What's on Your Bookshelf?

In this episode, Denise and Sam explore Chapter 11 of Atomic Habits by James Clear: Walk Slowly, but Never Backward

We are so focused on figuring out the best approach that we always need to take action. For example:

• Motion: outlining twenty ideas for articles. Action: sitting down and writing an article
• Motion: search for a better diet plan and read a few books. Action: eat a healthy meal

Motion can be helpful, but it will never produce an outcome by itself.

Motion feels like making progress without running the risk of failure. But really, you’re just preparing to get something done.

The most effective form of learning is practice rather than planning. Focus on taking action, not being in motion.

To master a habit, start with repetition, not perfection. You don’t need to map out every feature of a new habit. Just practice it. Get your reps in.

Habit formation is the process by which a behavior becomes progressively more automatic through repetition. The amount of time you have been performing a habit is less important than the number of times you have performed it. What matters is the rate at which you perform the behavior. It’s the frequency that makes the difference.

Additional Resources

The Passion Planner
Passion Planner discount code: RWRD.IO/EFWYE73?C

Denise Russo's Website
www.schoolofthoughts.net

Denise Russo's Forbes Articles
Forbes Article Link

Samantha Powell's Website and Blog
Lead The Game

Connect with us on LinkedIn:
Denise Russo
Andy Hughes
Samantha Powell
School of Thoughts

Where you can subscribe and listen:
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Spotify
Amazon Music
Podcast Index
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In this episode of What's on Your Bookshelf, Denise and Scott talk about Chapters 1 and 2, A Partridge in a Pear Tree and Two Turtle Doves from her book, 12 Days.

If you would like to download the 12 Days playlist from Spotify, the link is available here.

If you would like to purchase your copy of 12 Days, use this link to order for your Kindle, soft cover, or hard cover. 

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Every behavior has both a surface-level craving and a more profound underlying motive. For instance, smoking cigarettes or checking Instagram may not be something we truly desire. Instead, at a deeper level, we may aim to reduce uncertainty, relieve anxiety, win social acceptance and approval, or achieve status. Essentially, our habits are modern-day solutions to ancient desires. Some people may take up smoking as a way to relieve stress, while others may choose to go for a run. Once we associate a solution with a problem, we tend to turn to it as a habit. 

• For example, if you notice that the stove is hot, your prediction would be, "If I touch it, I'll get burned, so I should avoid touching it." Similarly, if you see that the traffic light has turned green, your prediction would be, "If I step on the gas, I'll make it through the intersection safely, so I should step on the gas."

Life often feels like we are reacting to events, but in fact, our actions are often predictable. Our habits are formed because of the predictions that precede them. These predictions lead to a feeling, which is how we describe a craving. Habits become attractive when we associate them with positive feelings and unattractive when we associate them with negative feelings. 

To reprogram our brains to enjoy difficult habits, we can make them more attractive by associating them with positive experiences. We can also highlight the benefits of avoiding bad habits to make them seem less attractive. 

For instance, exercise can be associated with a challenging task that drains energy and leaves us feeling tired. But, we can view it as a way to develop our skills and strength. Instead of saying, "I need to go run in the morning," we can say, "It's time to build endurance and get faster." 

Similarly, saving money is usually associated with sacrifice. However, we can associate it with freedom, as living below our current means can increase our future means. 

To create a motivation ritual, we can do something we enjoy immediately before engaging in a problematic habit. This can help us associate the habit with a positive experience, making it easier to stick to our goals.

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In this episode, Denise and Sam discuss Chapter 9: The Role of Family and Friends in Shaping Your Habits.

The culture we live in determines which behaviors are attractive to us. We tend to adopt habits that are praised and approved of by our culture because we have a strong desire to fit in and belong to the tribe.

