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Index

The page numbers in this index refer to the printed version of this book. The link provided will take you to the beginning of that print page. You may need to scroll forward from that location to find the corresponding reference on your e- reader.

accepting that you have particular abilities, 218–19 accountability, 209–10 action vs. motion, 142–43 Adams, Scott, 23, 225 addiction effect of environment on readdiction, 92 smoking, 125–26 Vietnam War heroin problem, 91–92 addition by subtraction strategy, 154 “the aggregation of marginal gains,” 13–14 agricultural expansion example of doing that which requires the least effort, 149–51 Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Stop Smoking (Carr), 125–26 amateurs vs. professionals, 236 animal behavior within an immediate-return environment, 187 cat escape study, 43–44 greylag geese and supernormal stimuli, 102 herring gulls and supernormal stimuli, 101–102 methods for sensing and understanding the world, 84 n Art & Fear (Bayles and Orland), 142 Asch, Solomon, 118–20 athletes Career Best Effort program (CBE), 242–44 comparing champions of different sports, 217–18 examples of reflection and review, 244–45 handling the boredom of training, 233–34 Los Angeles Lakers example of reflection and review, 242–44

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use of motivation rituals, 132–33 atomic habits cumulative effect of stacking, 251–52 defined, 27 automaticity, 144–46 automating a habit cash register example, 171–72 table of onetime actions that lock in good habits, 173 Thomas Frank example of automating a habit contract, 210 using technology, 173–75 awareness Habits Scorecard, 64–66 of nonconscious habits, 62 Pointing-and-Calling subway safety system, 62–63

bad habits breaking (table), 97, 137, 179, 213 reducing exposure to the cues that cause them, 94–95 behavior change Cardinal Rule of Behavior Change, 186, 189 four laws of, 53–55, 186, 252–53 ( see also specific numbered laws) learning curves, 145–46 three layers of, 29–31 benefits of habits, 46–47, 239 “Better All the Time” (article), 154 biological considerations “Big Five” personality traits, 220–22 genes, 218–21, 226–27 boredom, 233–36 Brailsford, Dave, 13–14 the brain career choices and brain differences, 143–44 dopamine-driven feedback loops, 105–108 evolutionary similarity of, 187 as habits are created, 45–46 Hebb’s Law, 143 n inaccurate perceptions of threats, 189 long-term potentiation, 143 physical changes in the brain due to repetition, 143–44 System 1 vs. System 2 thinking, 232n, 261 “wanting” vs. “liking” rewards, 106–108, 263 breakthrough moments ice cube melting example, 20–21 British Cycling, 13–15, 25, 243 Budris, Caed, 260 building a habit four-step process

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1. cue, 47–48 2. craving, 48 3. response, 48–49 4. reward, 49 problem phase and solution phase, 51–53 lessons from, 259–64 business applications of habit strategies, 265 Byrne, Ronan, 108–109

cash register example of automating a habit, 171–72 cat escape study, 43–44 changing your mind-set from “have to” to “get to,” 130–31 Cho, Margaret, 210 choosing the right opportunities combining your skills to reduce the competition, 225–26 explore/exploit trade-off, 223–25 importance of, 222–23 specialization, 226 Clark, Brian, 33 commitment devices, 170–71 compounding effect of small changes airplane route example, 17 author’s college experiences, 6–7 negative results, 19 1 percent changes, 15–16, 17–18 positive results, 19 conditioning, 132–33 consequences of good and bad habits, 188–90, 206–207 context, 87–90 cravings as the sense that something is missing, 129 timing of, 259, 263–64 and underlying motives, 127–28, 130 cue-induced wanting, 93–94 cues automatically picking up, 59–62 making predictions after perceiving, 128–29 obvious visual cues, 85–87 as part of the four-step process of building a habit, 47–48 selecting cues for habit stacking, 77–79 culture imitation of community habits and standards, 115–18 Nerd Fitness example of similarity within a group, 117–18 Polgar family chess example of the role of, 113–14, 122 curiosity, 261

