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Companies aren’t families. They’re battlefields in a civil war.

Charles Duhigg

The best agencies understood the importance of routines. The worst agencies were headed by people who never thought about it, and then wondered why no one followed their orders.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Agency Follow Order People Routine Understand Wonder
The same process that makes AA so effective-the power of a group to teach individuals how to believe-happens whenever people come together to help one another change. Belief is easier when it occurs within a community.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Community Effect Individual Process Teaching
The brain has this amazing ability to find happiness even when the memories of it are gone.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Ability Amazing Finding Happiness Memories
Some say because music is as much about personal expression as listening pleasure, sharing is integral to why songs have value in the first place.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Expression Listening Music Personal Place Value
Small wins are a steady application of a small advantage.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Advantage Application Small Win
If you dress a new something in old habits, it’s easier for the public to accept it.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Acceptance Habit Public Yourself
The biggest moment of flexibility in our shopping habits is when we have a child, because when you think about it, all of your old routines sort of go out the window, and suddenly a marketer can come in and sell you new kinds of things.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Flexible Kind Marketing Moments Window Yourself
Since the 17th century, insurance agents have been the foremost experts on risk.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Agent Expert Insurance Risk
If you want to do something that requires willpower – like going for a run after work – you have to conserve your willpower muscle during the day.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Conservation Day Run Willpower Work
Simply giving employees a sense of agency- a feeling that they are in control, that they have genuine decision-making authority – can radically increase how much energy and focus they bring to their jobs.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Agency Authority Decision Employee Energy Job Simplicity
Willpower isn’t just a skill. It’s a muscle, like the muscles in your arms or legs, and it gets tired as it works harder, so there’s less power left over for other things.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Hard Work Power Skill Tired Willpower
This is the real power of habit: the insight that your habits are what you choose them to be.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Choice Power Reality Yourself
Cravings are what drive habits. And figuring out how to spark a craving makes creating a new habit easier.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Anand Thakur
If you tell people that they have what it takes to succeed, they’ll prove you right.
CHARLES DUHIGG

People Right Success Yourself
Rather, to change a habit, you must keep the old cue, and deliver the old reward, but insert a new routine.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Change Habit Old Reward Routine
There’s a natural instinct embedded in friendship, a sympathy that makes us willing to fight for someone we like when they are treated unjustly.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Fight Friendship Natural Sympathy Treat
There’s something really powerful about groups and shared experiences. People might be skeptical about their ability to change if they’re by themselves, but a group will convince them to suspend disbelief. A community creates belief.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Community Creation Disbelief Experience Powerful Share
At some point, if you’re changing a really deep-seated behavior, you’re going to have a moment of weakness.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Behavior Change Moments Point Weakness
Between calculated risk and reckless decision-making lies the dividing line between profit and loss.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Calculation Division Loss Risk Yourself
Habits are malleable throughout your entire life.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Change Habit Life Yourself
For a habit to stay changed, people must believe change is possible.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Believe Change Habit People Possible Stay
Making your bed every morning is correlated with better productivity, a greater sense of well-being, and stronger skills at sticking with a budget.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Bed Better Budget Morning Production Strong
America is the Saudi Arabia of coal.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Coal Country Power
Habits, scientists say, emerge because the brain is constantly looking for ways to save effort.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Brain Effort Habit Save Science Way
I think I’m smart, and I know I was a good mom. But there wasn’t a lot I could point to and say, that’s why I’m special.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Goodness Known Myself Smart Special Thinking
Belief is easier when it occurs within a community.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Belief Community Occur
When people have a willpower failure, it’s because they haven’t anticipated a situation that’s going to come along.
CHARLES DUHIGG

Failure People Situation Willpower Yourself

Companies aren’t families. They’re battlefields in a civil war.

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Companies aren’t families. They’re battlefields in a civil war.

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Popular Authors

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