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Better Than Before

How to Make and Break Habits - and Build a Happier Life

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Better Than Before

By: Gretchen Rubin
Narrated by: Gretchen Rubin
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About this listen

***NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER***

The author of The Happiness Project and "a force for real change" (Brené Brown) examines how changing our habits can change our lives.

"A LOT OF US WOULD LIKE A RUBIN IN OUR LIVES" The Times
"FASCINATING, PERSUASIVE" Guardian

Most of us have a habit we'd like to change, and there's no shortage of expert advice. But as we all know from tough experience, no magic, one-size-fits-all solution exists. 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.

In Better Than Before, acclaimed writer Gretchen Rubin identifies every approach that actually works. She presents a practical, concrete framework to allow listeners to understand their habits - and to change them for good.

Infused with Rubin's compelling voice, rigorous research, and easy humour, and packed with vivid stories of lives transformed, Better Than Before explains the (sometimes counterintuitive) core principles of habit formation and answers the most perplexing questions about habits:

* Why do we find it tough to create a habit for something we love to do?
* How can we keep our healthy habits when we're surrounded by temptations?
* How can we help someone else change a habit?

Rubin reveals the true secret to habit change: first, we must know ourselves. When we shape our habits to suit ourselves, we can find success - even if we've failed before.

Whether you want to eat more healthfully, stop checking devices, or finish a project, the invaluable ideas in Better Than Before will start you working on your own habits - even before you've finished the book.

©2015 Gretchen Rubin (P)2015 John Murray Press
Career Success Motivation & Self-Improvement Personal Development Personal Success Happiness Habits Inspiring

Critic Reviews

"Do you have a bad habit you're trying to shake, or a good one you wish you could cultivate? Gretchen Rubin is one of the most charming and erudite authors of her generation. Here, she uses her gifts to help you eat right, sleep well, stop procrastinating and start enjoying all that life has to offer." (Susan Cain, best-selling author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking)

"Filled with insights about our patterns of behavior, Better Than Before addresses one of life's big and timeless questions: How can we transform ourselves? In a way that's thought-provoking, surprising and often funny, Gretchen Rubin provides us with the tools to build a life that truly reflects our goals and values." (Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post and best-selling author of Thrive)

"Gretchen Rubin combines deep research and observations from her own life to explain how habits emerge and - more important - how they can change. It's indispensable for anyone hoping to overhaul how they (almost unthinkingly) behave." (Charles Duhigg, bestselling author of The Power of Habit)

"Gretchen Rubin is a writer after my own heart - seriously brilliant, very warm, and funny. I think she's amazing." (Anne Lamott)
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What did you like most about Better Than Before?

I love the differentiation of this book it is not a one size fits all and it gives recommendations for different types of person e.g. larks or nightingales! Which makes perfect sense as we all have different strengths and weaknesses, likes, dislikes etc. This book helps you with the what and how of making change happen. It is so inspirational and motivating. Thank you Gretchen.

Fabulous - a must have book.

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The ideas in this book won't be for everyone, but they spoke to me and have been life-changing. Loved this book and how it's helping me shape a happier life's

A life changer for me

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Loved it. Have just finished and am clicking play to listen to it all over again! Great ideas and lots of take aways.

Loved this book

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Gretchen Rubin has changed the way I look at the world. She speaks so honestly and defines habits in understandable terms. I highly recommend this book. I'm so happy I found it!

Love this book and author so much

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Great book, easy to listen to on audible. Some really interesting pieces on tendencies and habits that I hadn’t heard before. I recommend this audiobook.

It makes you want to be better than before

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I'm not the effusive type, so when I write a 5-star review it really does mean I've found the book to be enormously helpful, well-written, and engaging. The "four tendencies" framework makes sense to me and is a really useful filter for understanding why I do things, and, just as importantly, why I don't do things, and why motivational strategies that work for others don't often work well for me. I highly recommend this book! As an audiobook, I also loved the fact that Gretchen narrated it herself. Her voice is expressive, her diction clear, and she is very easy to listen to. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will undoubtedly listen again!

One of the most useful books I've read this year!

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So much inspiration in this book. Definitely recommend for anyone wanting to improve their life and themselves. I especially loved the book as a new parent... I want to make sure I’m proud of the habits I’m passing onto my little girl :)

Absolutely loved this book!

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I really liked the emphasis on how it's not a one size fits all reality!

Engaging and intriguing !

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Really enjoyed listening & working out what would work for me. Couldn't wait for my next Gretchen Rubin fix. I have her previous books (e-book and actual) and this is the first one I have finished.

Great advice and easy to follow

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I really enjoyed this book. Very interesting insights into how to start and maintain good habits.

Great Book

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