The Power of Habit: Harnessing the Power to Establish Routines that Guarantee Success in Business and in Life

by Jack D. Hodge

Book by Hodge, Jack

Genres: Self Help, Productivity, Psychology, Business

Paperback

First published September 26, 2003

Reviews

[Josh Lange · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read that got to the heart of how to consciously and subconsciously change your unwanted behaviors. Applies to everyone, so I recommend it far and wide.
Dreamers vs Doers
The brain can't feel two things at once
21 days to change a habit
Success is not talent, intelligence, or work ethic--it's the accumulation of good habits
Specific habits affecting broader areas
Don't let your perspective be narrowed by habit from past experiences
Daily Drudgery: doing something you hate, every day, for self-discipline
Replace, don't erase, a bad habit
Picking positive/negative consequences to steer your behavior
Visualization: activates the same part of the brain as performing
Change only one habit at a time, take it slow and focus
Momentum and inertia--hard to change at first, but becomes easy
Incrementalism: can help or hurt. Snowball into an avalanche or interest on investments.
Persistence: can power through plateaus to energy reserves we didn't know we had
Two most important times of the day: morning (start right, don't let time escape you) and evening (summarize what you did, plan what you'll do tomorrow)
Goal-setting: ensures more success, less stress, more confidence/happiness, more efficiency, better performance.
Stick to the plan. Statistically, sticking to the original plan leads to more success than changing it.
Tell others about your plan, and write it down. Makes it more real and adds pressure.
Find others interested in same goal and encourage each other.
Keep at the forefront of your mind, to train your subconscious (string on finger, message on mirror).
Don't underestimate human potential or accept what is over what can be.
Act today. There is no "tomorrow" or "someday." Entrepreneurship.
The difference between good deeds and good intentions is everything.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Power of Habit was helpful for me. There were several new ideas in how to overcome the self, like: never quit a habit, replace it with a better habit. Also do something you hate each day. A good beginners book for controlling the "self".

[Shanna Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually better than I figured it’d be since I’d never really even heard of it, just picked it up from the library in the personal development section. Easy to read with inspiring and anecdotal stories and interactive questions and instructions.

[Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read that was a call to action on how to transform your habits intentionally.

[Brian Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick-reading 115 pages of goodness to help us change our lives by changing the habits that drive us.

“Habits are important. Up to 90 percent of our everyday behavior is based on habit. Nearly all of what we do each day, every day, is simply habit. We all have good habits and bad habits, but if nearly 90 percent of what we do each day is habit, the only way to effect real change in our lives is to effect real change in our habits. The good news is that we can learn to effectively change bad habits and establish good habits that will make us more successful. The key to habit change is what this book delivers. It explains why the difference between those who are successful and everyone else is not found in differences in intelligence, talent, or work ethic; but rather in habits. It explores why habits are so powerful and how we can harness this power to reach our God-given potential and obtain a higher degree of success. The techniques outlined in this book will empower those who read it to transform their lives and become more successful.”

~ Jack D. Hodge from The Power of Habit

Habits.

They can make us or break us.

This great little book by Jack D. Hodge is a quick-reading 115 pages of goodness to help us change our lives by changing the habits that drive us.

Some of my favorite big ideas from this book include:

1. Dreamers vs. Doers - Which are you?
2. Common Denominator = Great habits.
3. Genius = 14 hrs of practice/day (for 37 yrs.)
4. Your Daily Drudgery - What’s yours?
5. Replace, Don’t Erase <— How to create new habits.
6. The Power of Focus - Pick one habit.
7. Who’s Elmer Williams? - The guy who quit.
8. Early Morning - Is the most critical time.
9. How’s Your Potential? - Don’t sell yourself short.

I’ve added The Power of Habit by Jack D. Hodge to my collection of Philosopher’s Notes--distilling the Big Ideas into 6-page PDF and 20-minute MP3s on 600+ of the BEST self-development books ever. You can get access to all of those plus a TON more over at https://heroic.us.

[Jacqueline · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book basically was a pep talk on transforming your life by establishing good habits. The self-punishing suggestions they offered for developing willpower did not seem to me to be based on sound behavioral science. I was hoping for something better informed by current research. If you are looking for older inspiring material, may I suggest The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. If you want something current by someone who knows something about behavioral psychology, this is not it.

[Paulette]

Self awareness, replace not erase, consequences, mental dress rehersal, one habit at a time, start small, persistence--lots goes in to changing habits. Some good suggestions on how to establish new healthy routines.

[Tom Studer]

Bought this book by accident, but giving it a chance.

[Matthew Hodge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice pep talk on changing habits but I don't think changing habits is as easy as it sounds. Still, I like to pull it out every couple of years for a bit of inspiration.

[Marianne Markkanen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always good to read about how important establishing and keeping good habits for your life! Quick read enjoyed it very much