Summary of the power habit book
We don’t realize how much our habits affect our lives. You can change your health, productivity, and success by changing your habits if you know how they work.
The Habit Loop (How Habits Work) is one of the most important ideas.
There are three parts to every habit:
Cue (Trigger): The thing that starts the habit, like stress or boredom.
Routine (Action): The behavior itself, like eating junk food or scrolling through social media.
Reward (Benefit): The good feeling that keeps the habit going (like relief or a rush of dopamine).
For example:
Feeling tired at 3 PM → Routine: Have coffee → Reward: More energy.
2. How to Change a Habit
Follow the Golden Rule of Changing Habits:
Change the routine, but keep the same cue and reward.
For example, when you’re stressed, instead of smoking, chew gum (same cue/reward).
3. Keystone Habits (Small Changes, Big Effects)
Some habits set off a chain reaction of good change:
Exercise leads to better eating, which leads to more work getting done.
Making your bed every day will help you be more disciplined.
4. The Importance of Belief
When you think change is possible, habits stick (for example, support groups and small wins build confidence).
5. Habits of the organization
Businesses use habits to improve performance:
Starbucks teaches its workers how to deal with stress by giving them routines for dealing with difficult customers.
Target uses information about customers’ habits to boost sales (for example, how pregnant women shop).
6. Social Habits Habits spread from person to person in groups:
Peer pressure can be helpful, like in AA meetings.
Movement starters, like Rosa Parks’ bus protest, used social norms to get people to act.
How to Use This:
Find a habit loop by figuring out what your cue, routine, and reward are.
Try different rewards to see what desire drives the habit.
Change your routine (for example, trade soda for sparkling water).
Have faith in change (keep track of your progress and join groups that help).
Michael Phelps, an Olympian, used visualization techniques to get his brain ready to win.
The LATTE Method at Starbucks is a way to help customers (listen, acknowledge, take action, thank, explain).
“You can’t get rid of a bad habit; you can only change it.”
Why Should You Read This Book?
To take charge of the hidden patterns that run your life and change them.
Good for: anyone who wants to stop bad habits, get more disciplined, or help their organization change.