We tend to imitate the habits of three social groups. Each group offers an opportunity to leverage the 2nd Law of Behavior Change and make our habits more attractive:

1. Imitating the Close: we pick up habits from the people around us. To build better habits, join a culture where your desired behavior is normal behavior. If you are surrounded by fit people, you’re more likely to consider working out to be a common habit
2. Imitating the Many: whenever we are unsure how to act, we look to the group to guide our behavior.  Most days, we’d rather be wrong with the crowd than be right by ourselves
3. Imitation the Powerful: we are drawn to behaviors that earn us respect, approval, admiration, and status. If a behavior can get us approval, respect, and praise, we find it attractive. We are also motivated to avoid behaviors that would lower our status

Additional Resources

The Passion Planner
Passion Planner discount code: RWRD.IO/EFWYE73?C

Denise Russo's Website
www.schoolofthoughts.net

Denise Russo's Forbes Articles
Forbes Article Link

Samantha Powell's Website and Blog
Lead The Game

Connect with us on LinkedIn:
Denise Russo
Andy Hughes
Samantha Powell
School of Thoughts

Where you can subscribe and listen:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Amazon Music
Podcast Index
Podcast Addict

Support the show

Connect with us on our LinkedIn page School of Thoughts . We also value your reviews, subscribing, and sharing our podcast "What's On Your Bookshelf?" on Apple and Spotify.

Subscribe to our new YouTube channel.

In this episode, Denise and Sam explore Chapter 8: How to Make a Habit Irresistible

The more attractive an opportunity is, the more likely it is to become habit-forming. 

Habits are a dopamine-driven feedback loop. Every behavior that is highly habit-forming – taking drugs, eating junk food, browsing social media – is associated with higher levels of dopamine. Dopamine is released when you experience pleasure but also when you anticipate it.

Additional Resources

The Passion Planner
Passion Planner discount code: RWRD.IO/EFWYE73?C

Denise Russo's Website
www.schoolofthoughts.net

Denise Russo's Forbes Articles
Forbes Article Link

Samantha Powell's Website and Blog
Lead The Game

Connect with us on LinkedIn:
Denise Russo
Andy Hughes
Samantha Powell
School of Thoughts

Where you can subscribe and listen:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Amazon Music
Podcast Index
Podcast Addict

Support the show

Connect with us on our LinkedIn page School of Thoughts . We also value your reviews, subscribing, and sharing our podcast "What's On Your Bookshelf?" on Apple and Spotify.

Subscribe to our new YouTube channel.

On this episode, Denise and Sam discuss Chapter 6: Motivation Is Overrated; Environment Often Matters More of Atomic Habits by James Clear. 

Making small changes in your environment can lead to significant changes in behavior over time. Habits are context-dependent, and the cues of good habits should be obvious in your surroundings. For example, if you want to practice guitar more frequently, you can place it in the middle of the living room. Similarly, if you want to drink more water, you can fill up a few water bottles each morning and place them around the house. The most persistent behaviors usually have multiple cues, and habits become associated not with a single trigger but with the entire context surrounding the behavior. Building new habits in a new environment is easier because you won't fight old cues. You can create new routines in new places, like a different coffee shop or a bench in the park. If you can't change your environment, rearrange your current space by creating separate zones for work, study, exercise, and entertainment. Even if your space is limited, you can divide your room into activity zones, like a chair for reading, a desk for writing, and a table for eating. The same can be done in your digital spaces.

Support the show

Connect with us on our LinkedIn page School of Thoughts . We also value your reviews, subscribing, and sharing our podcast "What's On Your Bookshelf?" on Apple and Spotify.

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On this episode, Denise and Sam continue their discussion of Chapter 5: The Best Way to Start a New Habit by James Clear.

To make your habits stick, it's important to tie them to specific cues. The two most common cues are time and location. You can use implementation intention by pairing your new habit with a specific time and location. For example, "I will exercise for one hour at 5 p.m. at my local gym." Another strategy is habit stacking, where you pair a new habit with a current habit. For instance, "After I pour my cup of coffee each morning, I will meditate for one minute." The key is to tie your desired behavior into something you already do each day. When implementing habit stacking, it's important to select the right cue. You can brainstorm a list of your current habits and everything that happens to you each day without fail. Then, find the best place to layer your new habit into your lifestyle by making your cue highly specific and immediately actionable. The more tightly bound your new habit is to a specific cue, the better the odds are that you will notice when the time comes to act.

