Book Review: The Power of Habit

The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do in life and business, Charles Duhigg

{{divider}}

Habits emerge without our permission, and their power lies in the neurological cravings they create. Often, these cravings emerge so gradually and insidiously, that we aren’t even consciously aware of their existence. Much like Pavlov’s dogs, to create new habits, we put together a cue, a routine, and a reward, before cultivating a craving that drives the loop.

{{divider}}

The Power of Habit by New York Times investigative reporter, Charles Duhigg : Why We Do What We Do In Life and Business, is a cutting, provocative and practical read that dives into the ubiquity of unconscious habits shaping our destinies, along with a guide to changing them. Ideal for those who - believe they are in conscious control of most of their lives, want to start or shed a new habit but can’t seem to make it stick or keep falling off the bandwagon.

{{divider}}

Fascinatingly, the idea for the book was sparked by Duhigg’s fascination with the wit of a U.S. army major in Kufa in Iraq, who nipped riots in the bud by persuading the small town’s mayor to keep food vendors out of large and growing gatherings – when people couldn’t fuel their anger and energy with kebabs, as they usually did, they just left. Tons of research and 8 years later, Duhigg published the go-to book about habits.

{{divider}}

“All our life so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits – practical, emotional, and intellectual – systematically organised for our weal or woe, and bearing us irresistibly toward our destiny, whatever the latter may be. ”

{{divider}}

— William James

{{divider}}

From classical and sports psychology to rehabilitation programs, big business, government and cultural movements; Harvard MBA graduate, Charles Duhigg sets about demonstrating that habits dictate most of what goes on around us, whether we see them or not.

{{divider}}

Equally philosophical and psychological, the book’s closing sections touch lightly on the thorny nature of free-will and the ethics of habit. Charles concludes that habits can and do exert a power that may go beyond our conscious control to moderate. Changing those habits when we know about them, however, is within our control and a failure to try and change something you know about amounts to negligence.

{{divider}}

The Anatomy of Habit

{{divider}}

Cues are a combination of stimuli (smell, thought, touch, taste, sound)

{{divider}}

Responses are chains of thoughts and / or actions

{{divider}}

Rewards are increases / decreases in pleasant or unpleasant sensations, emotions or thoughts

{{divider}}

When a response is repeated, it becomes a reliable and automatic habit that triggers long term structural changes in the brain (predominantly within the learning centre). This allows co-ordination to become independent of conscious decision making. This is why cravings arise even before a habitual response takes place, and these cravings can become powerful enough to override even basic survival instincts.

{{divider}}

Whilst physical cravings are often short lived (for example the presence of nicotine in the blood stream is <100 hours), the mental component tends to be much more powerful and enduring. Habits aren’t all bad - as individuals we rely on them to free up our conscious resources as our attention and working memory are limited. Out of the thousands of stimuli we receive every day, we must pick and choose what we focus on and respond to, by delegating most of our decisions to the automaton of the subconscious.

{{divider}}

“When people join groups where change seems possible, the potential for that change to occur becomes more real”

{{divider}}

— Charles Duhigg

{{divider}}

Individual vs Company Habits

{{divider}}

Companies also rely on creating or changing the habits of our customers to meet demand and sell products. Many successful companies have become masters of both understanding and manipulating habit cycles. Some of the more unethical ones understand cravings, create new ones, and identify and exploit periods of change. Chain smoking is a good example of a habit with negative individual consequences. Understanding our own habit loops as individuals can help us spot and limit this manipulation.

{{divider}}

However as groups and communities, we rely on habits (laws, processes and routines) to encourage sustainable co-operation, including decision making, setting common goals and behavioural conduct, along with accountability. In order to make movements and societal change sustainable, leaders need to set new habits and sustain the momentum until they become the new status quo.

