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 that's not all. Habits actually supersede your "common sense". So even if you know the habit is bad for you (such as smoking, cursing or not doing work you need to complete) the habit loop will override your desire to "do the right thing" and will just keep responding to the cue. Don't believe me? A smoker knows that smoking is killing them (and yes they are usually addicted to nicotine) but there are many ways to get the hit of nicotine they are craving. It's actually the habit they have formed that they now can't control - because habits override everything.
So, how do we use our new knowledge of the habit loop to our advantage? How do we take control of our habit loops? How do we create new routines that overpower existing habits and become our new automatic behaviors? The answer is actually quite simple. The so called "golden rule" of habits is that if you use the same cue, and provide the same reward, you can shift the routine and change the habit. Problem solved! Well, not quite!
So, the answer to habit transformation simply lies in altering the routine. You still have the cue (in this case, "I feel hungry") and the reward ("I'm satisfied") but the routine must change. In this case the routine must no longer be "I will eat a cookie", but instead it needs to be something healthier such as "I will eat an apple" or "I will drink a big glass of water and then see if I still feel hungry". And that's really all there is too it! Do you think that's something you can master?
Obviously we have used a simple example in this case to demonstrate what is often a complex challenge - the challenge of habit transformation. But regardless of the example, the process of habit transformation is always the same. Each of your habits has a cue, a routine and a reward. It is up to you to alter the routine in order to create the best outcome for yourself.
To transform a habit you must first identify the habit and then consciously decide to change it. You must consciously accept the hard work of identifying the cues and the rewards that drives the habit's routines, and find alternatives for yourself. You must understand that you have control over your actions and be self-conscious enough to use that control to your advantage. You now know that you can transform your habits if you want to. Keep in mind that nothing will have a greater impact on you than good habits. 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 that's not all. Habits actually supersede your "common sense". So even if you know the habit is bad for you (such as smoking, cursing or not doing work you need to complete) the habit loop will override your desire to "do the right thing" and will just keep responding to the cue. Don't believe me? A smoker knows that smoking is killing them (and yes they are usually addicted to nicotine) but there are many ways to get the hit of nicotine they are craving. It's actually the habit they have formed that they now can't control - because habits override everything.
So, how do we use our new knowledge of the habit loop to our advantage? How do we take control of our habit loops? How do we create new routines that overpower existing habits and become our new automatic behaviors? The answer is actually quite simple. The so called "golden rule" of habits is that if you use the same cue, and provide the same reward, you can shift the routine and change the habit. Problem solved! Well, not quite!
So, the answer to habit transformation simply lies in altering the routine. You still have the cue (in this case, "I feel hungry") and the reward ("I'm satisfied") but the routine must change. In this case the routine must no longer be "I will eat a cookie", but instead it needs to be something healthier such as "I will eat an apple" or "I will drink a big glass of water and then see if I still feel hungry". And that's really all there is too it! Do you think that's something you can master?
Obviously we have used a simple example in this case to demonstrate what is often a complex challenge - the challenge of habit transformation. But regardless of the example, the process of habit transformation is always the same. Each of your habits has a cue, a routine and a reward. It is up to you to alter the routine in order to create the best outcome for yourself.
To transform a habit you must first identify the habit and then consciously decide to change it. You must consciously accept the hard work of identifying the cues and the rewards that drives the habit's routines, and find alternatives for yourself. You must understand that you have control over your actions and be self-conscious enough to use that control to your advantage. You now know that you can transform your habits if you want to. Keep in mind that nothing will have a greater impact on you than good habits. Good luck!
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