Better Than Before

New York Times Bestseller Washington Post Bestseller The author of the blockbusterNew York Timesbestsellers,The Happiness ProjectandHappier at Home,tackles the critical question:How do we change? Gretchen Rubin's answer: through habits. Habits are the invisible architecture of everyday life.It takes work to make a habit, but once that habit is set, we can harness the energy of habits to build happier, stronger, more productive lives. So if habits are a key to change, then what we really need to know is: How do we change our habits? Better than Before answers that question. It presents a practical, concrete framework to allow readers to understand their habitsand to change them for good. Infused with Rubins compelling voice, rigorous research, and easy humor, and packed with vivid stories of lives transformed, Better than Before explains the (sometimes counter-intuitive) core principles of habit formation. Along the way, Rubin uses herself as guinea pig, tests her theories on family and friends, and answers readers most pressing questionsoddly, questions that other writers and researchers tend to ignore: Why do I find it tough to create a habit for something Iloveto do? Sometimes I can change a habit overnight, and sometimes I cant change a habit, no matter how hard I try. Why? How quickly can I change a habit? What can I do to make sure I stick to a new habit? How can I help someone else change a habit? Why can I keep habits that benefit others, but cant make habits that are just for me? Whether readers want to get more sleep, stop checking their devices, maintain a healthy weight, or finish an important project, habits makechange possible. Reading just a few chapters of Better Than Before will make readers eager to start work on their own habitseven before theyve finished the book. From the Hardcover edition.