{{divider}}

“Habits are most malleable when the Golden Rule of habit change is applied: If we keep the same cue and the same reward, a new routine can be inserted”

{{divider}}

— Charles Duhigg

{{divider}}

Habits and Relapse

{{divider}}

As habits result from structural changes in our brains, they decay very slowly once formed, making them difficult to erase. It is believed that the subconscious always follows the path of least resistance, but that we can override it using willpower, or bridge the gap between a new habit and a deeper one. Like a physical muscle, willpower is limited in capacity and endurance. We cannot life three times our physical weight at once, or 60% of it for three hours. It can only be strengthened, within limits, through patience and practice - with strength correlating highly with success over time. When cues are persistent and out of our control, and environmental cravings keep reinforcing themselves, eventually willpower is overwhelmed, leading to relapse.

{{divider}}

“Families who habitually eat dinner together seem to raise children with better homework skills, higher grades, greater emotional control, and more confidence”

{{divider}}

— Charles Duhigg

{{divider}}

Habits can act like dominoes, and changing just one keystone habit can have far reaching consequences. It can eliminate cues for habits further down the chain, establish cues that create new, or trigger other existing habits, and create a period of wider change or a greater sense of self belief in change. Keystone habits are those that foster change across many different areas, for example quitting smoking might not lead to starting running or improving your diet, but starting running might encourage you to do both and more.

{{divider}}

“Making your bed every morning is correlated with better productivity, a greater sense of well-being, and stronger skills at sticking with a budget.”

{{divider}}

— Charles Duhigg

{{divider}}

Creating a habit

{{divider}}

1. Identify the desired response: work on one new thing at a time. Willpower is limited so don’t bite off more than you can chew. Make it easy to follow through, and plan what you can do in advance - e.g. leaving your gym clothes out the night before, to encourage an early morning run.
2. {{divider}}
   
   
3. Establish a cue: pick an environment that supports this habit (e.g. a library to encourage studying), timing (days / weeks that work best), emotional state (what is the trigger for this habit - anger, excitement etc), other people that may trigger the habit, and directly preceding thoughts, emotions or actions. Visualise the cue and plan out / rehearse your exact response to it in your head.
4. {{divider}}
   
   
5. Design some carrots: treat yourself and form a reward for the behaviour, establish support networks and check in with them to keep you motivated, visualise the desired outcome and remind yourself of it often, track your progress and celebrate the small wins. As well as reinforcing the behaviour, this creates a positive cycle of belief in change.
6. {{divider}}
   
   
7. Set up some sticks: commit yourself to your new resolution on paper, track the streaks of completed responses, make a public commitment to those who won’t judge you if you fail
8. {{divider}}
9. 
   
10. Practice your new habit cycle every day for 30 days: patience and practice are important, and necessary to prevent relapse.
11. {{divider}}

“Keystone habits offer what is known within academic literature as ‘small wins.’ They help other habits to flourish by creating new structures, and they establish cultures where change becomes contagious”

{{divider}}

— Charles Duhigg

Whilst the above works as a great guideline, it is not a blue print, each of us is different as unique individuals, and every person has different cravings and drivings for the same routines or behaviours. Whilst some habits are easy to break down, others are more complex, and may require prolonged study or assistance from a third party. Some habits can also be changed quickly, while others take longer.

{{divider}}

Experiment with different habits, rewards, and don’t put yourself under pressure to complete it by a certain timeline, have fun with the data. For some, a period of intense change occurs due to a crisis. Major external change and crisis and uproot even old and entrenched habits. These periods give us and others a licence to shake up old behaviours and act in new ways. Major external changes include getting married, starting a new school, moving home, changing job or having a child. Major life crises include a health scare, bankruptcy, accidents or near misses, and global financial crises. Interestingly, fabricating or artificially prolonging a sense of crisis can be useful when promoting change in yourself and others.

{{divider}}

“Good leaders seize crises to remake organisational habits [and] crises are such valuable opportunities that a wise leader often prolongs a sense of emergency on purpose.”

{{divider}}

— Charles Duhigg

{{divider}}

When ‘the difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do’, the power of habit is something none of us can afford to (sub)consciously ignore. This book is for the employee who always has a cookie after lunch, and might want to know why, the eternal new years resolution maker who struggles with sticking to their new diet, and anyone who has less willpower than they’d like to have.

‍