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Episode Title: The Science Behind Small Wins
Host: Amna Nawaz
Guest: Charles Duhigg, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author of The Power of Habit and Super Communicators
Release Date: January 13, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the science of building and changing habits, the power of small wins, and practical strategies for making New Year's resolutions stick. Host Amna Nawaz interviews Charles Duhigg, whose books have become seminal texts on behavior change and communication. The conversation is personal, practical, and science-driven, offering listeners both inspiration and concrete tools to build better habits and foster more meaningful connections.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why The Power of Habit Resonated (01:03–03:53)

• Origin Story: Duhigg wrote the book to solve his own habit struggles despite career success.

  “If I'm so smart and talented, why can't I get myself to wake up and go running in the morning?” (01:44, Charles Duhigg)

• Widespread Frustration: Listeners and readers echo his feelings, feeling “bothered” by little daily struggles despite overall life satisfaction.
• Impact: Daily emails from readers, ranging from trivial to life-changing (e.g., overcoming addiction).

2. The Science of Habits: How They Work (04:13–09:04)

• Habit Loop: Habits are composed of cue, routine, and reward.

  “If you can identify the cues and rewards that shape your behaviors, then you can change your habits much more easily.” (05:34, Charles Duhigg)

• Basal Ganglia: This ancient brain structure automates behaviors, making habits effortless yet sometimes hard to change (06:24).
• Stats: 40–45% of daily actions are habitual, not conscious choices.

3. Changing Habits: Practical Tools (09:04–15:42)

• Misconception: You don’t "break" a habit; you change it by swapping in a new routine for the old cue/reward.
• Duhigg’s Cookie Example:
  • Tracked his afternoon cookie habit to discover socialization—not the cookie—was his real reward (11:00–12:37).
  • Swapped cookie for 10 minutes of gossiping with colleagues; after a week, the cookie urge vanished.

  “Once we pull them into the light… habits prove to be very, very delicate, and we can change them much more easily than we think…” (12:41, Duhigg)

• Compassion and Opportunity: Understanding habits offers greater self-empathy and possibility for positive change.

4. New Year's Resolutions & Small Wins (15:42–19:03)

• The Fresh Start Effect: New beginnings boost motivation (16:10).
• Planning vs. Aspiration: Big goals (e.g., “lose 25 pounds”) fail without actionable plans and short-term rewards.
  • Example: Start with small, non-scale-based steps—like swapping breakfast, then layer in incremental goals.
• Science of Small Wins: Celebrate tiny milestones (putting on exercise clothes, walking around the block) to build momentum (18:24–19:03).

  “It's these small baby steps… that convinces us that we can change.” (18:56)

5. Overcoming Setbacks and Building Resilience (19:03–25:23)

• Short-Term Rewards: Crucial for habit building.
• Handling Hurdles:
  • Relapse is normal; contingency plans (“implementation intentions”) make returning easier (21:24–23:25).
  • Example: Schedule “15 minutes of movement,” even when busy. Every small success maintains the habit loop.

  “We should never, ever feel bad about ourselves for doing a small portion of a habit that we think is important.” (24:04, Duhigg)

• Compounding Effect: Small daily patterns outweigh isolated big efforts.

6. Keystone Habits and Chain Reactions (25:23–28:36)

• Certain Habits Matter More: “Keystone habits,” like exercise or making your bed, trigger positive ripples in other behaviors (25:31).
• Revealed Preferences: Performing a keystone habit reinforces self-identity and makes follow-up healthy choices easier.

7. Limits of Habit Change: Addiction & Self-Compassion (28:36–30:55)

• Addiction as Habit Dysfunction: While some addictions have strong physical components, altering associated behavioral habits is often crucial for long-term recovery.

  “Unless we also look at the habits associated with those behaviors, it's very, very hard for us to change that person's behavior…” (29:39, Duhigg)

8. Charles’s Own 2026 Resolution (31:02–32:47)

• Goal: Build more muscle mass.
• Method: Uses an app, scheduled sessions, new equipment, and rewards (peanut butter chocolate smoothie) to build the habit first, then increase ambition.

9. The Science of Communication—Super Communicators (33:11–46:25)

• Motivation: Duhigg sought to improve his own relationships.
• Loneliness = Health Risk: “Being lonely is the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day.” (34:25, Duhigg quoting the Surgeon General)
• Two Key Skills:
  • Ask more (and deeper) questions.
  • Recognize the type of conversation—practical, emotional, or social—and match the other’s mode (35:35–39:14).
• Skill, Not Trait: Good communication is learned, not innate.

