***CAUTION: LIFE PRO TIP AHEAD***
I’ve had an Audible account on and off for the last couple years. Reactivating it whenever I get into the book listening mood. A couple weeks ago I canceled my subscription again. This time not because I was done listening to books but because I realized there was a better way. I signed up for a library card. I knew before that this was an option, honestly I just probably didn’t know what it looked like or how to set it up. I’m glad I finally set it up though. All the free audio books I could want to rent!
The first book I digitally checked out was The Power of Habit: What We Do In Life And Business by Charles Duhigg. It had been a book I was on the fence about for a while. But now it was free so what do I have to lose?
As I started the book, it was really easy and enjoyable to listen to. It made a lot of sense and the science behind the stories was pretty easy to understand and get behind. I felt like much of the information should be common sense about how we think and feel, we just forget to do it sometimes. The idea that just by changing a few habits that you can completely remake who you are as a person is an enticing proposition.
Storytelling is one of Duhigg’s fortes in this book. By dramatizing the tales of NFL coach Tony Dungy, the almost failure of Febreze, and Michael Phelps and his habitual pre-race rituals, Duhigg is able to draw you in and make the reader understand the point he is trying to make.
By the end of the book, I almost got to the point where I was confused why I was still listening. I felt like it was just more of the same. Your entire life is habits and you can change them with hard work. Then in the last chapter, Duhigg really hit it home with a moving call to action. If you know a habit exists, it is possible, as well as your responsibility to change it.
Finished the book in ten days with just about an hour a day of listening. Chapters are broken out into about one hour segments which made it easy to listen to over my lunch hour. I definitely recommend picking this book up. I feel like it was a realistic approach to self improvement and making good habits.
If you’re interested in looking a bit more into the book before getting it, I found a really good cliff notes version of the book here.
