The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

If you struggle with certain habits—we all have patterns we'd like to improve or change—this book is an essential guide for understanding the structure of habits and how to actually change them.

Let me start with the exact definition of a habit, which already explains why they're so difficult to change:

HABIT: "The choices that all of us deliberately make at some point, and then stop thinking about but continue doing, often every day."

In other words: it becomes so automatic that we don't think about it anymore. This is why changing our habits can be so complex—we must find the "source" or trigger that leads to the action (routine).

1. The Components of a Habit

Cue → Routine → Reward → Craving

• Cue: The trigger—what provokes the habit

• Routine: The automatic action following the cue

• Reward: The benefit after completing the action

• Craving: The temptation/desire for the reward that keeps us hooked to this routine

Key insight: We don't crave the routine—we crave the reward. Understanding this helps us break bad habits.

Example:

• Cue: Stress

• Routine: Smoking a cigarette

• Reward: Feeling of calm, peace

• Craving: Calm, peace → makes us want to repeat (habit loop)

2. You Can’t Eliminate a Bad Habit

"You can't extinguish a bad habit, you can only change it."

Understanding this saves us from trying endless methods to get rid of our bad patterns. No matter how good our intentions or willpower, if we don't replace the habit we want to change, our chances of success are practically zero.

3. How To Change a Habit

"To change an old habit, you must address an old craving."

Using the habit structure (cue-routine-reward-craving), here's how to change a habit:

Step 1: Identify the Triggers
Ask yourself: What element(s) trigger my desire to _______?
(Make a list of all triggers)

Step 2: Find the Rewards
Ask yourself: What benefits (rewards) does this habit give me?
Make a hypothetical list (we're often not conscious of a habit's reward). To change a habit, we must first become aware of it.

Step 3: Replace the Routine
This step is mainly experimentation (trial and error) to determine if the new routine satisfies the same cravings as the old one.

"To modify a habit, you must decide to change it. You must consciously accept the hard work of identifying the cues and rewards that drive the habit's routine, and find alternatives."

Example: The Smoker

Motivation: Stop smoking

Identify the triggers:

• Fatigue

• Stress

• Time of day

• Social context (in groups, with friends, etc.)

Determine the rewards:

• Feeling of calm

• Reduces anxiety

• Passes time

• Socializing

Replace the routine: [smoking] → drinking tea

Experiment with making tea every time a smoking trigger occurs for a few days.

(Doesn't satisfy the craving?) → Replace with another action

You must be genuinely committed to the change process if you really want to change your life. It seems easy, but if it were truly easy, we'd all be perfect humans. The reality is that changing our habits—aka changing our life (since it's the result of all our habits)—requires discipline and genuine willingness to change.

4. How To Maintain a New Habit

"For some habits, there's one other ingredient that's necessary"—BELIEF

Not all habits are equal; some require more involvement and consistency.
Here are the necessary ingredients to maintain change:

Support / Community / Culture = Belief, Hope

A support system and community spirit is crucial for maintaining a new habit. Having a group that supports change (example: AA) is greatly underestimated in achieving our goals. You must believe you can change in order to change. Community spirit brings hope, belief, and the culture that frames change.

"To succeed, they need a keystone habit that creates culture → gathering of like-minded friends → help them find strength and overcome obstacles."

5. Key Concepts

Keystone Habit (Small Wins)
A habit that triggers several other habits (good or bad).

Keystone habits → culture → structure

Example: Exercise → better nutrition → better sleep → less anxiety → better focus → productivity

Quotes Worth Remembering:

"Most people's habits have occurred for so long they don't pay attention to what causes it anymore."

"Often, we don't really understand the cravings driving our behaviors until we look for them."

"Sometimes it looks like people with great self-control aren't working hard—but that's because they've made it automatic."

This book was extremely useful in understanding life habits and how to apply the concepts concretely in my life. It's filled with examples and case studies across different contexts (personal, business, society).

You can find the book here: THE POWER OF HABIT

Applying These Concepts

If you're ready to put these insights into practice, the Steady Practice 60-day journal is designed to help you build sustainable habits through gentle structure and daily reflection. It guides you through identifying your triggers, experimenting with new routines, and creating the steady rhythm that turns intentions into lasting change.