The Power of Habit

Why we do what we do in life and business

by Charles Duhig

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” — Will Durant

There is a reason you have probably already heard about this book, it is one of those key texts you will often hear referenced by anyone interested in improving themselves or others. 

"Once you understand that habits can change, you have the freedom and the responsibility to remake them."

The Power of Habit is a practical guide to understanding habits and how to change them and I don't think I have ever met anyone who isn't either thinking about or trying to change an old habit or form a new one. There is no argument that changing a habit isn't difficult but it is possible and requires a little knowledge and an experimental framework that captures the scientific spirit. 

This framework is: 

• Identify the routine

• Experiment with rewards

• Isolate the cue

• Have a plan

"The will to believe is the most important ingredient in creating belief in change"

The Habit Loop

The habit loop is the key concept to understanding habits that you also use to experiment with your habits. The routine is the part we are usually most aware of as that is the action itself and what we would typically identify as the habit. The cue and reward can sometimes be identified by simply analysing your own behaviour or it may require experimenting with different rewards to see how they make you feel to truly identify the cue that triggers a routine. 

"The way we habitually think of our surroundings and ourselves create the worlds that each of us inhabits"

An example of this could be the 3 pm coffee break. A shallow dive into the habit may say "oh I need my 3 pm coffee to stay awake or to prevent withdrawal headaches or to just stay productive for those last few hours" Each has its own truth that would be revealed with experimentation, staying awake, not getting a  headache or maintained productivity. That should also be prompted by their own respective cues such as drowsiness, the beginning of a headache or reduced productivity. However, in true scientific nature, we have to collect data to be sure what our cues and rewards are so we can manipulate the routine.

The key premise of changing a habit is that it is impossible to truly destroy a habit, which makes sense once a neural pathway has been formed and becomes strong enough removing that pathway usually requires neurological injury. Successfully altering a habit comes from learning what cues a habit and the reward you seek so you can change the routine to still get the same reward. Think reward here as more of a neurochemical reward - that serotonin hit you are craving or that blood sugar spike. 

"Once we choose who we want to be people grow"

When experimenting with your habits use the Habit cue categories to ask the following questions 

• Location - Where are you?

• Time - What time is it?

• Emotional State - What is your emotional state?

• Other people - Who else is around?

• Immediately preceding action - What action preceded the urge?

Other people are also a key part of changing our habits for various reasons. The people we surround ourselves with may help or hinder us, from the way they talk to us to what we choose to tell them, social accountability can be a powerful tool. We are social creatures so often the reward we seek may be based around social connectedness or physical contact. 

"Change occurs among other people"

"It seems real when we can see it in other peoples eyes"

Keystone Habits

Keystone habits are habits that assist in the formation of other positive habits and can create chain effects in your life. Some common keystone habits are: 

• Making your bed every morning 

• Regular exercise

• Positive thinking/self talk

• Planning days/goal setting - this one needs to be done formally in writing to be effective 

• Sleep routine - consistent wake and sleep times plus sleep hygiene

• Journaling 

• Visualisation - mental rehearsal 

• Daily reading 

Planning and Actively Setting Goals

Personally, this is one of the biggest areas I have been working on a lot more recently and it is incredible the difference actually writing things down makes. Not that this should be surprising as it frequently said that writing down, tracking and reviewing specific plans with how you will overcome obstacles/inflection points is helpful.

These are the simple steps to follow:

• my goals for this week are"

• write exactly what you will do

• specific plans

• overcome inflection points 

• have clear instructions about how to deal with inflection points

"Choose the future you truly desire - there is still time"

You can find out more about the Power of Habit at https://charlesduhigg.com/how-habits-work/ but even then I would still recommend the book.