs. Changing your habits isn’t easy. It takes time and effort. One of Duhigg’s examples of a system that helps people change their habits is Alcoholics Anonymous. When people join A.A., attending meetings is the routine that replaces drinking. Bill Wilson, the man who created A.A., was incredibly religious, and it was his belief in Christ that led him to found A.A. and help thousands of recovering alcoholics. When I read “The Power of Habit,” Bill Wilson’s story stuck with me. I think that in order to really change, you have to recognize there’s something bigger than yourself that’s worth changing for. We change because there’s something more important than ourselves and our petty wants. This could be devotion to your family or devotion to God, but if you don’t have something to put your faith in, what’s the point? Change is personal. There’s no easy trick or magic spell. But if you’re willing to change, if you learn how to change, and if you find a reason to change, you can succeed.
I’ve read “The Power of Habit” numerous times. What I love most about this book is that it’s not the typical fluffy guru stuff you find in a lot of self-help books. Duhigg offers a lot of scientific research and real- world examples about how habits control our lives. At the same time, when Duhigg talks about what happens in our brains, he manages to do so without turning it into a textbook about neuroscience.
Duhigg breaks down habits into a cycle of three steps: cue, routine, and reward.
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