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The Power of Positive Habits by Jon Gordon: summary
The Power of Positive Habits
- It's a menu of habits. Gordon says he left the science of habit building to other books and wrote a list of specific habits you can choose from instead.
- Set up the habit the night before. His 'habit before the habit' means removing friction ahead of time, like laying out your walking clothes or putting the book you want to read on your pillow.
- A thank-you walk started it all. Gordon describes being so negative that his marriage was at risk, and says a daily walk spent thinking about what he's grateful for, kept up for over two decades, slowly changed how he thinks.
- Talk to yourself instead of listening to yourself. When the negative voice starts, he suggests answering it the way you'd encourage a friend, and calls this becoming your own greatest encourager.
- Let go fast. Habits like forgive fast and don't let old battles keep you from new victories are about not spending your energy on past fights, which he ties to his own move from a bad business split to building something new.
Which habits actually make your life better?
There isn't one habit that does it all. Gordon's answer is to pick a few small ones from his list of 93, make them easy by setting them up the night before, and keep going. The ones he leans on most are a daily thank-you walk, encouraging yourself instead of listening to your doubts, and forgiving quickly so old fights don't drain you.
Actionable
- Skim all 93 habits and mark every one that speaks to you, then cut the list to ten and start with three, as Gordon suggests.
- For each habit you pick, decide the habit before the habit, the one thing you'll set up the night before.
- Try a ten-minute thank-you walk tomorrow morning and name three things you're grateful for as you go.
- Next time you catch a harsh thought about yourself, answer it out loud with what you'd say to a friend.
- Write down one old grudge or fight you're still carrying, and decide one small step to let it go.
What readers say
- Readers on Amazon rate it highly and describe it as quick, easy to read and practical, with many calling it one of his best.
- Several readers say it feels like a greatest hits collection of his earlier books, which fans like and longtime readers may find familiar.
- Readers like that each habit is short, with the reasoning and a way to put it into practice.
- If you want the research behind how habits form, this book doesn't try to cover it, so pair it with a book on habit science.
- Some ideas, like morning sunlight and gratitude, will sound familiar if you follow productivity content.
Video mentioned on this page:
Jon Gordon Reveals The Power of Positive Habits
Jon Gordon: The Psychology of Optimism, Better Habits, and Stronger LeadershipQuick answer
Our summary of The Power of Positive Habits by Jon Gordon, in our own words.
What 125x is: 125x is a web app at 125x.app. You connect your YouTube subscriptions, and it gives you a feed of the latest videos from the channels you follow, each with a summary: a verdict, the 5 key takeaways, and the spoiler, plus Actionable and Lessons tabs with more tips. You read that and decide what's actually worth opening.
Open 125xWho it's for
People who liked Atomic Habits but want to know which habits to pick, anyone who tends to think negatively and wants small daily ways to shift that, and coaches or managers looking for short ideas to share with a team.
Tips from readers, plus one of ours
- Stack two habits into one walk. In his interview on The Miracle Morning podcast, the host says he read the thank-you walk and morning sunlight chapters and combined them into a single morning walk the same day.
- Rehearse the habit in your head. The same conversation adds a trick Gordon liked: picture yourself doing the habit in the morning, step by step, so when the reminder goes off you've already practiced saying yes.
- Make a short list before you encourage anyone. Gordon tells the story of a friend who sent short encouraging videos to people, and suggests the habit before that habit is a list of three people to send one to.
- Hear a sample first. his own podcast episode on the book walks through twelve of the habits, which is an easy way to see if the style suits you.
- Agree or disagree: some reader reviews on Amazon say much of it repeats his earlier books. We agree for longtime fans, and we'd still say the short format makes it easier to act on than his longer fables.
- Our unusual tip: put each habit you choose on its own index card with its habit before the habit on the back. Shuffle the cards on Sunday and pull one for the week. It keeps a 93-item book from turning into 93 good intentions.
About this summary
This summary follows the same shape as a 125x summary: a verdict, 5 takeaways, and an Actionable section. 125x is a web app that does this for the latest videos from the YouTube channels you follow, with a verdict, 5 takeaways, the spoiler, and Actionable and Lessons tabs. The spoiler is the answer to the title, the same thing 125x gives you for clickbait video titles. More in book summaries.
FAQ: questions people ask
What is The Power of Positive Habits about?
It's a menu of habits. Gordon says he left the science of habit building to other books and wrote a list of specific habits you can choose from instead.
Set up the habit the night before. His 'habit before the habit' means removing friction ahead of time, like laying out your walking clothes or putting the book you want to read on your pillow.
Is The Power of Positive Habits worth reading?
Our verdict is good value given. A 2026 USA Today bestseller from the author of The Energy Bus. It's a collection of 93 short habits, most one or two pages long, covering mindset, health, relationships and leadership, so you can read a few and try one the same day.
Who should read The Power of Positive Habits?
People who liked Atomic Habits but want to know which habits to pick, anyone who tends to think negatively and wants small daily ways to shift that, and coaches or managers looking for short ideas to share with a team.
What's the main idea of The Power of Positive Habits?
There isn't one habit that does it all. Gordon's answer is to pick a few small ones from his list of 93, make them easy by setting them up the night before, and keep going. The ones he leans on most are a daily thank-you walk, encouraging yourself instead of listening to your doubts, and forgiving quickly so old fights don't drain you.
How many habits are in The Power of Positive Habits?
93, most of them one or two pages long.
What is the habit before the habit?
Gordon's name for the small setup step that removes friction, like laying out workout clothes the night before.
What is a thank-you walk?
A walk where you think about the things you're grateful for. Gordon says it's the habit that changed his life.
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- Every 125x guide
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