Curious Habits Why we do what we do and how to change

by Mathers, Luke

• ISBN13: 9781922611420
• ISBN10: 1922611425
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2022-11-15
• Publisher: Major Street Publishing

Summary

A curious habit is helpful… until it’s not. Attention to detail is great – perfectionism is a curious habit. Chocolate is awesome – using it to treat anxiety is a curious habit. Honest self-awareness is admirable – constantly beating yourself up is a curious habit. We have habits for a reason, we repeat things that feel good and move away from the stuff we don’t like. Our habits solve a problem and make life easier. Unfortunately, our habits can turn on us. This book teaches us how to use curiosity as a superpower. It takes the blame and shame out of habit change so that we make the change not because we HAVE to, but because we WANT to. Drawing from the collective wisdom of evolutionary biology, neuroscience, Stoic philosophy and even Instagram, leading mindset coach Luke Mathers helps us embrace the power of curiosity to recognise when habits start to impact negatively our health and happiness. Curious Habits offers an entertaining, thought-provoking and non-judgmental exploration into why we do the things we do, and how to reset for a healthier, happier and more fulfilling life.

Author Biography

LUKE MATHERS is himself naturally curious. After more than 20 years’ running successful businesses, including as one of the founding directors of Specsavers in Australia, he found his passion in helping others optimize their performance in life and business. An internationally recognized expert in stress, embracing change and leadership, Luke coaches leaders, Olympians and elite athletes on how to find out more about their habits, manage them better and overcome the stress that they can cause. He is also the author of Stress Teflon and Reset.

Table of Contents

Preface vii Introduction 1 PART I Get Curious about Habits 13 1. You are a bundle of habits 15 2. Rebundling your habits 35 3. Making deliberate your default 51 PART II The Curious Habits 67 4. Staying comfortable 69 5. Expecting perfection 77 6. Procrastination – I’ll think about my habits tomorrow 83 7. Self-talk that sucks 93 8. Toxic positivity and brutal optimism 103 9. Living in the GAP (I’ll be happy when…) 111 10. Compare and despair 125 11. Hey look, something shiny! 135 12. All by myself: pulling away 145 13. Fear of being scared 151 14. The doctor will fix me 155 15. Worry, let’s see if that helps 161 16. Feeding the beast 167 17. Sober curious 175 18. Achievement addiction 183 19. Dodging the tough chat 193 20. Phoning it in 199 Wrapping it up 203 Sources and further reading 207 About the author 209 Acknowledgements 211