We tend to imitate the habits of three social groups: the close (family and friends), the many (the tribe), and the powerful (those with status and prestige). One of the most effective things you can do to build better habits is to join a culture where (1) your desired behavior is the normal behavior and (2) you already have something in common with the group.

The key—if you want to build habits that last—is to join a group where the desired behavior is the normal behavior.

One of the best ways to build a new habit is to identify a current habit you already do each day and then stack your new behavior on top. This is called habit stacking.

The most effective health habit is a cultural norm. When others do it, you will too.

The truth is, a habit must be established before it can be improved. If you can’t learn the basic skill of showing up, then you have little hope of mastering the finer details. Instead of trying to engineer a perfect habit from the start, do the easy thing on a more consistent basis. You have to standardize before you can optimize.

A habit must be established before it can be improved. If you can't learn the basic skill of showing up, then you have little hope of mastering the finer details. instead of trying to engineer a perfect habit from the start, do the easy thing on a more consistent basis. You have to standardize before you can optimize.

Your culture sets your expectation for what is “normal.” Surround yourself with people who have the habits you want to have yourself.

Fill out the Habits Scorecard. Write down your current habits to become aware of them. 1.2 Use implementation intentions: “I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION].” 1.3 Use habit stacking: “After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].” 1.4 Design your environment. Make the cues of good habits obvious and visible. The 2nd Law Make It Attractive

In order to design successful habits and change your behaviors, you should do three things. Stop judging yourself. Take your aspirations and break them down into tiny behaviors. Embrace mistakes as discoveries and use them to move forward.

A quick and easy tip for building habits that last:

Pick a standard time and place to do it.

It's easier to wake up knowing "I exercise at 4pm" than to decide each time when to fit a habit into your day.

If it's already decided, all you need to do is show up.

3 things that help habits stick:

1) Repetition. Habits form based on frequency, not time.
2) Stable context. If the context is always changing, so is the behavior. You need a reliable environment.
3) Positive emotions. If it feels good, you'll want to repeat it.

Building habits in the present helps you to do more of what you want in the future.

To cultivate a habit switch your language from “I can or can’t do” to “I do or don’t do.”You shift the weight from a wavering choice to an unwavering identity.

The most important habit is choosing the right habit to work on.