Stick with It

Whether it’s absentminded mistakes at work, a weakness for junk food, a smartphone addiction, or a lack of exercise, everyone has a bad habit or behavior that they’d like to change. But wanting to change and actually doing it—sticking with it to make that change permanent—are two very different things.

Dr. Sean Young, an authoritative voice in behavioral science, knows a great deal about our behavior and how we can change it—for the better. Stick with It draws on his scientific research, and Young identifies the seven crucial forces that combine to make lasting personal transformation, including

• Stepladders: how the power of incremental steps creates long-term change.
• Community: how social support and competition fuel change and keep us accountable.
• Neurohacks: how a set of mental shortcuts can reset the brain so that people can finally change old unwanted behaviors.
• Engraining Good Habits: how success in life and work depends on developing the right behavioral routines.

Packed with pragmatic approaches and stories of real people who have used them successfully, Stick with It shows that it is possible to control spending, stick to a healthy diet, become more social, stop compulsively checking email, and overcome problem behaviors—forever.