Let’s define habits. Habits are the small decisions you make and actions you perform every day. According to researchers at Duke University, habits account for about 40 percent of our behaviors on any given day. 

What you repeatedly do (i.e. what you spend time thinking about and doing each day) ultimately forms the person you are, the things you believe, and the personality that you portray. 

Today we’re going to talk about breaking bad habits and developing new habits. 

But the main thing I want you to remember is that you keep it small AND focus on progress not perfection.

I think the thing that keeps people from change is that they focus too much on perfection and one little slip up makes them just quit rather than learn from the slip up and keep moving forward.

Breaking bad habits

James Clear who wrote Atomic Habits is one of my favorite habit gurus. I highly recommend his book and a lot of this info comes straight from it.

What causes bad habits?

stress & boredom

You don't eliminate a bad habit, you replace it.

How to replace a bad habits

step 1 AWARENESS

Choose a substitute for your bad habit. 

Cut out as many triggers as possible.

Join forces with somebody.

Surround yourself with people who live the way you want to live. 

Visualize yourself succeeding.

Use the word “but” to overcome negative self–talk.

Plan for failure.

How to build a new habit

start very small

make it so easy you can’t say no

increase your habit in very small ways

break habit up into smaller chunks

when you slip, get back on track quickly

be patient and stick with a  pace you can sustain

HOW TO MAKE THEM STICK

cue

craving

response

reward

the cue triggers a craving, which motivates a response, which provides a reward, which satisfies the craving and, ultimately, becomes associated with the cue.

All behavior is driven by the desire to solve a problem.

Examples

CUE

your phone buzzes with a new text message

CRAVING

you want to laern the contents of hte message

RESPONSE

you grab your phone to read the text

REWARD

you satisfy the craving to read the message. Grabbing your phone becomes associated with your phone buzzing

CUE

you are answering emails

CRAVING

you begin to feel overwhelmed by work. you want to feel in control.

RESPONSE

you bite your nails

REWARD

you satisfy your craving to reduce stress. biting your nails becomes associated with answering emails

CUE

you hit a stumbling block on a project

CRAVING

you feel stuck and want to relieve your frustration

RESPONSE

you pull out your phone and check social media

RESWARD

you satisfy your craving to relieve frustration. checking social media is now associated with feeling stuck with work

Atomic Habits by James Clear - https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-James-Clear-audiobook/dp/B07RFSSYBH/ref=sr_1_1?crid=GWKNH91VPKNI&keywords=atomic+habits&qid=1636136264&sprefix=atomic+habit%2Caps%2C313&sr=8-1

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