Introducing the Science of Better

A brief newsletter of science-driven advice

Hi, I’m Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit and the forthcoming Supercommunicators. You are receiving this because, at some point, you signed up to receive emails from me. Now I’m writing a new newsletter. If you changed your mind, you can unsubscribe below.

This is a newsletter about the science of living better.

Many scientific papers are complicated, dense and – to everyone but other scientists – somewhat confusing.

But, research offers insights into how our brains, bodies and the world works. So, every other week or so, I’ll take a question like -

• What’s the best way to begin a hard conversation?

• How do I become more creative?

• How can I lose weight?

• How can I help someone feel heard during a meeting?

- and I’ll read studies, talk to experts, find some of the people who have succeeded at solving this conundrum, and send you a summary of my favorite takeaways. My goal is to provide a few useful tips you can use right away.

And that’s it. That’s the whole idea: A brief newsletter with advice, rooted in science, that helps us all get a little better at life.

And for those who desire more, each newsletter will also provide details about where this science comes from and the stories behind it. (And an invitation to respond, because I want to hear what has helped you change, and what questions you want answered.)

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Here’s why I’m doing this:

I’m a journalist at The New Yorker Magazine (and previously the New York Times), and the author of three books, including a forthcoming exploration of the science of conversation and connection.

Books and long articles are wonderful at helping us learn how to improve. But, one thing I’ve noticed: Sometimes all we need is a few simple ideas. Sometimes, just a few, key insights can make a huge difference in our daily lives.

Take me, for instance. Earlier this year, I decided I wanted to become a better surfer. Despite surfing for 10 years, I am a terrible, terrible surfer. Here is some evidence:

(Details worth noting: Not only do I cut off my wife, who was about to catch that wave, but then I manage to biff it entirely.)

So, this summer, I went to a “surfing performance academy”. Every day, a coach videotaped me surfing, and then we would watch each (excruciating) video, and he would point out everything I was doing wrong, and then we would practice doing it correctly in the gym.

And then, each night, I would forget everything I had learned – and the next morning would, once again, look like an elephant with a coordination disorder.

It wasn’t my coach’s fault. He could explain, second by second, what I needed to do differently, all the things I needed to change.

But that was the problem: There was too much advice. Too much information.

Sometimes too much information is worse than not enough.

For some kinds of change, it’s helpful to focus on just a few small shifts that can set off a chain-reaction of new behaviors. (These are known as keystone habits.)

And so, with my coach, I came up with three things to focus on:

• Keep eyes pointed at the beach.

• Keep my left knee off the surfboard.

• Remember to take a breath before I fall into the water.

Once I focused on those three things, I started getting better. Here’s me the next day:

Only joking. That’s not me.

But, I did get better! And since then, I’ve continued improving, bit by bit, each day. And so, maybe, someday I’ll be able to hang with Johnny Utah.

And that’s the point of this newsletter: Sometimes the right bit of advice, at the right moment, can start us down a path that leads somewhere wonderful.

I hope you’ll join me in this journey. Please send me your thoughts on which topics you’d like me to research, or what kinds of advice has made a difference in your life - I promise, I’ll read and reply to every email.

Charles