{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Better Than Before \u2013 Productivity Book Group","description":"Productivity Book Group&amp;nbsp;[ http:\/\/productivitybookgroup.org ] discussed&amp;nbsp;Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives&amp;nbsp;[ http:\/\/amzn.to\/1OQLjKy&amp;nbsp;] by Gretchen Rubin.&amp;nbsp;Enjoy the discussion! The Amazon book description states: The author of the blockbuster&amp;nbsp;New York Times&amp;nbsp;bestsellers,&amp;nbsp;The Happiness Project&amp;nbsp;and&amp;nbsp;Happier at Home,&amp;nbsp;tackles the critical question:&amp;nbsp;How do we change?&amp;nbsp; Gretchen Rubin\u2019s answer: through habits. Habits are the invisible architecture of everyday life.&amp;nbsp;It takes work to make a habit, but once that habit is set, we can harness the energy of habits to build happier, stronger, more productive lives. So if habits are a key to change, then what we really need to know is: How do we change our habits? Better than Before answers that question. It presents a practical, concrete framework to allow readers to understand their habits\u2014and to change them for good. Infused with Rubin\u2019s compelling voice, rigorous research, and easy humor, and packed with vivid stories of lives transformed, Better than Beforeexplains the (sometimes counter-intuitive) core principles of habit formation. Along the way, Rubin uses herself as guinea pig, tests her theories on family and friends, and answers readers\u2019 most pressing questions\u2014oddly, questions that other writers and researchers tend to ignore: \u2022&amp;nbsp;Why do I find it tough to create a habit for something I&amp;nbsp;love&amp;nbsp;to do? \u2022&amp;nbsp;Sometimes I can change a habit overnight, and sometimes I can\u2019t change a habit, no matter how hard I try. Why? \u2022&amp;nbsp;How quickly can I change a habit? \u2022&amp;nbsp;What can I do to make sure I stick to a new habit? \u2022&amp;nbsp;How can I help someone else change a habit? \u2022&amp;nbsp;Why can I keep habits that benefit others, but can\u2019t make habits that are just for me? Whether readers want to get more sleep, stop checking their devices, maintain a healthy weight, or finish an important project, habits make&amp;nbsp;change possible. Reading just a few chapters of Better Than Before will make readers eager to start work on their own habits\u2014even before they\u2019ve finished the book. Our next reading selections are:   Show Notes:  habit manifesto \u2013 PDF link Gretchen\u2019s podcast  Four Tendencies Quiz First Break Rules \u2013 Marcus Buckingham Quantified Self \u2013 quantifiedself.com Don\u2019t Break the Chain \u2013 Jerry Seinfeld \u2013 dontbreakthechain.com Coach.me \u2013 app Unschedule \u2013 Google Sheets template The Now Habit \u2013 Neil Fiore Happier at Home \u2013 21-Day Relationship Challenge [ http:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/21-day-relationship-challenge\/&amp;nbsp;]  (Please listen to understand the context of the resources provided. If we missed something, please comment on the episode and let us know!)  The callers you hear in this episode are readers just like you, and you are more than welcome to join us on the live calls to discuss productivity books too! Please visit ProductivityBookGroup.org and find out the details and the schedule for upcoming book discussion calls. If you plan to read ahead or read a little more slowly, please visit ProductivityBookGroup.org and check out the schedule on the \u201cUpcoming Books\u201d page. Please feel free to visit iTunes, Stitcher or whichever podcast directory or app you prefer to access Productivity Book Group\u2026and feel free to review us there! This helps expand our readership and bring new discussion callers into the fold. Thank you. Finally, all podcast episodes are archived at ProductivityBookGroup.org under \u201cEpisodes\u201d so if you missed a call and want to review it, feel free to head over and give them a listen.  Note: All registered service marks, trademarks and other copyrighted&amp;nbsp;materials&amp;nbsp;mentioned on the podcast are that of their respective owners. This group is not affiliated with or officially endorsed by those copyright owners. ","author_name":"Productivity Book Group","author_url":"https:\/\/productivitybookgroup.org","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/7146336\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/item\/7146336"}