{"product_id":"better-than-before-isbn-9780385348638","title":"Better Than Before","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES \u003c\/i\u003eBESTSELLER • The author of \u003ci\u003eThe Happiness Project \u003c\/i\u003eand “a force for real change” (Brené Brown) examines how changing our habits can change our lives.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e“If anyone can help us stop procrastinating, start exercising, or get organized, it’s Gretchen Rubin. The happiness guru takes a sledgehammer to old-fashioned notions about change.”—\u003ci\u003eParade\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eMost of us have a habit we’d like to change, and there’s no shortage of expert advice. But as we all know from tough experience, no magic, one-size-fits-all solution exists. 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.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eBetter Than Before,\u003c\/i\u003e acclaimed writer Gretchen Rubin identifies every approach that actually works. She presents a practical, concrete framework to allow readers to understand their habits—and to change them for good. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eInfused with Rubin’s compelling voice, rigorous research, and easy humor, and packed with vivid stories of lives transformed, \u003ci\u003eBetter Than Before\u003c\/i\u003e explains the (sometimes counterintuitive) core principles of habit formation and answers the most perplexing questions about habits: \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e• Why do we find it tough to create a habit for something we love to do? \u003cbr\u003e• How can we keep our healthy habits when we’re surrounded by temptations? \u003cbr\u003e• How can we help someone else change a habit? \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eRubin reveals the true secret to habit change: first, we must know ourselves. When we shape our habits to suit ourselves, we can find success—even if we’ve failed before. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eWhether you want to eat more healthfully, stop checking devices, or finish a project, the invaluable ideas in \u003ci\u003eBetter Than Before\u003c\/i\u003e will start you working on your own habits—even before you’ve finished the book.“We are totally comfortable calling Gretchen Rubin’s new book, \u003ci\u003eBetter Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives\u003c\/i\u003e, life-changing.” \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Better Homes \u0026amp; Gardens\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “If anyone can help us stop procrastinating, start exercising or get organized, it’s Gretchen Rubin. The happiness guru takes a sledgehammer to old-fashioned notions about change.” \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Parade\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “It’s exciting to find a self-help book that’s not only full of eye-opening insight but also provides practical tips to help you procrastinate and stress less, exercise and eat more healthfully, and spend time on activities that matter. We’re really glad that Gretchen Rubin, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Happiness Project\u003c\/i\u003e, decided to investigate her affinity for habits, because in the process she’s come up with a great guide to help us lay the foundation of a more satisfying life. Best of all\u003ci\u003e, Better Than Before\u003c\/i\u003e is a really fun read—Rubin’s friendliness, candor, and humor mirror a lively conversation with a best friend.” \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—\u003c\/i\u003eApple iBooks\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “\u003ci\u003eThe Happiness Project\u003c\/i\u003e lays out life’s essential goals…Her new book, \u003ci\u003eBetter Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives\u003c\/i\u003e, serves as a kind of detailed instruction manual on how to achieve them.” \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—New York Times Sunday Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “In \u003ci\u003eBetter Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives\u003c\/i\u003e, Gretchen Rubin picks up where [William] James left off, integrating a wealth of insight from psychology, sociology, and anthropology in an illuminating field guide to harnessing the transformative power of habit in modern life.” \u003cbr\u003e —\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBrain Pickings\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “Change can be good. Particularly if it helps us live longer, healthier, indeed, happier lives — the objective of Rubin’s latest project.” \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Chicago Tribune\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Author Gretchen Rubin says most people fall into one of four motivation types. Knowing yours is key to taking on new habits.” \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Lifehacker\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e “Gretchen Rubin… [is] lighthearted and inviting—full of insights that sound familiar and advice that sounds less like what you should do and more like what you want to do.... With her focus on taking first steps and creating early successes, this is a refreshing take on how to change stubborn patterns that limit what we can enjoy about our lives.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eAudiofile Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Do you have a bad habit you’re trying to shake, or a good one you wish you could cultivate? Gretchen Rubin is one of the most charming and erudite authors of her generation. Here, she uses her gifts to help you eat right, sleep well, stop procrastinating, and start enjoying all that life has to offer.” \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—Susan Cain, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eQuiet\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  “Gretchen Rubin combines deep research and observations from her own life to explain how habits emerge and—more important—how they can change. It’s indispensable for anyone hoping to overhaul how they (almost unthinkingly) behave.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—Charles Duhigg, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Power of Habit\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “Filled with insights about our patterns of behavior, \u003ci\u003eBetter Than Before\u003c\/i\u003e addresses one of life’s big and timeless questions: how can we transform ourselves? In a way that’s thought-provoking, surprising, and often funny, Gretchen Rubin provides us with the tools to build a life that truly reflects our goals and values.” \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—Arianna Huffington, founder of\u003ci\u003e The Huffington Post \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThrive\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Is there a habit in your life you’d like to change? If so, here’s your first step: Read this book. It’s loaded with practical, everyday tips and techniques that will guide you to success.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—Dan Heath, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling coauthor of \u003ci\u003eMade to Stick\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSwitch\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eDecisive\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Almost everyone wants to be ‘better’—slimmer, smarter, better looking, more interesting, more productive—and we want to know we’re improving, we want the reinforcing evidence. Gretchen Rubin’s new masterpiece, \u003ci\u003eBetter Than Before\u003c\/i\u003e, shows us how.  Unlike other books on habits, Rubin’s book gives us the specific tools and a blueprint for getting back on track—the fast track.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e —Brian Wansink, Ph.D., \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eSlim by Design \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e Mindless Eating\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “With bold and original insights, Gretchen Rubin reveals the hidden truths about how to change our habits—from resisting junk food and hitting the gym to ending procrastination and saving money. \u003ci\u003eBetter Than Before \u003c\/i\u003eis a gem, and the first habit you should form is reading a chapter every night.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—Adam Grant, Wharton professor and \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci\u003eGive and Take\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Gretchen Rubin’s superpower is curiosity. Luckily for us, she’s turned her passionate inquiry to the topic of making and mastering habits. Weaving together research, unforgettable examples, and her brilliant insight, \u003ci\u003eBetter Than Before \u003c\/i\u003eis a force for real change. It rearranged what I thought I knew about my habits, and I’m better for it.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e—Brené Brown,\u003ci\u003e New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eDaring Greatly \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003eThe Gifts of Imperfection\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGretchen Rubin\u003c\/b\u003e is one of today’s most influential and thought-provoking observers of happiness and human nature. She’s the author of many books, including the blockbuster \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestsellers\u003ci\u003eOuter Order, Inner Calm; The Four Tendencies; Better Than Before; \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e The Happiness Project. \u003c\/i\u003eShe has an enormous readership, both in print and online, and her books have sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide, in more than thirty languages. On her top-ranking, award-winning podcast \u003ci\u003eHappier with Gretchen Rubin\u003c\/i\u003e, she explores happiness and good habits. She is also a CBS News contributor, providing weekly solutions for living a happier life. Gretchen Rubin started her career in law and was clerking for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor when she realized that she wanted to be a writer. Raised in Kansas City, she lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters.\u003c\/p\u003eA NOTE TO THE READER \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eBetter Than Before \u003c\/i\u003etackles the question: \u003ci\u003eHow do we change\u003c\/i\u003e? One answer—by using habits.\u003cbr\u003e Habits are the invisible architecture of daily life. We repeat about 40 percent of our behavior almost daily, so our habits shape our existence, and our future. If we change our habits, we change our lives.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut that observation just raises another question: \u003ci\u003eOkay, then, how do we change our habits\u003c\/i\u003e? That’s what this book seeks to answer.