1.Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by BJ Fogg, PhD – Written by the founder of the Behaviour Design Lab at Stanford, this book is a comprehensive, easy-to-follow guide to habit-formation. I like that it’s deeply researched, highly practical and has a lot of visuals in the book. Used by over 60,000 people, his Tiny Habits method reveals that the key to changing behaviour is the opposite of what you’ve been told. It isn’t about willpower: it’s about starting small and making it feel good. “Try any habit, make it tiny, find where it fits naturally in your life and nurtures its growth”.
2. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear. This international bestseller (more than 1million copies sold just over 2 years) is a spin on the Tiny Habits’ book as well as a smart compilation of the research on habits with inspirational examples throughout. James has built a successful platform, email list and social media following ‘walking his talk’ using the habit of writing. He has applied a lot of tools he has written about and has explained them in a ‘Clear’ way (no pun intended). I like how carefully he has structured the method and the quality of his examples and the reference list is juicy!
3. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do and How to Change by Charles Duhigg. Written by an investigative journalist, it has been a reference book for over seven years for many professionals in the field. An impressive compilation of research presented in a powerful and elegant way. Full of practical advice and structured to benefit individuals, organisations and societies. I found it fascinating and draw on his research a lot. He should have been given a PhD for writing the book, it’s that good.
4. It Didn’t Start With You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle by Mark Wolynn. This is a surprise in the category but it’s such a profound and important book to read. Mark opens the door to our understanding of how patterns travel through generations and what we need to do to stop negative systemic habits from passing to our children. A deep read about a journey towards healing, full of life-changing stories, powerful insights and ‘food for thought’.
5. The Little Book of Big Change: The No-Willpower Approach to Breaking Any Habit by Amy Johnson, PhD. The only habit book written by a woman. Amy is a Founder of the Little School of Big Change where she teaches her easy but profound method of making changes in life. It’s not a structured cognitive method where you need to follow instructions and specific steps, it’s a mind change and a game changer! Shifting perspective and releasing the blocks and thought processing that do not serve us is at the core of this method. She specialists on food habits, addictions of all sorts but also gives inspiring advice on how to rewire your brain and put an end to unhealthy behaviour patterns. I interviewed Amy in 2017 for EnrichTV, tune in to this conversation on how to shift perspectives. It was a shift for me too!