A Simple Introduction to Habits

According to research from Duke University1, somewhere around 40 percent of the actions people perform every day aren’t due to decision-making but habits.

Take a moment to reflect on what that means. Almost half of the things you do on a given day aren’t the result of conscious decisions but behaviors that you have repeated so many times they have become more or less automatic. You no longer think about them, you just do them.

Imagine what it would mean to you if you could find a way to change this 40 percent of actions so that you got them to work for you in every area of your life. What would it mean for your health? Your finances? Your relationships? Your personal growth?

This is why I absolutely love the topic of habits. It’s also why I think understanding the mechanics of human behavior is a crucial skill in life. Because when we understand human behavior, it enables us to create our habits, which then create us.

So, in the articles below, I’ll share my favorite strategies to create good habits and break bad ones. I suggest you read, implement, and tweak the ones you think will give you the greatest benefits.

If you want a more structured approach, get a copy of my book The Habit Blueprint. It lays out everything in a simple, systematic, step-by-step fashion.

Happy reading! 🙂

Footnote

  1. Habits—A Repeat Performance by David T. Neal, Wendy Wood, and Jeffrey M. Quinn

Habits Articles