Afterpage · week card
The Power of Habit
Charles Duhigg
Key ideas
- The habit loop.
- Cravings drive habits.
- Keep the cue and reward, change the routine.
- Keystone habits.
- Belief and small wins.
The week
| Day 1 | Read the summary. Five key ideas and where the book overreaches. |
| Day 2 | Name the routine. Choose one habit you'd like to change and write down exactly what the routine is. Bad day: Write one sentence describing the habit's routine. |
| Day 3 | Find the cue. Next time the habit happens today, write down five things: where you are, the time, how you feel, who's around, and what you just did. Bad day: Note the time and your mood the next time the urge appears. |
| Day 4 | Test the reward. When the urge hits today, do something different and see if it satisfies the craving. Bad day: Next time the urge hits, do a different thing for two minutes and note how you feel. |
| Day 5 | Write your plan. Write a one-sentence plan: when the cue happens, you'll do the new routine to get the reward. Bad day: Set a phone reminder at your cue time with the new routine as its title. |
| Day 6 | Pick a keystone habit. Choose one keystone habit that could improve several areas at once, and do it today. Bad day: Write tomorrow's plan in three lines before bed tonight. |
| Day 7 | Recruit support. Tell one person or group about the habit you're changing and ask them to check in with you. Bad day: Text one person your plan and ask them to check in. |
Free week by email at getafterpage.com/books/the-power-of-habit