Now find the best place to layer your new habit into your lifestyle.

Make your cue highly specific and immediately actionable: “After I close the door”; “After I brush my teeth”. The more tightly bound your new habit is to a specific cue, the better the odds are that you will notice when the time comes to act.

Support the show

Connect with us on our LinkedIn page School of Thoughts . We also value your reviews, subscribing, and sharing our podcast "What's On Your Bookshelf?" on Apple and Spotify.

Subscribe to our new YouTube channel.

On this episode, Denise and Sam discuss Chapter 5: The Best Way to Start a New Habit by James Clear.

To make your habits stick, it's important to tie them to specific cues. The two most common cues are time and location. You can use implementation intention by pairing your new habit with a specific time and location. For example, "I will exercise for one hour at 5 p.m. at my local gym." Another strategy is habit stacking, where you pair a new habit with a current habit. For instance, "After I pour my cup of coffee each morning, I will meditate for one minute." The key is to tie your desired behavior into something you already do each day. When implementing habit stacking, it's important to select the right cue. You can brainstorm a list of your current habits and everything that happens to you each day without fail. Then, find the best place to layer your new habit into your lifestyle by making your cue highly specific and immediately actionable. The more tightly bound your new habit is to a specific cue, the better the odds are that you will notice when the time comes to act.

Now find the best place to layer your new habit into your lifestyle.

Make your cue highly specific and immediately actionable: “After I close the door”; “After I brush my teeth”. The more tightly bound your new habit is to a specific cue, the better the odds are that you will notice when the time comes to act.

Support the show

Connect with us on our LinkedIn page School of Thoughts . We also value your reviews, subscribing, and sharing our podcast "What's On Your Bookshelf?" on Apple and Spotify.

Subscribe to our new YouTube channel.

In this episode, Denise and Sam discuss Chapter 4: The Man Who Didn’t Look Right from Atomic Habits by James Clear.

Developing good habits requires tying them to specific cues such as time or location. The habit can also be paired with a current habit, known as habit stacking, to make it more actionable. Awareness is crucial in changing habits, and the Habits Scorecard can be a useful tool to become more aware of your behavior. To create the scorecard, make a list of your daily habits and rate them as good, bad, or neutral. Habits that reinforce your desired identity are usually good, and habits that conflict with your desired identity are usually bad. With enough practice, your brain will pick up on cues that predict certain outcomes, and once the habit becomes automatic, you stop paying attention to what you are doing.

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Connect with us on our LinkedIn page School of Thoughts . We also value your reviews, subscribing, and sharing our podcast "What's On Your Bookshelf?" on Apple and Spotify.

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On this episode, Denise and Sam discuss Chapter 3: How To Build Better Habits In 4 Steps.

Behavior with satisfying consequences tends to be repeated, while less pleasant behavior is less likely to be repeated. Habits are automatic behaviors formed through trial and error. Useless movements fade with practice, while valuable actions are reinforced. Habits are reliable solutions to recurring problems, reducing brain activity. They involve recognizing cues for success and ignoring distractions, creating mental rules. Habits are learned shortcuts from past experiences, enhancing future freedom.

Habit formation has four steps: cue, craving, response, and reward. Cues predict rewards and trigger cravings. Cravings are the motivation behind habits, driven by a desire to change one's inner state. Responses depend on motivation and ability. Rewards satisfy cravings and teach which actions are rewarding. All four stages complete a habit loop, ensuring behavior repetition.

Cues lead to cravings, motivating responses, and obtaining rewards, forming a neurological feedback loop. The process divides into two phases: the problem phase (cue and craving) and the solution phase (response and reward). All behavior aims to solve problems.

Four laws of behavior change guide habit creation:

1. Make it obvious (cue).
2. Make it attractive (craving).
3. Make it easy (response).
4. Make it satisfying (reward).

Support the show

Connect with us on our LinkedIn page School of Thoughts . We also value your reviews, subscribing, and sharing our podcast "What's On Your Bookshelf?" on Apple and Spotify.

Subscribe to our new YouTube channel.