A story-driven primer on how habits form and how to rewire them—widely praised for the cue–routine–reward model, with some readers calling it common sense unless you apply it.
Contents
The Honest Take
Curated from 4.9K+ community discussions
Read If
- •You want a simple mental model for why you do what you do—and how to change it.
- •You like business/real-world stories more than self-help pep talks.
- •You need a framework you can apply to work, fitness, or routines.
- •You’ve tried willpower-only change and want a system.
Skip If
- •You already know the cue–routine–reward loop and want advanced tactics.
- •You dislike pop-science storytelling and prefer primary research.
- •You want a tightly structured workbook rather than narratives.
- •You’re looking for a fresh, original framework (some readers feel this isn’t new).
““Change might not be fast and it isn't always easy. But with time and effort, almost any habit can be reshaped.” ― Charles Duhigg, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business”
— Charles Duhigg
The Quotes
From the Book
““Change might not be fast and it isn't always easy. But with time and effort, almost any habit can be reshaped.” ― Charles Duhigg, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business”
““The Golden Rule of Habit Change: You can't extinguish a bad habit, you can only change it.” ― Charles Duhigg, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business”
““Rather, to change a habit, you must keep the old cue, and deliver the old reward, but insert a new routine.” ― Charles Duhigg, The Power Of Habit: Why We Do What We Do In Life And Business”
““If you believe you can change - if you make it a habit - the change becomes real.” ― Charles Duhigg, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business”
““This is the real power of habit: the insight that your habits are what you choose them to be.” ― Charles Duhigg, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business”
From the Crowd
“This is not my post.I was on google looking for something like this to help me and I found this old post on this subreddit.Thought that it would be helpful to you guys so I reposted.I don’t know who to credit as it says u/deleted”
r/loseit 202“Somewhere on this subreddit many years ago I saw the following advice, similar to what you say above: you have permission to tell that annoying voice inside your head that demands you binge to fuck off. "Ooh, wouldn't it be nice to have some..." "Fuck you. I'm not eating that right now."”
r/loseit 185“I think you're missing *the* key ingredient: knowing what you want. Being crystal clear in your goal. Having a mental image of what that goal looks and feels like. And thinking about it often. >In the absence of clearly defined goals we become strangely loyal to performing daily trivia until ultimately we become enslaved by it. \- Bob Proctor”
r/getdisciplined 163“As a 3k support player: The trigger: carry dies "gg map so dark" The action: get wards, plant wards The reward: carry dies "gg map so dark" How? Edit: clarification.”
r/DotA2 163“I got my act together after I read Discipline Equals Freedom by Jocko Willink. I read it whenever I’m struggling with my discipline. The book is comprised of a bunch of short snippets that all fit a theme. I have it on my bookshelf as the first book so that I’m reminded of its lessons everyday. I highly recommend it.”
r/getdisciplined 126“Great list! Loved Cal Newport. He eloquently confirmed everything I've felt about social media and technology - a recommended start for everyone starting out on this journey. Center for Humane Technology has some pretty good podcasts worth listening to as well.”
r/nosurf 107The Crowd Splits: The Debate
While generally beloved, the community is divided on the book's depth and originality.
Is this book too basic, or is its simplicity the point?
Is it science-backed habit change, or pop-science storytelling?
The Bookshelf
Read Instead
Read Next
What Readers Ask
A crowd-consensus answer: readers say it helps you notice the cue–routine–reward loop behind your behavior, then redesign cues and rewards to make better habits easier. Most people find the stories memorable; skeptics say the takeaways can feel like common sense unless you apply them deliberately.
A crowd-consensus answer: readers say it helps you notice the cue–routine–reward loop behind your behavior, then redesign cues and rewards to make better habits easier. Most people find the stories memorable; skeptics say the takeaways can feel like common sense unless you apply them deliberately.
The Culture
In the Wild
Critics & Podcasts
- The New York Times — Often cited as the mainstream book that brought habit research into business and personal development audiences.
- Charles Duhigg (author talks/interviews) — Interviews typically emphasize the habit loop and how to change routines by keeping the cue and reward constant.
- Productivity YouTube reviews — Reviewers generally praise the clarity and stories, but note overlap with later habit books and that it’s best read as a framework starter.
What Kind of Book Is This?
Community Tags
Charles Duhigg
Author Credibility
New York Times–winning journalist who writes about business and human behavior. Known for translating academic research into practical, story-driven frameworks for everyday change.
Community Trust: Mixed. Readers generally trust the reporting and sticky case studies, but some push back on how scientific findings are simplified. Overall it’s seen as credible journalism that works best as a practical lens rather than a definitive neuroscience textbook.