Simple Method On How To Build Habits That Stick | The Power of Habit Charles Duhigg
BOOK SUMMARY
You’ve probably heard
about the concept that people use only 10% of their brains. It’s not true, we
just don’t realize we are using it! Do you think about breathing right now? You
probably do, because I just made you think about it, but your brain has been
managing it since you were born. All habits are saved in this 90% of the brain to save your energy, and let you do things unconsciously and
instantly. A habit is a choice we made at one time,
then stopped thinking about and continued repeating it. It consists of 4
elements:
First is a cue - this is
the signal for your brain to start the procedure. Next is a routine - a full
list of actions to perform. The last one is a Reward which is the goal that the
habit should help you achieve. There is also a craving. Charles explains it as
associating the feeling of accomplishment in your brain with the start of the
routine. Then, you feel happiness during your routine rather than when you get
a reward.
We can compare it to
baking a pie. CUE would be all ingredients and a pan waiting on the kitchen
table. ROUTINE is following a recipe, step by step.
REWARD would be a
delicious pie! CRAVING is the happiness you feel during baking a pie, feeling
the reward coming. For example, if you decided to quit smoking, according to
Charles book you have 4 steps to make: Identify the routine. You need to
realize how your routine works. It’s hard in the beginning because you usually don’t
pay attention to the process. I was observing a coworker, and his routine
always looks the same.
He marks some part of
his work as finished, then he checks his pockets for cigarettes, then he takes
his lighter, looks around to see if someone would like to join him, and leaves
the office. Experiment with rewards. You should try different reward systems.
What is it that you like the most about having a smoke? Some people need
nicotine, but you can replace it with nicotine-infused chewing gums. Others need
to socialize with coworkers - you can do it without smoking. Sometimes it’s
about that “full mouth” feeling, so in that case a snack would probably be a
better reward. Don’t define your reward. You can try to use funny dog videos as
a replacement for cigarettes. For many people visual progress is more rewarding
than all these things, so you can start writing a journal every time you
refused to smoke a cigarette, or just draw them.
Isolate the cue. CUE is
the signal for your brain to start the habit and it is always related to one of
those things:
1. location - A habit
can be triggered by a familiar location. For example if you’re smoking every
day before work, when you see your office building, you feel the need for a
cigarette.
2. Time - this could be
your clock beeping at 12 o’clock, or maybe “news time” in a radio you listen
to.
3. Emotional state - did
your boss make you feel bad? Or maybe he said you did a great job? Both options
may be your cue for the smoke break.
4. Other people - Maybe
somebody at work says “Hey man, we are going for a smoke break, are you
coming?”
5. Previous action - Are
you smoking after a long car ride? Or maybe after Class? Try to identify an
action connected to your habit. Make a plan with your habit in hands, you can
try to change it. If you want to stop smoking, you probably should try to
remove all cues.
If you can’t do it, the
best way is to change your routine. You probably don’t want to change your work
because of a bad habit. Instead, you could try to arrive at work 5 minutes
later every day, so you wouldn’t have time for smoking before it starts. Turn
your clock off, or change your radio station, so time-related cues won’t be a
problem anymore. If you’re stressed at work, you should find other ways of dealing
with it. Same thing applies if you’re taking smoke breaks after doing great
work. Buy a stress ball or a sand box for your desk. Get a big glass can, and
put a coin in there every time you do a good job. You can also reward yourself
with 5 minutes of Facebook or YouTube.
Tell your coworkers that
you’re trying to quit smoking, so they won’t ask you to join them anymore. If
you’re struggling with previous action cues, you can place chewing gums in your
cigarette box, so your routine stays the same. You can always try to remove the
previous action or change it if possible. Remember, it's easier to change your
habit than to create a new one. It’s also impossible to get rid of your old
habit, you can only remove your CUES. The brain doesn’t know the difference
between good and bad habits, even if it gets signals from your body.
You need to decide for
yourself which habits are good or bad for you and try to change them. I focused
on individual habits, but author described organization and company habits, and
how to use them to achieve success as groups. This book dives deeper to show
you extreme examples, and the possibility to change lives and organizations for
better. I’m amazed by this book and all the possibilities I discovered by
reading it. I changed my diet, reduced wasted time, and now I feel like a
newborn. This is a must read for everyone.
0 Comments