  “Nobody is born a super communicator, rather… it's a set of skills that we learn and we practice until they become habits.” (36:39)

• Meta-conversation: Be explicit about what you (or others) need from a conversation (39:56–41:10).
• Digital Communication: New mediums (like texting) force us to develop new “languages,” but young people will adapt just as earlier generations did with telephones (42:03–46:25).

10. Optimism, Perfectionism, and Permission to Stop Improving (46:25–50:27)

• You’re Already Good: There’s no obligation to optimize endlessly.

  “If you have a habit and someone says, oh, that's a bad habit, and you think to yourself, I like this habit, then you should keep that habit. It's not objectively bad or good.” (47:27)

• The Best Time in History: Despite challenges, we live with unprecedented opportunities for self-change and connection.

11. Writing for Impact: Journalism vs. Books (50:27–52:49)

• Contrast: Investigative reporting shapes policy, but books impact readers’ personal lives over years.
• Mission: To offer both exposure of problems and tools for hope and change.

12. Personal Resolutions & Rituals (53:17–55:12)

• Amna Nawaz’s Ritual:
  • Drinks a daily green juice every morning as a non-negotiable healthy habit, ensuring “one good thing” even on chaotic days.

  “If the whole rest of the day is terrible, I did one good thing for myself today.” (54:27, Amna Nawaz)

• The Cookie Returns: It’s fine to have the treat, especially once the baseline healthy habit is in place.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Power of Daily Choices:

  “We are not just the sum of the big decisions we make... We are the sum of the small choices that we make every single day.” (03:08, Charles Duhigg)

• On Habit Change:

  “Once we pull them into the light... habits prove to be very, very delicate, and we can change them much more easily than we think…” (12:41, Charles Duhigg)

• On Small Wins:

  “It's these small baby steps…that convinces us that we can change. And when we convince ourselves that we can change, the change becomes much more easy to achieve.” (18:56, Charles Duhigg)

• On Self-Compassion and Relapse:

  “Relapse. Falling back, falling out of habits is part of building a habit. But what's important is at that moment to say to yourself...what am I going to do next time?” (21:26, Charles Duhigg)

• On Optimism and Self-Acceptance:

  “It's okay to be the person you want to be. You don’t have to live up to...an ideal of perfection... My only goal with these books is not to say that anyone should change...It’s only to say, if you do want to change...it is within your grasp.” (47:27, Charles Duhigg)

• On Communication:

  “Nobody is born a super communicator, rather…it's a set of skills that we learn and we practice until they become habits.” (36:39, Charles Duhigg)

• On Digital Communication:

  “What I'm not scared of is that this generation won't learn how to connect with each other. They'll just connect with each other in different ways.” (44:45, Charles Duhigg)

Important Timestamps

• 01:43: Why the book was written; Duhigg’s personal struggles with habits
• 04:24: Anatomy of a habit: cue, routine, reward
• 06:24: The basal ganglia’s role in habits
• 09:18: Why we change rather than break habits
• 11:00–12:37: The cookie/gossip experiment—practical behavior change
• 16:10: The “fresh start effect” and effective resolutions
• 18:24: “Just put on the exercise clothes” — building on tiny steps
• 25:23: Keystone habits and their far-reaching impacts
• 29:39: Treating addiction as a habit dysfunction
• 33:39: Intro to Super Communicators—why communication matters
• 36:39: Communication as a practiced skill
• 39:56: Meta-conversations and matching conversational type
• 44:45: Optimism about young people adapting to new forms of communication
• 47:27: Permission to relax: “You are fantastic.”
• 54:27: Amna’s daily green juice ritual

Summary Takeaways

• Habits are powerful, automatic, but malleable. When you understand the mechanics (cue-routine-reward), you can meaningfully change them.
• Small wins drive real change. Start tiny, acknowledge progress, and let momentum build.
• Resilience requires both self-compassion and planning. Expect setbacks, reward yourself for every restart, and strategize for obstacles.
• Empathy is critical. Change is possible, but grace for ourselves (and others) matters.
• Communication is a learnable habit. Ask deep questions, match the type of conversation, and remember digital skills are evolving—but the need for connection remains timeless.
• You don't have to optimize endlessly. Change is a personal choice, not a duty. Enjoy the cookie if you want.

For listeners: If you want to make lasting changes or communicate better, don’t aim for perfection. Understand your patterns, take small steps, build habits gradually, and allow yourself flexibility. Recognize your own keystone habits and celebrate your progress—one green juice, one made bed, or one short walk at a time.