Habit Shift

Post by: Debbie Johnson in ayurveda books


Here are three highly regarded book favourites of mine on habit change that offer practical strategies and insights:


    "Atomic Habits" by James Clear

        This book is a comprehensive guide to understanding how small, incremental changes can lead to remarkable results over time. Clear explains the science of habits and provides actionable steps to build good habits and break bad ones. The book emphasizes the importance of systems over goals and offers practical tools like habit stacking, environment design, and the "Four Laws of Behavior Change."

    "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg

        Duhigg explores the science behind why habits exist and how they can be transformed. The book delves into the "habit loop" (cue, routine, reward) and shares compelling stories from individuals, organizations, and societies to illustrate how habits shape our lives. It also provides practical advice on how to identify and change habits effectively.

    "Tiny Habits" by BJ Fogg

        BJ Fogg, a behavior scientist, introduces the concept of starting with tiny, manageable changes to create lasting habits. His method focuses on simplicity and celebrating small wins to build momentum. The book is filled with practical advice and emphasizes the role of emotions in habit formation, making it a great resource for those who struggle with motivation.

These books are widely praised for their actionable advice, scientific grounding, and ability to inspire lasting change.

Following are insights into each book.  Habit change is a practice that is typically not easy for most of us. These books are excellent assistants to making lasting habit change! I've listened to each of them more than once the past few years. (Audible is my go to).  Habit stacking is always on my mind. :)


"Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything" is a self-help book by BJ Fogg, a behavior scientist at Stanford University. The book presents Fogg's methodology for creating lasting change by starting with small, manageable behaviors—termed "tiny habits"—and building upon them. Here are the key points:

    Behavior Model: Fogg introduces the Fogg Behavior Model, which posits that behavior is a product of three elements: Motivation, Ability, and Prompt. For a behavior to occur, all three must converge at the same moment.

    Start Small: The core idea is to start with behaviors that are so small they require minimal motivation and are easy to do. This reduces the barrier to entry and makes it more likely that the behavior will be performed consistently.

    Celebration: Fogg emphasizes the importance of immediate positive reinforcement. After performing a tiny habit, one should celebrate the success, which helps to wire the behavior into the brain and create positive emotions associated with the habit.

    Anchor Moments: Tiny habits should be anchored to existing routines or events in one's day. This helps to ensure that the new behavior is triggered consistently by the established routine.

    Scaling Up: Once a tiny habit is established and automatic, it can be gradually expanded or scaled up to more significant behaviors or combined with other tiny habits to create more complex routines.

    Environment Design: Fogg discusses the importance of designing an environment that makes good habits easier to adopt and bad habits harder to engage in.

    Identity Change: Over time, as tiny habits become ingrained, they can lead to a shift in self-identity, where individuals start to see themselves as the type of person who embodies those habits.

    Iterative Process: The book encourages an iterative approach to habit formation, where one experiments with different habits, adjusts the approach as needed, and continuously refines the process.

"Tiny Habits" is a practical guide that combines scientific research with actionable advice, aiming to help readers make meaningful changes in their lives with less reliance on willpower and more on strategic behavior design.


"Atomic Habits" by James Clear is a comprehensive guide on how to build good habits and break bad ones. The book emphasizes the power of small, incremental changes—referred to as "atomic habits"—and how they can lead to significant improvements over time. Here are the key points:

    The Power of Tiny Changes: Small, consistent changes can compound into remarkable results. Improving by just 1% every day leads to being 37 times better by the end of the year.

    The Four Laws of Behavior Change: Clear introduces a framework for creating good habits and eliminating bad ones:

        Cue: Make it obvious (for good habits) or invisible (for bad ones).

        Craving: Make it attractive (for good habits) or unattractive (for bad ones).

        Response: Make it easy (for good habits) or difficult (for bad ones).

        Reward: Make it satisfying (for good habits) or unsatisfying (for bad ones).

    Habit Stacking: Link new habits to existing ones. For example, after brushing your teeth (existing habit), do 10 push-ups (new habit).

    Environment Design: Modify your surroundings to make good habits easier and bad habits harder. For instance, place fruits on the counter for easy access and hide junk food.

    Identity-Based Habits: Focus on who you wish to become rather than what you want to achieve. For example, instead of aiming to read more books, adopt the identity of a reader.

    The Role of Community: Surround yourself with people who have the habits you want to adopt. Social norms and peer behavior significantly influence individual habits.

    The Plateau of Latent Potential: Progress often feels slow because the results of your efforts are not immediately visible. Persistence is key, as breakthroughs often come after a period of consistent effort.

    The Goldilocks Rule: To maintain motivation, tasks should be neither too hard nor too easy but just right. This keeps you in a state of flow and engagement.

    The Importance of Tracking: Use habit trackers to monitor your progress. Visual indicators of your streaks can be highly motivating.

    Continuous Improvement: Always look for ways to refine and improve your habits. Small tweaks can lead to significant gains over time.

By focusing on these principles, "Atomic Habits" provides a practical and actionable roadmap for anyone looking to make lasting changes in their life.

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg explores the science behind habits, how they form, and how they can be changed. The book is divided into three main sections:

    The Habits of Individuals:
    Duhigg introduces the "habit loop," a neurological pattern that governs habits, consisting of three components:

        Cue: A trigger that tells the brain to go into automatic mode.

        Routine: The behavior or action itself.

        Reward: The positive outcome that reinforces the habit.

    He explains how habits are formed and how they can be reshaped by identifying and altering these components. The concept of "keystone habits" is also introduced—small changes that can lead to widespread shifts in behavior.

    The Habits of Successful Organizations:
    This section examines how companies and organizations use habits to improve productivity, safety, and innovation. Duhigg shares examples like Alcoa, where focusing on the keystone habit of worker safety transformed the company's culture and performance, and Target, which uses consumer habit data to predict and influence shopping behavior.

    The Habits of Societies:
    The final section explores how habits shape communities and societies. Duhigg discusses the role of social habits in movements like the civil rights movement, emphasizing how strong ties and peer pressure can drive collective change.

Throughout the book, Duhigg combines scientific research, real-life stories, and practical advice to demonstrate how understanding habits can empower individuals and organizations to achieve their goals. The key takeaway is that while habits are powerful, they are not destiny—by understanding how they work, we can take control and transform them.


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