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Damasio, Antonio, 130 Darwin, Charles, 115 decision journal, 245 decisive moments, 160–62 desire, 129–30, 263–64 Diderot, Denis, 72–73 Diderot Effect, 73 “don’t break the chain,” 196–97 dopamine-driven feedback loops, 105–108 downside of habits, 239–40 Dyrsmid, Trent, 195

emotions, 129–30, 261–62, 263–64 energy and likelihood of action, 151–52 environment and context, 87–90 creating an environment where doing the right thing is as easy as possible, 155 dedicated spaces for different activities, 87–90 delayed-return, 187–90 Dutch electrical meter example of obvious cues, 85 effect of environment on an addiction, 92 immediate-return, 187–90 Lewin’s Equation for human behavior, 83 Massachusetts General Hospital cafeteria example of design change, 81–82 priming your environment, 156–58 redesigning your environment, 86–87 suggestion impulse buying, 83 Vietnam War heroin addiction problem example, 91–92 exercise study of implementation intention, 69–70 expectations, 262–63, 264 explore/exploit trade-off, 223–25 Eyal, Nir, 170

failure, 263 feedback loops in all human behavior, 45 dopamine-driven, 105–108 formation of all habits that shape one’s identity, 40 habit, 49–51 feelings, 129–30, 261–62, 263–64 1st Law of Behavior Change (Make It Obvious) Habits Scorecard, 64–66 habit stacking, 74–79, 110–11 habit tracking, 197 implementation intention, 69–72 making the cues of bad habits invisible, 94–95

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Fisher, Roger, 205–206 flow state, 224, 232–33 Fogg, BJ, 72, 74 food science “bliss point” for each product, 103 cravings for junk food, 102–103 dynamic contrast of processed foods, 103 orosensation, 103 four laws of behavior change, 53–55, 186, 252–53. See also specific numbered laws four-step process of building a habit 1. cue, 47–48 2. craving, 48 3. response, 48–49 4. reward, 49 habit loop, 49–51 lessons from, 259–64 problem phase and solution phase, 51–53 4th Law of Behavior Change (Make It Satisfying) habit contract, 207–10 habit tracking, 198–99 instant gratification, 188–93 making the cues of bad habits unsatisfying, 205–206 Safeguard soap in Pakistan example, 184–85 Frankl, Victor, 260 Franklin, Benjamin, 196 frequency’s effect on habits, 145–47 friction associated with a behavior, 152–58 garden hose example of reducing, 153 Japanese factory example of eliminating wasted time and effort, 154–55 to prevent unwanted behavior, 157–58

“gateway habit,” 163 genes, 218–21, 226–27 goals effect on happiness, 26 fleeting nature of, 25 shared by winners and losers, 24–25 short-term effects of, 26–27 vs. systems, 23–24 the Goldilocks Rule flow state, 224, 232–33 the Goldilocks Zone, 232 tennis example, 231 good habits creating (table), 96, 136, 178, 212

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Two-Minute Rule, 162–67 Goodhart, Charles, 203 Goodhart’s Law, 203 Graham, Paul, 247–48 greylag geese and supernormal stimuli, 102 Guerrouj, Hicham El, 217–18, 225 Guns, Germs, and Steel (Diamond), 149–51

habit contract Bryan Harris weight loss example, 208–209 defined, 208 seat belt law example, 207–208 Thomas Frank alarm example, 210 habit line, 145–47 habit loop, 49–51 habits of avoidance, 191–92 benefits of, 46–47, 239 breaking bad habits (table), 97, 137, 179, 213 in the business world, 265 changing your mind-set about, 130–31 creating good habits (table), 96, 136, 178, 212 downside of, 239–40 effect on the rest of your day, 160, 162 eliminating bad habits, 94–95 as the embodiment of identity, 36–38 formation of, 44–46, 145–47 four-step process of building a habit, 47–53, 259–64 “gateway habit,” 163 identity-based, 31, 39–40 imitation of others’ habits the close, 116–18 the many, 118–21 –22 the powerful, 121 importance of, 40–41 outcome-based, 31 and parenting, 267 reframing habits to highlight their benefits, 131–32 short-term and long-term consequences of, 188–90 sticking with, 230–31 –22 suitability for your personality, 221 Two-Minute Rule, 162–67 using implementation intention to start, 71–72 Habits Academy, 8 habit shaping, 165–67 Habits Scorecard, 64–66 habit stacking

