The Power of Habit

"The Chains of Habit Are Too Light To Be Felt Until They Are Too Heavy To Be Broken," is one of my favourite sayings. Habits have a way of controlling us, and so the more we know about them, the more we can help ourselves. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business is all about this topic.

Some of the book's topics are fascinating. Brain experiments (especially on those who have had damage to specific areas of the brain) show that habit routines operate in a primitive, early evolutionary part of the brain. People who have this part of the brain intact but other parts damaged operate independently and even function well in the absence of things like memory.

A lot of the focus of habits is on bad ones. And probably rightfully so, as they can be very destructive. But there is a lot of power that can be harnessed from getting into good habits. While the mental effort required to get started in good habits can be difficult, it gets easier over time thanks to the power of habits.

I recommend the book if the topic interests you.