Superhabits: The Universal System for a Successful Life

by Andrew V. Abela

For too many of us, life is harder than it needs to be. We have forgotten the ancient system of “super habits” — a specific set of habits for making decisions, managing our emotions, and dealing with other people that fosters lives of greater ease, happiness, and power.

Ancient civilizations relied on these habits to produce some of the greatest achievements in human history. Now, contemporary researchers in psychology, education, and management are rediscovering these habits and empirically demonstrating the power and goodness that they bring to everyday life.

As many self-help gurus will tell you, we are the summation of our daily habits. What has so far been missing is a comprehensive guide to which habits are most valuable to us and how they work together as a system, for the best impact on our lives.

This invaluable book by Dr. Andrew Abela shows how attaining virtue requires not a herculean effort but, rather, steady daily practice, which is accessible to all. He explains how the genius of a thirteenth-century philosopher-monk codified the super habits into a veritable human operating system, one that’s more relevant today than ever.

Abela highlights:

How super habits make life easier — because once something becomes a habit, it takes less effort
Why super habits lead to lasting joy rather than just temporary gratification
The effects of super habits on physical, mental, and emotional health
In a culture that prioritizes short-term fixes over long-term solutions, Super Habits offers a foundational, back-to-basics plan that produces both immediate and enduring results.

Whatever issue you are struggling with right now, whatever challenge you may be facing, there is a super habit to help you overcome it.

Dr. Abela equips readers with the tools needed to embrace the lifelong pursuit of self-improvement to attain a life of greater ease, joy, and strength.

Genres: Personal Development, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Business

261 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 15, 2024

Reviews

[Frank Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the better part of 40 years - most of it spent in senior roles on Wall Street - I've read a countless stream of management/leadership books in a bid to become a better leader, manager, and strategist. While some were good, most left me with little more than a series of vague, emotionally-inspired maxims for achieving "greatness" or "ultimate leadership." No real guidance or depth to them, almost like grasping smoke.
So, I was delighted to finally have that "AHA!" moment when I read this superb book. At last, a book that offers a brilliant explanation and Chrystal-clear guidance on pursuing and practicing a set of critical habits - super habits - we need to pursue and practice in order to be better people who can then become better leaders and managers - habits which, if lived and practiced, leave us with a deeper sense of overall happiness and sense of mission. These are not some random set of habits the author concocts - rather, they are (much forgotten) centuries tested habits certain ancient civilizations encouraged. These super habits were also explored and explained by no less a brilliant mind than the great (but too often forgotten) scholar, St. Thomas Aquinas.
The best part of this book? It's not one to be read and then put on the shelf to collect dust. If you are like me after reading it, you'll use it as an ongoing guide to continuously refining and polishing the pursuit of these "super habits."
I'm planning on giving to younger family members just launching their careers as well as many of my old Wall Street colleagues who are still searching for a book like this one. Needless to say, I highly recommend this excellent read.

[Kyrie :-) · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a FANTASTIC book about virtues! the title made me think this was going to be like your run-of-the-mill habit-building book, but this was so much more! Dr. Andrew Abela unpacks the “superhabits” we can grow in for a happier and healthier life, taking inspiration from St. Thomas Aquinas’ writings on the virtues. not only is this book well-researched, but it is also well-written! I love how each chapter starts with an anecdote related to the superhabit(s) focused within that chapter. and throughout that chapter, the story is interspersed with Dr. Abela’s reasearch and practical applications, so you don’t necessarily know the outcome of the anecdote until closer to the end of the chapter, which kept me on my toes wondering how it ended up! overall, I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

[John Macdonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad I read it. A much more accessible way to learn about Thomas Aquinas then reading him directly. Liked the systemmatic way the virtues are looked at and the way they were explained as habits which seems like just the right way to think about them.

[Beatriz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction with a clear overview of the virtues, practical steps for developing them, and an absolutely awesome anatomy diagram.

[Zach de Walsingham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good, read this on a loan/recommendation from a friend. This covers, at a basic level for those of a secular business background, some of the classical virtues as further explained by St. Thomas Aquinas (for those who look at the end notes). The foldout chart at the end was great and is necessary for following along.

Critique: Since I am not the target audience, I will pass over my critiques of the stories or the wisdom of using some of the people in the examples. The good of this book outweighs them.

[Gianna Decesaris · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a young woman and professional, having clear guidelines on how to improve my health, and well-being, and lead a successful life is refreshing and encouraging. I love the stories that are including throughout the book about people properly or improperly using super habits. Overall this book is well constructed, easy to read, and easy to apply to your life!

[Laura Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a refreshing new guidebook on how to improve your life. Abela’s prose is clear and engrossing. He chooses entertaining stories to illustrate the “super habits” he describes that keep the reader engrossed and make the ideas he proposes more accessible. The examples employed bring the ideas to life and underscore their importance. He makes the good point that these super habits rely on ancient ideas - but these ideas hold the key to a good and worthwhile life.

I enjoyed reading this book and will be purchasing extra copies for my children and other young friends, although I believe anyone - of any age - can benefit from the ideas in Super Habits.

[Erin O'Malley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous book with lots to consider on how we face ourselves. The author made this very approachable and the poster is next level!

[Katharine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This just confirmed why I don’t like self-help books, specifically their secular.