Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits--to Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life

A natural consequence of doing a lot of writing is getting a new, improved laptop (I wear out laptops; the keys start popping off). Once a week, when I do strength training, I walk there and take a taxi home. It’s an indulgence to take a taxi instead taking the subway, but I decided, “A natural consequence of a demanding workout is feeling tired, a

it’s an unfixed habit that varies from day to day. I decide “when,” but not “whether.”

Sprinters choose to work at the last minute because the pressure of a deadline clarifies their thoughts;

Television stays a treat, I concluded, if: • I anticipate with pleasure watching a particular show (I’m not just flipping through the channels). • I watch with someone else. • I turn off the TV when the episode is over. • I feel energized, not listless, when the episode is over.

in order to lower insulin and the body’s tendency to accumulate fat, we should avoid eating easily digestible, high-carb food: sugar, bread, cereal, grains, pasta, potatoes, rice, corn, juice, beer, wine, soda.

As architect Christopher Alexander described it: If I consider my life honestly, I see that it is governed by a certain very small number of patterns of events which I take part in over and over again. Being in bed, having a shower, having breakfast in the kitchen, sitting in my study writing, walking in the garden, cooking and eating our common lu

I now pay very close attention to the first few times I do anything because I know those decisions will shape my baseline habits; to deviate from them will feel like a deprivation or an imposition.

Sometimes treats might not look like treats. Writer Jan Struther observed, “Constructive destruction is one of the most delightful employments in the world.” I find that true, and tasks like shredding mail, emptying out files, or even peeling hard-boiled eggs can feel like a treat. Funnily enough, clearing clutter is also a treat for me, when I’m i

Because we’re creatures of habit, the first marks on that slate often prove indelible. We should start the way we want to continue. In the first few days after we moved to a new apartment, I started my workday with an hour of email and social media—and bam! this habit locked into my day with iron strength. Whether or not it’s the best habit to foll