Ever wondered why do you buy that specific brand of product while the super market Is flooded with tens of other options too?? Why do we forget where we put a certain item in the kitchen cabinet but know exactly where that box of chocolate is?? Why do some companies soar while others fail after a few years? This book answers all these questions.
It is a research based collection on our habits and routines written by The New York Times investigative reporter Charles Duhigg. The book is divided into 3 parts
Habits of Individuals
Habits of Companies
Habits of Societies
The first part explains what habits are, how they are formed and how they affect our everyday lives. He explains that it is a three-step process…..Cue, Routine, Reward. Imagine you cannot see your phone but the moment you hear the message beep you have your cue, you pick it up as per your routine and an email or message is the reward. Hence a habit is formed. Now every time the phone beeps you will go through the process without thinking. It slowly becomes an addiction and now no matter where you are that beep becomes a craving. This was just one example out of the many which you will read in the book. You will be really surprised to read how Dungy became the first African-American head coach to win the Super Bowl when his Colts defeated the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI. The Colts at that time were not considered win worthy.
The second half talks about how companies spend millions of dollars on research and come up with clever advertising ideas on the same three step process which attract customers to buy their products. My favorite were how Pepsodent became a household name, the Starbucks Training Program, the safety at ALOCA and how Febreze went from a nearly bust product to one bringing the most profits to the company.
Finally a detailed account of the historic Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 deals with the habits of societies.
Read it to inform yourself on how companies make you want to buy their products. On how people who were once chain smokers were able to not only quit smoking but develop a healthy lifestyle. There is no step by step details on how to change your habits. Just a broad idea that you need a reward waiting in the end for something to look forward to. If you are wanting to change your habits, do give this book a read. I’m sure you will learn something new.
THE POWER OF HABIT: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business – Charles Duhigg(Author)
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