The loop behind what we do without thinking

Charles Duhigg was a reporter at The New York Times when he published The Power of Habit in 2012. The book draws on research in neuroscience and psychology and on interviews with scientists and business leaders.

Its central model is the habit loop: a cue triggers a routine, which leads to a reward. Over time the brain links the cue to the expected reward, and the routine runs almost automatically. To change a habit, Duhigg suggests keeping the cue and reward but swapping in a new routine.

The book then moves from individuals to organisations and society, with chapters on companies that changed through one key habit and on how businesses study customers' habits.

The loop is a handy way to study your own behaviour. Many people snack or check their phone not because they want the food or the news, but because a cue such as boredom or a break in work has become linked to a small reward. Spotting the cue and the real reward makes it easier to find a substitute.

Duhigg's idea of keystone habits, single changes that set off many others, is illustrated by Paul O'Neill's focus on worker safety at the aluminium company Alcoa. It is a memorable story, but such examples show that something can happen, not how often it does. Critics note that the habit loop simplifies the research, and that the book's case studies are chosen because they worked.

The idea behind this caseLesson: How to keep up without burning out →

1. 1Pick one habit you want to change and write down the cue, the routine and what reward you think you get.
2. 2For a few days, try a different routine at the same cue and see if the craving fades.
3. 3Plan in advance: write "When this cue happens, I will do this new routine."