Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits ― to Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life - Softcover

Rubin, Gretchen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1444769014 ISBN 13: 9781444769012

Publisher: John Murray One, 2016

Synopsis

'A LOT OF US WOULD LIKE A RUBIN IN OUR LIVES' The Times
'EXTRAORDINARY' Viv Groskop
'FASCINATING, PERSUASIVE' Guardian
'A LIFE-CHANGER' The Pool

HABITS ARE THE INVISIBLE ARCHITECTURE OF EVERYDAY LIFE.

Most 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, there is no magic 'one-size-fits-all' solution for everything from weight loss to personal organisation. In Better Than Before, Gretchen Rubin explores her theory of 'The Four Tendencies' dividing people into four basic groups: Upholder, Obliger, Questioner and Rebel. She answers the most perplexing questions about habits with her signature mix of rigorous research and engaging storytelling (and a personality quiz to establish which of the Four Tendencies fits you):

- Why do we find it tough to create a habit for something we love to do?
- How can we keep our healthy habits when we're surrounded by temptations?
- How can we help someone else change a habit?

Rubin 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.

Whether you want to eat more healthfully, stop checking your phone, or finish a project, the invaluable ideas in Better Than Before will start you working on your own habits - even before you've finished the book.

ALSO BY GRETCHEN RUBIN

The Four Tendencies: the indispensable personality profiles that reveal how to make your life better

AND

Outer Order Inner Calm: declutter and organize to make more room for happiness

About this title

Review

A lot of us would like a Rubin in our lives (The Times Magazine)

Gretchen Rubin's thesis is fascinating, persuasive (Guardian)

This takes on every unhelpful habit you've ever had at home or at work and shows you how you can fix it. A life-changer. I more or less lost three stone as a result of reading this book. And it changed completely how I process email which has saved me thousands of hours. A revelation. (Viv Groskop The Pool)

Rubin's book is about liberating yourself from destructive habits...she is realistic, saying that no one-size-fits-all solution exists (Evening Standard)

This book struck a nerve. It basically is the book "How to Get Up and Get Dressed," but it works... Once I came to understand habits as harnessing our own laziness - making a habit frees you from decision-making, which you can use to your advantage - my relationship to them changed permanently (New Yorker)

Just read this book... It's about the psychology of habit and is an addictive and pleasing read (even for someone who is in the habit of reading a lot of such books about, er, changing habits). I strongly recommend it if you are looking to make some permanent changes in your life... It's excellent (Viv Groskop)

If you need a helping hand to make over your bad habits, American self-help author Gretchen Rubin is your woman. Better Than Before is full of practical advice and strategies on how to build healthier and happier ways of living that last (Good Housekeeping)

brilliantly addictive, fascinating and transformational (Cathy Rentzenbrink, The Bookseller)

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. (Susan Cain, bestselling author of QUIET: THE POWER OF INTROVERTS IN A WORLD THAT CAN'T STOP TALKING)

Filled with insights about our patterns of behavior, Better Than Before 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. (Arianna Huffington, founder of the Huffington Post and bestselling author of THRIVE)

Book Description

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. Internationally bestselling author Gretchen Rubin has helped millions of readers get happier. Here she tackles the critical question: How can we make good habits and break bad ones?

Edition details

• Publisher: John Murray One
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1444769014
• ISBN 13: 9781444769012
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 336