Everyday Systems

I was fascinated by Charles Duhigg's's article in last Sunday’s New York Times, Warning: Habits May Be Good For You. In particular, I was struck by this observation:

"[S]tudies revealed that as much as 45 percent of what we do every day is habitual — that is, performed almost without thinking in the same location or at the same time each day, usually because of subtle cues. For example, the urge to check e-mail or to grab a cookie is likely a habit with a specific prompt. Researchers found that most cues fall into four broad categories: a specific location or time of day, a certain series of actions, particular moods, or the company of specific people."