Did you know that your habits can actually ruin your entire life if you don't control and direct them correctly? Did you know that your habits are actually more influential over your entire personality and behavior than anything else? Well, they are! And that's why you need to understand your own habits and start using them to your advantage.
Are you aware of the fact that the actions and behaviors you engage in every day are merely a result of your established habits? You may believe that (for example) how you interact with your family and friends, how often you exercise, how much television you watch, what you eat every day, what activities you enjoy, and virtually everything you do are a result of a conscious decision you are making - but they're not! They are all a result of your habits. Consequently, it would be fair to say that your habits are dictating your life - for better or for worse!
A habit is an action or behavior you engage in that has taken place without conscious thought - it's automatic behavior. Your brain constantly creates these automatic behaviors so that it doesn't have to make decisions about each action constantly. This is known as creating "routines". Examples of routines are things like driving a car, riding a bike, using a knife and fork, running, jumping, eating a banana, brushing your hair, doing your makeup, and so on and so forth (this list is literally endless). You don't have to learn how to do these things every day - they just happen on auto pilot (we hope!)
Put simply, in order for a habit to emerge it relies on three elements being present. The first is a cue such as, "I'm hungry". The next is a routine, such as, "I'll eat a cookie". And finally comes the reward, such as, "I'm now full and satisfied". If you go through this three-step sequence (cue, routine, reward) enough times you will have yourself a habit. This is known as the habit loop.
The problem with habit loops is that habits don't always help you. In fact they regularly make things harder for you! You see, your brain understands the cue, the routine and the reward, but it doesn't know whether the habit you are creating is good or bad for you. To the brain it's merely a cue, a routine and a reward - and the response is always automatic.
But much worse than this, your habits actually override absolutely everything - including your "common sense". That's right; habits override common sense and will occur even if the habit is bad for you. In fact, even if it's killing you. Don't believe it? Just think of a smoker - they have formed a habit loop around smoking (cue - I need a nicotine hit, routine - I'll smoke a cigarette, reward - I no longer need a nicotine hit) and we all know that smoking kills you. Smokers know that smoking is killing them. But it doesn't matter. What matters most is that the habit is fulfilled. Pretty amazing isn't it?
But it's all not all bad news! There is some good news coming. Let's discuss how anyone can get control of their habits loops and start creating some really positive automatic behaviors. In order to transform a habit you must follow the "golden rule". The golden rule of habits tells us that all you need to do is change your habits and change your life is to change your routine. The cue and the reward will remain the same but the routine must change.
In order to change a habit you must address the craving you have by inserting a new behavior. All else must remain constant. In practice, changing habit loops work like this: you have a cue (I'm hungry), then you have a routine (eat a cookie), and then you have a reward (I'm full). But remember, when changing the loop, the cue and reward always stays constant but the routine changes. So, you simply change the routine. Cue (I'm hungry), routine (eat an apple - not a cookie), and gain your reward (I'm full).
In this case we have used a simple example of eating an apple instead of a cookie. This is obviously simplifying the habit. But the process is the same. The loop is always the same. There is a cue, a routine and a reward. Focus on changing your routine and you will transform your habit. It truly is that simple - and that difficult!
You now have enough information to recognize your habits and then make a purposeful decision to change them. To be a success you must have the habits of a successful person. Simply think about the cues, the routines and the rewards that are creating poor results for you - and then actively transform them! Good habits will completely change your life and your results. Good luck.
Are you aware of the fact that the actions and behaviors you engage in every day are merely a result of your established habits? You may believe that (for example) how you interact with your family and friends, how often you exercise, how much television you watch, what you eat every day, what activities you enjoy, and virtually everything you do are a result of a conscious decision you are making - but they're not! They are all a result of your habits. Consequently, it would be fair to say that your habits are dictating your life - for better or for worse!
A habit is an action or behavior you engage in that has taken place without conscious thought - it's automatic behavior. Your brain constantly creates these automatic behaviors so that it doesn't have to make decisions about each action constantly. This is known as creating "routines". Examples of routines are things like driving a car, riding a bike, using a knife and fork, running, jumping, eating a banana, brushing your hair, doing your makeup, and so on and so forth (this list is literally endless). You don't have to learn how to do these things every day - they just happen on auto pilot (we hope!)
Put simply, in order for a habit to emerge it relies on three elements being present. The first is a cue such as, "I'm hungry". The next is a routine, such as, "I'll eat a cookie". And finally comes the reward, such as, "I'm now full and satisfied". If you go through this three-step sequence (cue, routine, reward) enough times you will have yourself a habit. This is known as the habit loop.
The problem with habit loops is that habits don't always help you. In fact they regularly make things harder for you! You see, your brain understands the cue, the routine and the reward, but it doesn't know whether the habit you are creating is good or bad for you. To the brain it's merely a cue, a routine and a reward - and the response is always automatic.
But much worse than this, your habits actually override absolutely everything - including your "common sense". That's right; habits override common sense and will occur even if the habit is bad for you. In fact, even if it's killing you. Don't believe it? Just think of a smoker - they have formed a habit loop around smoking (cue - I need a nicotine hit, routine - I'll smoke a cigarette, reward - I no longer need a nicotine hit) and we all know that smoking kills you. Smokers know that smoking is killing them. But it doesn't matter. What matters most is that the habit is fulfilled. Pretty amazing isn't it?
But it's all not all bad news! There is some good news coming. Let's discuss how anyone can get control of their habits loops and start creating some really positive automatic behaviors. In order to transform a habit you must follow the "golden rule". The golden rule of habits tells us that all you need to do is change your habits and change your life is to change your routine. The cue and the reward will remain the same but the routine must change.
In order to change a habit you must address the craving you have by inserting a new behavior. All else must remain constant. In practice, changing habit loops work like this: you have a cue (I'm hungry), then you have a routine (eat a cookie), and then you have a reward (I'm full). But remember, when changing the loop, the cue and reward always stays constant but the routine changes. So, you simply change the routine. Cue (I'm hungry), routine (eat an apple - not a cookie), and gain your reward (I'm full).
In this case we have used a simple example of eating an apple instead of a cookie. This is obviously simplifying the habit. But the process is the same. The loop is always the same. There is a cue, a routine and a reward. Focus on changing your routine and you will transform your habit. It truly is that simple - and that difficult!
You now have enough information to recognize your habits and then make a purposeful decision to change them. To be a success you must have the habits of a successful person. Simply think about the cues, the routines and the rewards that are creating poor results for you - and then actively transform them! Good habits will completely change your life and your results. Good luck.
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