Once formed, our habits run on “ auto-pilot”, without conscious thought.

As the cue-routine-reward loop becomes more automatic, we start to crave and anticipate the rewards, which locks in the routine and habit.

When an action produces a reward, it creates a “ feedback loop”.pride, relaxation), which determine whether you’ll remember this feedback loop in the future. The routine can produce physical sensations or positive feelings (e.g. feeling irritated, getting a glass of wine) can be mental, emotional, or physical. a TV commercial, a bar of chocolates, an emotion, or a sequence of thoughts) that tells your brain to go into automatic mode, using a particular habit. How do our habits work? This is best understood using the “Habit Loop”. By understanding how habits are formed and how they work, we can decide if, and how, to change them.

Habits are automatic responses that often operate without our conscious awareness, and can be extremely hard to change. In this summary, we’ll give a synopsis of the science of habits and how you can identify and change habits at 3 levels– individuals, companies and societies.įor more details, do get a copy of our complete book summary bundle or read the book for the full details!

Written by Pulitzer prize winning reporter, Charles Duhigg, “The Power of Habit” presents the science behind how habits are formed, and how we can change and rebuild them. Habits can be used to create significant outcomes for individuals, organizations and societies, including losing weight, becoming more productive, influencing customer buying habits, and starting social movements.

The power of habit summary