Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives - Softcover

We feel exhausted, but also feel jacked up on adrenaline, caffeine and sugar. We feel frantically busy, but also feel that we're not spending enough time on the things that really matter.' Were truer words ever written? * Arizona Daily Sun * 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. * Parade * I have read all three of her books, and every suggestion I've tried has made me feel better * Irish Times * Rubin...has brought her theory of contentment to the microlevel. * The Irish Times * We are totally comfortable calling Gretchen Rubin's new book, Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives, life-changing. * Better Homes & Gardens * In Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives, 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. * Brain Pickings * Grab this now! Better Than Before is essential reading. In this generous and actionable book, Gretchen Rubin helps us make sense of how privilege and opportunity make so many of us unhappy, and shows how basic daily choices can free us to make the most of what we have * Seth Godin, bestselling author of LINCHPIN * 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. Better Than Before is a gem, and the first habit you should form is reading a chapter every night. * Adam Grant, Wharton professor and New York Times bestselling author of GIVE AND TAKE * 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, Better Than Before is a force for real change. It rearranged what I thought I knew about my habits, and I'm better for it. * Brene Brown, New York Times bestselling author of DARING GREATLY and THE GIFT OF IMPERFECTION * 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, Better than Before, shows us how. She shows how to turn vicious cycles into virtuous cycles and how to turn ruts into roads less traveled. The key is in starting and supporting the habits that will turn us into who we want to be. Unlike other books on habits, Rubin's book gives us the specific tools and a blueprint for getting back on track - the fast track. * Brian Wansink, PhD. author of SLIM BY DESIGN * 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. * Dan Heath, co-author of bestsellers MADE TO STICK, SWITCH and DECISIVE * Gretchen Rubin is a writer after my own heart - seriously brilliant, very warm, and funny. I think she's amazing * Anne Lamott * 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 * Charles Duhigg, bestselling author of THE POWER OF HABIT * truly transformational * Prima Magazine * 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 * 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 * brilliantly addictive, fascinating and transformational * Cathy Rentzenbrink, The Bookseller * 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 * 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 * 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 * 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 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 * Gretchen Rubin's thesis is fascinating, persuasive * Guardian * A lot of us would like a Rubin in our lives * The Times Magazine *

'A LOT OF US WOULD LIKE A RUBIN IN OUR LIVES' The Times Magazine - 'JUST READ THIS BOOK... IT'S EXCELLENT' Viv Groskop - 'FASCINATING, PERSUASIVE' Guardian Many experts suggest one-size-fits-all solutions for habit change, but as we all know from experience, there's no single magic answer. Better Than Before shows us how to understand habits and to change them for good, and gives us the thrill of recognition and relief, because at last, we'll have the vocabulary and framework to change our habits successfully. Solutions exist! Along the way, Rubin uses herself as a guinea pig, tests her theories on family and friends, and answers some of the most pressing questions - oddly, questions that other writers and researchers tend to ignore: - Why do I find it tough to create a habit for something I love to do? - I want to help someone else make a change. But how? - Why do practically all dieters gain the weight back - plus more? - How quickly can I change a habit? - Why can I make time for everyone else, but can't make time for myself? Whether you want to get more sleep, finish a project, maintain a healthy weight, or stop checking devices, habits make it possible. With Rubin's signature mix of rigorous research and easy humour, Better Than Before will make us eager to start work on our own habits - even before we've finished the book.