Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin

sort of thing in my life, but I’ve always been attracted to the more revolutionary changes. I don’t know why.” Along the same lines, my college roommate’s motto was “Do everything all at once.”
    A reader quoted a phrase from James Collins and Jerry Porras’s book Built to Last : “BHAG—Big Hairy Audacious Goals, all the way. I resisted this for years, thinking that to shoot too high only meant I would fail. What I didn’t realize was that shooting high motivated me much more.”
    Sometimes a single unexpected question can illuminate a hidden aspect of my life. A question like “Do you tend to blame other people, or do you blame yourself?” can give me a fresh perspective on myself. So, in addition to identifying big personality distinctions, I came up with a list of short, straightforward questions to help me know myself better, so I could better tailor my habits to my nature.
How I Like to Spend My Time
    At what time of day do I feel energized? When do I drag?
    Do I like racing from one activity to another, or do I prefer unhurried transitions?
    What activities take up my time but aren’t particularly useful or stimulating?
    Would I like to spend more time with friends, or by myself?
    Do I have several things on my calendar that I anticipate with pleasure?
    What can I do for hours without feeling bored?
    What daily or weekly activity did I do for fun when I was ten years old?
What I Value
    What’s most satisfying to me: saving time, or money, or effort?
    Does it bother me to act differently from other people, or do I get a charge out of it?
    Do I spend a lot of time on something that’s important to someone else, but not to me?
    If I had $500 that I had to spend on fun, how would I spend it?
    Do I like to listen to experts, or do I prefer to figure things out for myself?
    Does spending money on an activity make me feel more committed to it, or less committed?
    Would I be happy to see my children have the life I’ve had?
My Current Habits
    Am I more likely to indulge in a bad habit in a group, or when I’m alone?
    If I could magically, effortlessly change one habit in my life, what would it be?
    If the people around me could change one of my habits, what would they choose?
    Of my existing habits, which would I like to see my children adopt? Or not?
    It wasn’t until I asked myself, “Do I have several things on my calendar that I anticipate with pleasure?” that I realized my book groups played a crucial role in helping me to keep fun habits. In one book group, we read adult fiction, and in the other three, we read children’s or young-adult books, and my belonging to these groups helps me enforce several valuable habits. It boosts my habit of reading (Essential Seven #4, rest, relax, and enjoy); it helps me to read new books instead of rereading old favorites, which is often my inclination (Essential Seven #5,accomplish more); and it means I meet new people and make regular plans with friends (Essential Seven #7, engage more deeply in relationships).
    People often ask, “What are the best habits to follow?” as though there’s one path that everyone should follow. Debate rages about which habits are most likely to foster creativity and productivity, yet the book Daily Rituals , Mason Currey’s exhaustive examination of the work habits of 161 writers, composers, artists, scientists, and philosophers, makes one thing clear: while these brilliant people vary tremendously in the specific habits they follow, they all know very well what habits work for them , and they make a great effort to maintain those habits.
    Some have the habit of getting an early start (like Haruki Murakami) or working late into the night (like Tom Stoppard); of living a life of quiet predictability (like Charles Darwin) or of boozy revelry (like Toulouse-Lautrec); of procrastinating endlessly (like William James) or working regular hours (like