\u003cbr\u003e But while \u003ci\u003eBetter Than Before \u003c\/i\u003eexplores how to change your habits, it won’t tell you what particular habits to form. It won’t tell you to exercise first thing in the morning, or to eat dessert twice a week, or to clear out your office. (Well, actually, there is \u003ci\u003eone \u003c\/i\u003earea where I do say what habit I think is best. But only one.)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe fact is, no one-size-fits-all solution exists. It’s easy to dream that if we copy the habits of productive, creative people, we’ll win similar success. But we each must cultivate the habits that work for \u003ci\u003eus\u003c\/i\u003e. Some people do better when they start small; others when they start big. Some people need to be held accountable; some defy account- ability. Some thrive when they give themselves an occasional break from their good habits; others when they never break the chain. No wonder habit formation is so hard.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe most important thing is to \u003ci\u003eknow ourselves\u003c\/i\u003e, and to choose the strategies that work for us.\u003cbr\u003e Before you begin, identify a few habits that you’d like to adopt, or changes you’d like to make. Then, as you read, consider what steps you want to try. You may even want to note today’s date on your book’s flyleaf, so you’ll remember when you began the process of change.\u003cbr\u003e To help you shape your habits, I regularly post suggestions on my blog, and I’ve also created many resources to help you make your life better than before. But I hope that the most compelling inspiration is the book you hold in your hands.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI see habits through the lens of my own experience, so this ac- count is colored by my particular personality and interests. “Well,” you might think, “if everyone forms habits differently, why should I bother to read a book about what someone else did?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDuring my study of habits and happiness, I’ve noticed something surprising: I often learn more from one person’s idiosyncratic experiences than I do from scientific studies or philosophical treatises. For this reason, \u003ci\u003eBetter Than Before \u003c\/i\u003eis packed with individual examples of habit changes. You may not be tempted by Nutella, or travel too much for work, or struggle to keep a gratitude journal, but we can all learn from each other.\u003cbr\u003e It’s simple to change habits, but it’s not easy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI hope that reading \u003ci\u003eBetter Than Before \u003c\/i\u003ewill encourage you to harness the power of habits to make change in your own life. Whenever you read this, and wherever you are, you’re in the right place to begin.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIT'S NOT ENOUGH TO BEGIN\u003cbr\u003eSome habit-formation strategies are familiar and obvious—like Monitoring or Scheduling—but others took me more time to understand. As I studied habits, I slowly began to recognize the tremendous importance of the time of beginning.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe most important step is the \u003ci\u003efirst step\u003c\/i\u003e. All those old sayings are really true. Well begun is half done. Don’t get it perfect, get it going. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Nothing is more exhausting than the task that’s never started, and strangely, \u003ci\u003estarting \u003c\/i\u003eis often far harder than \u003ci\u003econtinuing\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThat first step is tough. Every action has an ignition cost: getting myself to the gym and changed into my gym clothes can be more challenging than actually working out. That’s why good habits are a tremendous help: they make the starting process automatic.\u003cbr\u003e Without yet having a name for it, in fact, I’d invoked the power of the Strategy of First Steps as I was starting to write this book. I’d spent months reading and taking copious notes, and I had a giant doc­ument with a jumble of material about habits. This initial period of research for a book is always exhilarating, but eventually I have to begin the painstaking labor of actual analysis and writing. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat was the most auspicious date to start? I asked myself. The first day of the week, or the month, or the year? Or my birthday? Or the start of the school year? Then I realized that I was beginning to invoke tomorrow logic. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNope. \u003ci\u003eBegin now. \u003c\/i\u003eI was ready. Take the first step. It’s enough to begin. \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eNow \u003c\/i\u003eis an unpopular time to take a first step. Won’t things be easier—for some not-quite-specified reason—in the future? I have a fantasy of what I’ll be like tomorrow: Future-Gretchen will sponta­neously start a good new habit, with no planning and no effort neces­sary; it’s quite pleasant to think about how virtuous I’ll be, \u003ci\u003etomorrow\u003c\/i\u003e. But there is no Future-Gretchen, only Now-Gretchen. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA friend told me about how she used tomorrow logic: “I use a kind of magical thinking to procrastinate. I make up questionable rules like ‘I can’t start working at 10:10, I need to start on the hour’ or ‘It’s already 4:00, it’s too late to start working.’ But the truth is that I should just \u003ci\u003estart\u003c\/i\u003e.” It’s common to hear people say, “I’ll start my new habit after the holidays are over\/I’ve settled into my new job\/my kids are a little older.” Or worse, the double-remove: “I’ll start my new habit once I’m back in shape.