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combining temptation bundling with, 110–11 explained, 74–79 habit tracking, 196–200, 202–204 handwashing in Pakistan example of a satisfying behavior change, 184–85 happiness as the absence of desire, 259–60 and goals, 26 relativity of, 263 Harris, Bryan, 208–209 Hebb, Donald, 143 Hebb’s Law, 143 herring gulls and supernormal stimuli, 101–102 hope, 264 Hreha, Jason, 45 Hugo, Victor, 169–70 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Hugo), 169–70 hyperbolic discounting (time inconsistency), 188–89

identity accepting blanket personal statements as facts, 35 and behavior change, 29–32, 34–36 behavior that is at odds with the self, 32–33 habits as the embodiment of, 36–38, 247–49 identity-based habits, 31, 39–40 letting a single belief define you, 247–49 pride in a particular aspect of one’s identity, 33–34 reinforcing your desired identity by using the Two-Minute Rule, 165 two-step process of changing your identity, 39–40 implementation intention, 69–72 improvements, making small, 231–32, 233, 253 instant gratification, 188–93

Johnson, Magic, 243–44 journaling, 165 Jung, Carl, 62

Kamb, Steve, 117–18 Kubitz, Andrew, 109

Lao Tzu, 249 Tao Te Ching , 249 Latimore, Ed, 132 Lewes, George H., 144 long-term potentiation, 143

244 Los Angeles Lakers example of reflection and review, 242–44 Luby, Stephen, 183–85

MacMullan, Jackie, 243–44 Martin, Steve, 229–30, 231 Massachusetts General Hospital cafeteria example of environment design change, 81–82 Massimino, Mike, 117 mastery, 240–42 Mate, Gabor, 219 McKeown, Greg, 165 measurements usefulness of, 202–204 visual, 195–96 Mike (Turkish travel guide/ex-smoker), 125–26 Milner, Peter, 105 mind-set shifts from “have to” to “get to,” 130–31 motivation rituals, 132–33 reframing habits to highlight their benefits, 131–32 motion vs. action, 142–43 motivation the Goldilocks Rule, 231–33 maximum motivation, 232 rituals, 132–33 and taking action, 260–61 Murphy, Morgan, 91

negative compounding, 19 Nietzsche, Friedrich, 260 nonconscious activities, 34n nonscale victories, 203–204 novelty, 234 Nuckols, Oswald, 156

observations, 260 obstacles to getting what you want, 152 Olds, James, 105 Olwell, Patty, 93 1 percent changes Career Best Effort program (CBE), 242–44 compounding effect of making changes, 15–16, 17–18 Sorites Paradox, 251–52 operant conditioning, 9–10 opportunities, choosing the right

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combining your skills to reduce the competition, 225–26 explore/exploit trade-off, 223–25 importance of, 222–23 specialization, 226 outcomes and behavior change, 29–31 outcome-based habits, 31

pain, 206–207 Paper Clip Strategy of visual progress measurements, 195–96 parenting applications of habit strategies, 267 Patterson, John Henry, 171–72 Phelps, Michael, 217–18, 225 photography class example of active practice, 141–42, 144 Plateau of Latent Potential, 21–23 pleasure anticipating vs. experiencing, 106–108 image of, 260 repeating a behavior when it’s a satisfying sensory experience, 184–86, 264 Safeguard soap example, 184–85 Plomin, Robert, 220 Pointing-and-Calling subway safety system, 62–63 positive compounding, 19 The Power of Habit (Duhigg), 9, 47n predictions, making after perceiving cues, 128–29 the human brain as a prediction machine, 60–61 Premack, David, 110 Premack’s Principle, 110 pride manicure example, 33 in a particular aspect of one’s identity, 33–34 priming your environment to make the next action easy, 156–58 problem phase of a habit loop, 51–53 process and behavior change, 30–31 professionals vs. amateurs, 236 progress, 262 proximity’s effect on behavior, 116–18

quitting smoking, 32, 125–26

reading resources Atomic Habits newsletter, 257 business applications of habit strategies, 265 parenting applications of habit strategies, 267

