"The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business" by Charles Duhigg

Would you like to quit smoking? Start working out regularly? Follow a healthy eating plan? Or kick a nasty habit like biting your nails or hitting the snooze button every morning? The empowering read you are looking for is "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business" by Charles Duhigg.

I have known for a long time the power of habits and routine. For example, the only times I have been successful (in my mind anyways) at being a healthy adult were during times when I could establish a proper routine and develop good habits. Right now I am in one of the "cue, routine, reward" loops that Duhigg describes in the book, I have been going to the gym now for 33 weeks straight (minus one week while at Disney World) and have worked out 184 times. It is all because I made going to the gym and working out part of my daily routine and it eventually became a habit. 

It all started for me when I returned home from my previous vacation. While visiting San Diego for a week in February everyone made time to go to the gym but me. I had been working on a side project at work and in was consuming all of my down time on vacation. All of a sudden my Grandfather passed away while I was on the other side of the planet enjoying the California sunshine. My Grandfather's health had been an issue as long as I could remember, so I made a pact with myself that on my first day back at the station after vacation I would hit the gym for my lunch hour. 

I had been religiously going to the gym before I started my "grown-up" 9-5 job. After moving to British Columbia I found I had no time to go to the gym and for eight months focused on my new job and my new home. On the first day back from California I joined Peak Physique in Castlegar, British Columbia and hauled my ass to the gym every workday (and some weekends) until my next move at the end of July. 

I knew it was going to be a struggle when another move popped up, but I have continued to venture to the gym at least five times a week even when in different provinces and forced to use hotel fitness facilities. For me it was never about a number, how much I weigh is not really something that bothers me and loosing weight is definitely not my focus. Going to the gym and eating properly has always been better for me mentally than physically. Feeling good on the inside translates to looking good and hitting the gym helps me curb some of my anxiety and burn off extra energy. 

Everyday I wake up and I hit the gym. My cue is sliding out of bed and into workout clothing. My routine is drinking my pre-workout, driving to the gym and then working out. My reward is a little time in the sauna reading, enjoying a protein shake and that post-workout high. 

An area that I need to start applying the "cue, routine, reward" theory is with my online life. If you follow my blog you can tell that I really do not spend much time writing right now, my website needs to be revamped and well my social media pages are pretty dull. Moving across the country has really killed the amount of time I spend online. While working at the radio station I spent lots of time online at work and while I was at home but now I have lots of other priorities that do not include looking for hot topics to talk or write about. Right now I am working "offline", I am not intentionally avoiding the internet but just do not have the time for the things that were really important to me at this time last year.

It has been a nice break but I am looking forward to figuring out a way to include more time for writing and creativity in my new routine. Any tips? I have always been big on lists and charting my goals, this is something I need to work into my new living situation. I have always created little nooks and areas in my living spaces to do my work, this is lacking from my new house. Maybe my first reward for blogging everyday for a month could be a new desk? Hmmmm... or I'm thinking a coffee everyday on my way home from the gym to help the creative juices flow while writing my daily blog? We will see... that could get expensive. 

What did you do to kick your nasty habits?

If you have yet to figure out how to start a new routine for yourself or quit a habit or addiction I recommend "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business" by Charles Duhigg.. I have always been a fan of buying books at the airport and this book was up there on the list of my favourites. It was incredibly easy to follow and I could not put it down. I actually read over half of the book while on my flights from Orlando back to Halifax. 

Amanda Lang’s “The Power of Why”

I've never been more excited to finish a book than I am right now and it is totally for good reason, I want to read it again. I have been reading Amanda Lang’s “The Power of Why” since December 2013 and it has taken all of my patience and willpower not to push through the entire book. I absolutely loved every page of the book and I am feeling very inspired right now; hence the excitement in my writing.

I have looked up to Amanda Lang for a long time. Everyday when I would get home from broadcast school I would watch her program The Lang and O'Leary Exchange and marvel at Lang’s consistent poise, class and optimism going head-to-head a lot of the time with Kevin O'Leary. I was so excited when I picked up “The Power of Why” that I immediately shoved all the other books I bought that day aside. Including Ron Burgundy’s book…

I knew immediately when I started “The Power of Why” that it was a book that was not meant to be rapidly consumed. I normally power through books I am passionate about. Not this time. 
"The Power of Why" is written so powerfully that each segment of each chapter has a substantial message, so I read each story individually to take her lessons in marketing and business to heart.

I’m going to be honest with you; I went to university to go to university. When I was “learning” I was memorizing theories and facts to get a grade that would lead to a diploma. I never really thought about a career in promotions and marketing, all I could think about was getting through university to get to broadcast school. I had always been interested in politics and history; they are subjects I excelled in back in high school so it made sense to pursue in at university.

I know this is not how it is for most people who get a degree, but for me it was a box to check off and I wanted to finish it as soon as possible. For me the difference between learning back then and learning in broadcast school, reading “The Power of Why” and working in radio is that I actually want a future in the industries and want to develop the skills. I am constantly curious and want explanations rather than a pass these days. Don't get me wrong, in the common year of Radio and Television Arts at NSCC I definitely underachieved in areas that did not hold my key interests but I still cared more about those marks than most during my degree. 

Please do not get me wrong; I loved my time at St. Francis Xavier University.  It helped develop me into the independent conscious adult that I needed to be before I started my education in broadcasting. Simply put, StFX taught me valuable skills that helped me develop into a confident and competent professional person, something I am not sure I would have been if I had not gone to university. 

I thought I would explain that so you could get a better understanding of why I read this book so slowly. I can totally read; that was not the issue.  I wanted to fully appreciate every story. Amanda Lang does an incredible job taking you through multiple stories in each chapter; each one deserves full attention because they are all great lessons in growth to learn from.  Whenever I would get a little down or run low on ideas I would pick up “The Power of Why” and read a chapter, it would usually change the way I was thinking about an issue or at least inspire an idea that was floating around the back of my mind waiting for some inspiration.

I have been trying to wrap my head around a lot of things these days. I have been trying to innovate both big and small aspects of my daily life before I turn twenty-five next week and this book has been a big inspiration. On top of Sarah Silverman’s “Make It A Treat” mantra I have adopted, I have also made “why?” the number one question or comment my mind jumps to at all times. This started a little earlier than MIAT and has been pretty effective when communicating new goals and new ideas with people.

I have joined the gym down the street and it is changing the way I run my day to day. I like to think of it as innovating to make the most of my time. I workout on my lunch hour and as I finish with cardio I check my inbox on my iPad and respond to all my emails and it gives me time to read more into radio and marketing articles. It also gives me a chance to do show prep for my next show and research whatever my curious mind is wondering about. I like to think my boss is innovating here too by allowing me to not take a conventional lunch hour and understanding/trusting me to be accountable while at the gym. My bosses realize that those minutes doing cardio are uninterrupted work minutes and my perception of work is much more positive because there is trust. I am more likely to stay late or work from home because I appreciate getting a full workout in. I do not abuse the trust and everyone ends up happy. Again, just a little example…

I have nothing but kind words and praise for “The Power of Why”. It truly is an honest and inspiring book that I think can have applications for daily life for everyone.  Thank you Amanda Lang, from now on I am keeping your book at my desk for any moments that I need a little inspiration.