The Power of Habit
Charles Duhigg · 2012
Habits as cue-routine-reward loops, with an emphasis on diagnosing the craving before attempting to change the behaviour.
Nexora explains and applies the ideas in this book. Based on ideas from the original work — read it for the argument in the author's own words.
What are you trying to figure out right now?
Nexora will answer your situation using the ideas in The Power of Habit alongside every other source that applies.
The core idea
Habits do not disappear; they are replaced. Keep the cue and the reward, and substitute the routine between them.
The mental models
Habit loop
Cue → routine → reward, held together by craving.
Keystone habit
Some habits reorganise others around them.
What actually matters
- Identifying the reward you are actually seeking is the hard part.
- Belief, often social, is what carries habit change through stress.
Practical applications
Experiment with substitutes until the craving is satisfied.
Change one habit that drags the others with it.
Questions worth asking
- 01What am I actually being rewarded with here?
- 02What cue precedes the behaviour every time?
Books that challenge this view
Go deeper
Nexora explains the ideas. The original work is still the deeper path — here's where to find it.