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