I

Acknowledgments

HAVE RELIED HEAVILY on others during the creation of this book. Before
anyone else, I must thank my wife, Kristy, who has been
indispensable throughout this process. She has played every role a
person can play in the writing of a book: spouse, friend, fan, critic,
editor, researcher, therapist. It is no exaggeration to say this book
would not be the same without her. It might not exist at all. Like
everything in our life, we did it together.

Second, I am grateful to my family, not only for their support and
encouragement on this book but also for believing in me no matter
what project I happen to be working on. I have benefited from many
years of support from my parents, grandparents, and siblings. In
particular, I want my mom and dad to know that I love them. It is a
special feeling to know that your parents are your greatest fans.

Third, to my assistant, Lyndsey Nuckols. At this point, her job defies
description as she has been asked to do nearly everything one could
imagine for a small business. Thankfully, her skills and talents are
more powerful than my questionable management style. Some sections
of this book are as much hers as they are mine. I am deeply grateful for
her help.

As for the content and writing of the book, I have a long list of
people to thank. To start, there are a few people from whom I have
learned so much that it would be a crime to not mention them by
name. Leo Babauta, Charles Duhigg, Nir Eyal, and BJ Fogg have each
influenced my thoughts on habits in meaningful ways. Their work and
ideas can be found sprinkled throughout this text. If you enjoyed this
book, I’d encourage you to read their writing as well.

At various stages of writing, I benefited from the guidance of many
fine editors. Thanks to Peter Guzzardi for walking me through the early
stages of the writing process and for a kick in the pants when I really
needed it. I am indebted to Blake Atwood and Robin Dellabough for
transforming my ugly and insanely long first drafts into a tight,