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recovering when habits break down, 200–202 reflection and review author’s Annual Review and Integrity Report, 245–46 benefits of, 246–47 Career Best Effort program (CBE) example, 242–44 Chris Rock example, 245 Eliud Kipchoge example, 244–45 flexibility and adaptation, 247–49 importance of, 244–45 Katie Ledecky example, 245 reframing habits to highlight their benefits, 131–32 reinforcement, 191–93 repetition as active practice of a new habit, 144 automaticity, 144–46 to master a habit, 143 photography class example of active practice, 141–42, 144 responding to things based on emotions, 261–62 rewards after sacrifice, 262 immediate vs. delayed, 187–90 purpose of, 49 reinforcement, 191–93 training yourself to delay gratification, 190–93 variable rewards, 235 “wanting” vs. “liking,” 106–108, 263 Riis, Jacob, 21 Riley, Michael, 60 Riley, Pat, 242–44 Ritty, James, 171–72 Robins, Lee, 91–92 sacrifice, 262 satisfaction as the completion of the habit loop, 186 and expectations, 262–63 pleasurable sensory experiences, 184–86 2nd Law of Behavior Change (Make It Attractive) ABC Thursday night TV lineup example, 109 –22 desire for approval, respect, and praise, 121 habit tracking, 198 highly engineered versions of reality, 104 making the cues of bad habits unattractive, 126 supernormal stimuli, 102 –11 temptation bundling, 108 Seinfeld, Jerry, 196–97 self-control

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controlling the environment to achieve, 92–93 cue-induced wanting, 93–94 difficulty of, 262 riding and smoking example of controlling your environment, 93 as a short-term strategy, 95 the senses Safeguard soap example, 184–85 toothpaste example of a satisfying behavior change, 186 vision, 84, 85–87 Wrigley chewing gum example, 185 showing up, mastering the art of, 163–64, 201–202, 236 Skinner, B. F., 9–10, 235n smoking, quitting, 32, 125–26 social media, 174–75 social norms Asch’s social conformity line experiments, 118–20 –21 downside of going along with the group, 120 herd mentality, 115 imitation of others’ habits the close, 116–18 the many, 118–21 –22 the powerful, 121 solution phase of a habit loop, 51–53 Sorites Paradox, 251–52 starting a habit, 71–72 Steele, Robert, 91 Stern, Hawkins, 83 success accepting where your strengths are, 218–19 importance of feeling successful, 190 suffering, 262 suggestion impulse buying, 83 supernormal stimuli, 102 Suroweicki, James, 154 System 1 vs. System 2 thinking, 232n, 261 systems changes to solve problems, 25 as a cycle of continuous improvement, 26–27 vs. goals, 23–24

technology for automating a habit, 173–75 social media, 174–75 temptation bundling, 108–11 3rd Law of Behavior Change (Make It Easy) agricultural expansion example of using the least effort, 149–51 energy requirements and likelihood of action, 151–52

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friction associated with a behavior, 152–58 garden hose example of reducing friction, 153 “gateway habit,” 163 Japanese factory example of addition by subtraction, 154–55 making the cues of bad habits difficult, 169–70 onetime actions that lead to better habits, 172–74 Principle of Least Action, 151n repetition as the key to habit formation, 146–47 Two-Minute Rule, 162–67 Twyla Tharp example of a daily ritual, 159–60 Thorndike, Anne, 81–82 Thorndike, Edward, 43–44 time inconsistency, 188–89 Tinbergen, Niko, 101–102 toothpaste example of a satisfying behavior change, 186 tracking a habit automated, 199 combining habit stacking with habit tracking, 200 manual, 199–200 usefulness of, 202–204 trajectory of your current path, 18 two-step process of changing your identity, 39–40

Uelsmann, Jerry, 141–42 Ulysses pact (Ulysses contract), 170n underlying motives and cravings, 127–28, 130

Valley of Disappointment, 20, 22 variable rewards, 235 Vietnam War heroin addiction problem, 91–92 vision impact on human behavior, 84 obvious visual cues, 85–87 visual measurements, 195–96

weight loss nonscale victories, 203–204 using a habit contract to ensure, 208–209 Yerkes-Dodson law, 232

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