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

for Abstainers, having something makes them want it more; for Moderators, having something makes them want it less.

Two kinds of clarity support habit formation: clarity of values and clarity of action. The clearer I am about what I value, and what action I expect from myself—not what other people value, or expect from me—the more likely I am to stick to my habits.

(I find it much more satisfying to walk with a purpose: to go to a favorite coffee shop, to hike to the top of the mountain.)

The happiest and most successful people are those who have figured out ways to exploit their Tendency to their benefit and, just as important, found ways to counterbalance its limitations.

A Rebel wrote on my blog: “For me, the most important characteristic of a Rebel is the freedom to be authentic to the person I am at this moment. My desires and needs shift, and I want the autonomy to pursue that. But I also have a strong sense of self—certain values and characteristics that define who I am and that don’t change. For example, I’ve

Another friend told me, “My habit is never to have more than three. Of whatever. Three beers, three TV shows.” “How did you come up with this?” I asked. “Why three?” “I don’t remember,” she said. “I’ve followed this rule for as long as I can remember. What’s scary is how faithfully I followed it as a kid.” Unconventional, but effective.

Questioners resist anything that seems arbitrary;

although the average meal is eaten in about twelve minutes, it takes twenty minutes for the body to register a feeling of fullness.

For an Upholder, a habit that’s a source of control might have special appeal; for a Questioner, curiosity; for an Obliger, cooperation; for a Rebel, challenge.