Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives
2015 · book
New York TimesBestseller Washington PostBestseller The author of the blockbuster New York Timesbestsellers, The Happiness Projectand Happier at Home,tackles the critical question: How do we change? Gretchen Rubin's answer: through habits. Habits are the invisible architecture of everyday life. It takes work to make a habit, but once that habit is set, we can harness the energy of habits to build happier, stronger, more productive lives. So if habits are a key to change, then what we really need to know is: How do we change our habits? Better than Beforeanswers that question. It presents a practical, concrete framework to allow readers to understand their habits--and to change them for good. Infused with Rubin's compelling voice, rigorous research, and easy humor, and packed with vivid stories of lives transformed, Better than Beforeexplains the (sometimes counter-intuitive) core principles of habit formation. Along the way, Rubin uses herself as guinea pig, tests her theories on family and friends, and answers readers' most pressing questions--oddly, questions that other writers and researchers tend to ignore: * Why do I find it tough to create a habit for something I loveto do? * Sometimes I can change a habit overnight, and sometimes I can't change a habit, no matter how hard I try. Why? * How quickly can I change a habit? * What can I do to make sure I stick to a new habit? * How can I help someone else change a habit? * Why can I keep habits that benefit others, but can'