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTomorrow logic wastes time, and also it may allow us to deny that our current actions clash with our intentions. In an argument worthy of the White Queen, we tell ourselves, absolutely, I’m committed to reading aloud to my children, and I will read to them tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow—just not today. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe same tendency can lead us to overcommit to responsibilities that take place in the comfortably distant future—but eventually the future arrives, and then we’re stuck. My father-in-law has a mental habit to correct for that kind of tomorrow logic. He told me, “If I’m asked to do something—give a speech, attend an event—I always imagine that it’s happening next week. It’s too easy to agree to do something that’s six months off, then the time comes, and I’m sorry I agreed to do it.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen taking the first step toward a new habit, a key question from the Strategy of Distinctions is “Do I prefer to take small steps or big steps?” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMany people succeed best when they keep their starting steps as small and manageable as possible; by doing so, they gain the habit of the habit, and the feeling of mastery. They begin their new yoga rou­tine by doing three poses, or start work on a big writing project by drafting a single sentence in a writing session. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs an exercise zealot, I was pleased when my mother told me that she was trying to make a habit of going for a daily walk. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“But I’m having trouble sticking to it,” she told me. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“How far are you going?” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Twice around Loose Park,” she told me, “which is about two miles.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Try going just \u003ci\u003eonce \u003c\/i\u003earound the park,” I suggested. That worked. When she started smaller, she was able to form the habit. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSmall steps can be particularly helpful when we’re trying to do something that seems overwhelming. If I can get myself to take that first small step, I usually find that I can keep going. I invoked this principle when I was prodding myself to master Scrivener, a writers’ software program. Scrivener would help me organize my enormous trove of notes, but I dreaded starting: installing the software; syn­chronizing between my laptop and desktop computers; and most dif­ficult, figuring out how to use it. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEach day gave me a new opportunity to push the task off until tomorrow. Tomorrow, I’d feel like dealing with it. “Start \u003ci\u003enow\u003c\/i\u003e,” I fi­nally thought. “Just take the first step.” I started with the smallest possible step, which was to find the website where I could buy the software. Okay, I thought. I can do that. And then I did. I had a lot of hard work ahead of me—it’s a Secret of Adulthood: things often get harder before they get easier—but I’d started. The next day, with a feeling of much greater confidence and calm, I watched the tutorial video. Then I created my document. And then—I started my book. \u003cbr\u003e However, some people do better when they push themselves more boldly; a big challenge holds their interest and helps them persist. A friend was determined to learn French, so he moved to France for six months. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlong those lines, the \u003ci\u003eBlast Start \u003c\/i\u003ecan be a helpful way to take a first step. The Blast Start is the opposite of taking the smallest possible first step because it requires a period of high commitment. It’s demand­ing, but its intensity can energize a habit. For instance, after reading Chris Baty’s book \u003ci\u003eNo Plot? No Problem!\u003c\/i\u003e—which explains how to write a novel in a month—I wrote a novel in thirty days, as a way to spark my creativity. This kind of shock treatment can’t be maintained for­ever, but it’s fun and gives momentum to the habit. A twenty-one-day project, a detox, a cleanse, an ambitious goal, a boot camp—by tackling \u003ci\u003emore \u003c\/i\u003einstead of \u003ci\u003eless \u003c\/i\u003efor a certain period, I get a surge of energy and focus. (Not to mention bragging rights.) In particular, I love the retreat model. Three times, I’ve set aside a few days to work on a book during every waking hour, with breaks only for meals and for exer­cise. These periods of intensity help fuel my daily writing habit. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHowever, a Blast Start is, by definition, unsustainable over the long term. It’s very important to plan specifically how to shift from the intensity of the Blast Start into the habit that will continue indef­initely. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere’s no right way or wrong way, just whatever works.","brand":"Crown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46299853816037,"sku":"NP9780385348638","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780385348638.jpg?v=1767722491","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/better-than-before-isbn-9780385348638","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}