And one of the most interesting parts isn't even mentioned in the Forbes article: on page 8, Duhigg has a great description of how he hacked his own brain to reprogram an unwanted routine. (Well, he probably wouldn't describe it that way.)

How Duhigg hacked his brain to reprogram an unwanted routine:

1. Identify the habit's reward.

Ex: going to a cafeteria to eat a cookie could be to satisfy hunger, get a burst of energy, take a break from work, socialize, etc.

2. Identify the habit's cue.

Ex: location, time, emotional state, other people or the immediately preceding action.

3. To shift the routine, replace the habit, but maintain the cue and reward.

Ex: If you eat a cookie everyday around 3:30 as a way of taking a break to socialize, stay current with office gossip and talk to friends, then continue taking a break at 3:30, but instead of hitting the cafeteria, look around the newsroom for someone to talk to. This way, the benefits of the habit are being preserved (taking a break and socializing), but the unwanted aspects are being replaced.

Of course, these examples are lifted directly from the article.

Thanks for the link; the Forbes article (while factually interesting) has some seriously distracting prose in it. I don't understand the write-a-news-article-off-the-cuff mentality at all.

Thanks for the link, I especially loved the Febreze story.

And now I know why a supposedly barely scented spray leaves such a perfumed stink when I use enough to remove real odors.