Books Triggers: Creating Behavior That Lasts--Becoming the Person You Want to Be  by Marshall Goldsmith (Author), Mark Reiter (Author)

Triggers: Creating Behavior That Lasts—Becoming the Person You Want to Be by Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter is a book that explores how emotional and psychological triggers influence our behaviors and how to create long-lasting positive behavioral change. The authors explain that triggers are stimuli—either internal or external—that shape our thoughts and actions, often unconsciously, and can cause us to react in preset, sometimes inappropriate ways.

The book emphasizes the importance of recognizing these triggers and understanding how our environment impacts our behavior. It argues that change is difficult and requires the willingness to accept help and a structured approach to sustain new behaviors. Goldsmith introduces the use of active questions to promote personal accountability and continuous self-assessment, such as asking oneself daily if they did their best to progress toward their goals or stay engaged. The book stresses that without structure and ongoing self-monitoring, people tend to relapse into old behavioral patterns.

Key concepts include:

Environmental influence: Our surroundings are powerful triggers affecting our behavior often without our awareness.

Active questions: Regular self-questioning drives engagement and personal responsibility.

Structure and support: Essential for maintaining lasting behavioral change.

Understanding triggers as neither inherently good nor bad, but manageable based on our responses.