**A landmark book about how we form habits, and what we can do with this
knowledge to make positive change
**
We spend a shocking 43 percent of our day doing things without thinking
about them. That means that almost half of our actions aren't conscious
choices but the result of our non-conscious mind nudging our body to act
along learned behaviors. How we respond to the people around us; the way
we conduct ourselves in a meeting; what we buy; when and how we
exercise, eat, and drink--a truly remarkable number of things we do
every day, regardless of their complexity, operate outside of our
awareness. We do them automatically. We do them by habit. And yet,
whenever we want to change something about ourselves, we rely on
willpower. We keep turning to our conscious selves, hoping that our
determination and intention will be enough to effect positive change.
And that is why almost all of us fail. But what if you could harness the
extraordinary power of your unconscious mind, which already determines
so much of what you do, to truly reach your goals?
Wendy Wood draws on three decades of original research to explain the
fascinating science of how we form habits, and offers the key to
unlocking our habitual mind in order to make the changes we seek. A
potent mix of neuroscience, case studies, and experiments conducted in
her lab, Good Habits, Bad Habits is a comprehensive, accessible, and
above all deeply practical book that will change the way you think about
almost every aspect of your life. By explaining how our brains are wired
to respond to rewards, receive cues from our surroundings, and shut down
when faced with too much friction, Wood skillfully dissects habit
formation, demonstrating how we can take advantage of this knowledge to
form better habits. Her clear and incisive work shows why willpower
alone is woefully inadequate when we're working toward building the life
we truly want, and offers real hope for those who want to make positive
change.
