The Power of Habit

Three key ideas

1. 1A habit has a cue, a routine, and a reward. Use this loop to look closely at a pattern.
2. 2A routine may seem to serve one need while it rewards another, so check the reward.
3. 3Keep the familiar cue and reward, and swap in a different routine that fits your context.

The five 2-minute lessons

1. 1.Map the loop: cue, routine, reward
2. 2.Look behind the reward
3. 3.Replace the routine, don't just ban it
4. 4.Look for useful spillovers
5. 5.Change the system, not just the person

From the comic

More from Brain, Behavior & Psychology

• Thinking, Fast and Slow
  Thinking, Fast and SlowDaniel Kahneman
• Behave
  BehaveRobert Sapolsky
• Grit
  GritAngela Duckworth