Here’s my usual morning routine– I hear my alarm, and I’m up (most of the time). I stretch a bit before getting out of bed to head to the shower. After I shower, I come back to my room and make my coffee. I do my hair, my makeup and get dressed. I make my bed, take a look at my planner to see what I have ahead of me for the day, and before I know it I’m off to class. These are some examples of my habits. Others include cleaning my coffee cup directly after I used it, folding my pajamas and placing them at the edge of my bed, biting my nails when I’m nervous and so on. These are all apart of me, and a part of my every day life. But have you ever wondered where your habits come from?
Over the summer I had the chance to get back into an old hobby of mine– reading. Not that I didn’t read last year, because I read enough, however being an English major, there isn’t much time in college to read for pleasure. I read plenty of books this summer, and one of them stuck out to me the most, and that was “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business” by Charles Duhigg. This book is all about habits– where they come from, why we have them, how to break them, how to create them, and most importantly, how to replace them.
Transforming habits can be life changing, and the easiest way to replace habits is to be aware of the common goal. Not only does this book talk about habits, it also brings in stories and scientific data backing up everything that is said. Next time you get the chance to read a book for pleasure, check out this book. Not only do I think it has made me a better student, it has also made me a better person overall. Realizing where your habits come from, how to control them, and even how to replace them seems almost impossible. However, it’s life changing! So next time you’re in the market for a good book, give “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg a read!