Dopamine entices the brain to want to do something. It plays a role in enacting action from someone. When a person has a craving, there is a dopamine spike, which is pleasurable. So, even thinking about something desired, such as a vacation, feels good. When working with clients that want to implement a new habit, the therapist could begin by rewarding the client when he or she does the habit (with something that increases dopamine, like a treat). This would wire the clients brain in such a way that when they think about completing a habit they feel good and thus follow through with the craving by acting on it.

The author talks about three social groups, 1) the close 2) the many 3) the powerful. To improve my work habits, it would beneficial to manipulate my social environment in such a way that I am being positively influenced by these 3 social groups to do my work. For example, I could make a point to exclusively hangout with people that go to the library each day or regularly devote time to completing work. Similarly, I could manipulate my experiences of “the many” to benefit my work habits by choosing to join a study group that is diligent about their meeting times. This would enable me to avoid missing study groups at the fear of being rejected from the group, thus improving my study habits. Additionally, to allow myself to be influenced by the powerful, I may listen to a podcast from someone that I perceive as successful each morning. Their motivating words or description of effective habits would provide me with some behaviors to imitate.

Criteria for Success: