Why we do what we do… even when we swear we’re going to stop doing it tomorrow.
Alright, I finally finished The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. And let me tell you, this book hit me right in the procrastination. If you’ve ever wondered why you end up scrolling Instagram when you promised to work, or why that one guy at work always eats the same sandwich at exactly 12:15 PM, this book explains all that — with science, storytelling, and a weird amount of references to toothpaste and Febreze.
It’s basically a deep dive into the machinery of human behavior. And by “machinery,” I mean that weird mental auto-pilot that drives most of our daily lives while our brain just sits in the passenger seat, sipping coffee and hoping we don’t crash.
So here’s what I took from it — in plain English, no psychology degree required, and with a few laughs along the way.
Habits Run the Show (Even When You Think You’re in Control)
The big idea? Habits are like invisible programs running in the background. You don’t consciously think about brushing your teeth, tying your shoes, or checking your phone 43 times an hour — you just do it.
According to Duhigg, our lives are basically a series of loops — cue, routine, reward. That’s the habit loop. You see something (cue), do something (routine), and get something (reward). Rinse and repeat until your brain files it under “autopilot.”
The scariest part? Most of us don’t even realize we’re in the loop. We just assume that’s “how we are.” Nope. That’s just how your brain got lazy and efficient at the same time.
Cue → Routine → Reward: The Holy Trinity of Habits
Let’s break this down.
1. Cue
This is the trigger. Could be anything — your phone buzzes, the smell of coffee, a certain time of day, or just stress. It kicks off the loop.
2. Routine
This is the action you take. You scroll Twitter, grab a donut, light a cigarette, start overthinking your entire life — you know, the usual.
3. Reward
This is what your brain gets out of it. Dopamine, sugar rush, calm, a false sense of productivity. Your brain loves it. So it files that loop for future use.
Now, do this a few times, and your brain hardwires it. Congrats — you now have a habit.
The Golden Rule of Habit Change: You Can’t Erase It, But You Can Hack It
Here’s the truth bomb: you can’t just delete a habit. The cue and the reward are usually still going to show up. But what you can do — and this is the key — is swap out the routine.
So instead of inhaling a cookie every time you feel bored at work (cue = boredom, reward = sugar/dopamine hit), you replace it with something healthier — maybe a quick walk, a glass of water, or yelling into a pillow. Whatever works.
Duhigg gives tons of stories where this plays out. One guy replaced his daily cafeteria cookie break with socializing. Same reward (mental break), new routine. Boom — habit hacked.
It’s like tricking your brain with a healthy decoy.
Keystone Habits: The Domino Effect You Didn’t Know Existed
Here’s one of the coolest ideas in the book: some habits are like the dominoes of your life. You fix one, and a bunch of others magically fall into place.
These are called keystone habits.
Example:
- Start exercising, and suddenly you’re eating better.
- Wake up early, and somehow you’re more productive, less grumpy, and slightly smug about it.
- Make your bed, and you feel like you have your entire life together (even if you absolutely do not).
Fixing just one keystone habit can spark a ripple effect. It’s like hacking your personality through the backdoor.
The Corporate Side of Habits (a.k.a. Why You’re Addicted to Target and Starbucks)
This book doesn’t just talk about personal habits. It also digs into how companies use habit science to make you buy stuff. And honestly, it’s a little creepy… but also fascinating.
Target, for example, figured out how to track women’s shopping habits so accurately, they could predict when someone was pregnant before she even told her family. Yeah, that happened.
Febreze (you know, that spray your roommate uses to pretend the room doesn’t smell like pizza and shame) almost failed as a product — until marketers learned to tie it to the reward of “freshness” at the end of cleaning. Once they got the habit loop right, it blew up.
Starbucks uses training routines that teach employees willpower as a habit — helping them stay calm with rude customers and avoid throwing frappuccinos in people’s faces. It’s wild.
Willpower Is a Habit Too (And Yes, You Can Strengthen It)
So, if you’ve ever felt like you just don’t have the willpower, I’ve got good news: Duhigg says willpower isn’t something you’re born with — it’s something you train.
You practice it. Like a muscle.
He shares studies where people were taught routines for handling stress (especially employees at Starbucks), and those routines turned into habits. Result? More willpower, less meltdown.
So instead of blaming your lack of “discipline,” maybe it’s just your lack of habitual coping mechanisms. That’s empowering. Or terrifying. Depends on how you look at it.
Habits and Identity: You Are What You Repeatedly Do
There’s a deeper message here: Your habits become your identity.
You’re not just someone who “likes snacks” — you’re reinforcing the identity of someone who seeks comfort in food.
You’re not just “bad with time” — you’re reinforcing the habit of avoidance and distraction.
Duhigg doesn’t say this to shame anyone. It’s actually freeing. Because once you see that your identity is shaped by what you do, not who you are, you can start building the identity you want. One cue at a time.
The Science Stuff (For the Nerds)
Yes, the book also gets into neuroscience — especially the part of the brain called the basal ganglia, which is where habits get stored. Turns out, once a habit forms, your brain offloads it there and stops thinking about it.
This is great when you’re brushing your teeth. Less great when you’re doomscrolling or biting your nails during meetings.
Also, there’s this thing called the “craving brain” — which is when your brain starts craving the reward even before the routine begins. That’s what makes habits so sticky.
Basically, your brain is a clever, lazy little gremlin.
So What Do We Do with All This?
Glad you asked. Here’s the game plan:
1. Identify your loops
Next time you find yourself doing something on autopilot, pause. What was the cue? What routine followed? What reward did you get?
2. Change the routine
Keep the same cue and reward, but swap out the middle. This is the golden rule of habit change.
3. Find your keystone habit
What one habit, if improved, would cause a ripple effect? Focus there first.
4. Make it easy to win
You’re not going to become a morning person, vegan, gym rat, monk, and productivity guru all at once. Start small. Very small.
5. Repeat until boring
It’s not glamorous. But repetition is how habits stick. Keep showing up, even when it’s not exciting.
My Personal Take
Reading The Power of Habit made me realize how much of my day is just me playing out scripts I didn’t even write. Wake up, check phone, scroll aimlessly, drink coffee, avoid tasks, panic at noon. Sound familiar?
But the good news is — once you see the loops, you can change them. Slowly, imperfectly, but surely.
Also, huge respect to Duhigg for not making this a lecture. The book’s full of stories — from Olympic swimmers to civil rights movements to how toothpaste became a cultural necessity. It’s weirdly gripping for a book about brain patterns.
TL;DR: If You Skipped Everything (Don’t Worry, I Get It)
- Habits run your life. Most of your day is a series of loops: cue, routine, reward.
- You can’t delete habits, but you can change the routine and get the same reward.
- Some habits (keystone habits) have a domino effect. Start there.
- Willpower is not a trait — it’s a trainable habit.
- Companies exploit your habits all the time. Now you can fight back.
- Want to change your life? Start by changing one loop.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve ever said “I’ll stop doing that tomorrow” and then didn’t — welcome to the human club. The Power of Habit doesn’t just show us why that happens, it gives us tools to finally break the loop.
This isn’t a motivational book. It’s a manual for hacking your own behavior, backed by science, stories, and a refreshing lack of cheesy self-help jargon.
So yeah — read it. Then re-read it when you find yourself three days deep into a Netflix spiral. Again.
Check out some of my other posts below:
Top 10 Productivity Books to Help You Get More Done –Here
Top 10 AI-Powered Chrome Extensions –Here
