Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits--to Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life

by Gretchen Rubin

American sits for at least eight hours a day, and while we sit, our metabolism changes for the worse.

Two kinds of clarity support habit formation: clarity of values and clarity of action. The clearer I am about what I value, and what action I expect from myself—not what other people value, or expect from me—the more likely I am to stick to my habits.

medication when they don’t see an obvious connection between the medicine and their condition—

I identify as a reader, and as part of that identity, I’d developed the habit of finishing every book I read, because a “real” reader finishes books. Right? And I’m not alone. According to the book recommendation site Goodreads, 38 percent of readers always finish a book.

Secret of Adulthood: I can’t make people change, but when I change, others may change; and when others change, I may change.

Given my know-it-all nature, and my love for making suggestions, restraining myself from giving habit advice requires a lot of effort.