You're not just building habits in a vacuum. Every decision you make, every goal you chase, every routine you adopt—someone is watching, nudging, challenging, or quietly reinforcing you. The people closest to you aren't just part of your life; they're part of your patterns. And sometimes, they're the reason you're stuck in cycles you can't seem to break.

The Role of Family and Friends in Shaping Your Habits is a clear-eyed exploration of how our inner circles influence everything from our morning routines to our deepest ambitions. Glenda Laird doesn't offer generic advice or reheated motivational slogans. She offers insight into the invisible architecture of habit—the subtle power dynamics, emotional undercurrents, and unspoken expectations that shape your behavior before you even realize you're choosing it.

With warmth and precision, Laird maps out how our closest relationships either anchor our discipline or unravel it. She lays bare the uncomfortable truths most self-help books skip over: how your partner's casual sarcasm about your gym schedule can derail your commitment; how a parent's anxious tone about your risk-taking can undercut your confidence; how a friend's well-meaning indulgence can keep you tethered to bad habits you swore you left behind.

This book is not about blame. It's about clarity. Clarity that lets you recognize who's truly supporting your growth and who's keeping you small out of habit, fear, or their own unresolved history. You'll learn to spot the difference between someone holding you accountable and someone holding you back. You'll discover how to build habits that stand, not in defiance of your relationships, but in partnership with the ones that matter most.

Laird offers readers a framework for evaluating influence without resentment. Through relatable stories, grounded psychology, and real-world scenarios, she helps you unpack the social contracts you've been upholding without realizing it. You'll see how certain friendships thrive on mutual stagnation. How family roles—"the responsible one," "the rebel," "the helper"—can lock you into behavior patterns long after they've stopped serving you. And how breaking free doesn't always mean walking away—it often means renegotiating the terms of connection.

This book is for the reader who's done the vision boards, the habit trackers, the journaling—and still finds themselves pulled off course when it's time to say no to that late-night text, that familiar gossip loop, that recurring family drama. It's for the person who's started over a hundred times but keeps finding themselves surrounded by people who want the old version back. It's for the one who suspects that discipline isn't just personal—it's relational.

You'll come away with more than awareness. You'll leave with strategy. Strategies for setting boundaries without building walls. Techniques for cultivating influence within your circle instead of constantly resisting it. Language for starting difficult conversations with people who may not understand your growth—yet. And practices for becoming the kind of person whose habits inspire, rather than isolate.

Readers will also gain tools for nurturing environments of shared accountability—where encouragement replaces competition and progress isn't just tolerated, it's celebrated. Whether you're building new habits around health, productivity, creativity, or emotional regulation, this book offers a roadmap for aligning your social world with your personal goals.

In a culture that celebrates the self-made individual, The Role of Family and Friends in Shaping...