Willpower Isn’t Just A Skill. It’s A

Rather, To Change A Habit, You Must Keep The Old Cue, And Deliver The Old Reward, But Insert A New Routine.

For A Habit To Stay Changed, People Must Believe Change Is Possible.

A Movement Starts Because Of The Social Habits Of Friendship And The Strong Ties Between Close Acquaintances. It Grows Because Of The Habits Of A Community, And The Weak Ties That Hold Neighborhoods And Clans Together. And It Endures Because A Movement's Leaders Give Participants New Habits That Create A Fresh Sense Of Identity And A Feeling Of Ownership.

But Countless Studies Have Shown That A Cue And A Reward, On Their Own, Aren't Enough For A New Habit To Last. Only When Your Brain Starts Expecting The Reward--craving The Endorphins Or Sense Of Accomplishment--will It Become Automatic To Lace Up Your Jogging Shoes Each Morning. The Cue, In Addition To Triggering A Routine, Must Also Trigger A Craving For The Reward To Come.

The Same Process That Makes Aa So Effective—the Power Of A Group To Teach Individuals How To Believe—happens Whenever People Come Together To Help One Another Change. Belief Is Easier When It Occurs Within A Community.