Habits are the compound interest of Self-Improvement.
Good and Bad
Building Good Habits
- Make the CUE visible.
- Make it attractive (more CRAVING).
- Make your RESPONSE easy.
- Give yourself a satisfying REWARD.
Breaking Bad Habits
- Make the CUE invisible.
- Make it unattractive (less CRAVING).
- Make your RESPONSE very hard.
- Give yourself an unsatisfying REWARD.
The Goldilocks Rule
The Goldilocks Rule states that humans experience peak motivation when working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities.
Anyone can work hard when they feel motivated. It’s the ability to keep going when work isn’t exciting that makes the difference.
So try to set up the level of your habit in that way so that it matches the Goldilocks Zone. If you can increase the level and then just shorten the time, it will also work.
The outcome in your life is the lagging measure of your habits- there are no high-performance people just high-performance habits
Focus on System; not on Goals
Winners and losers have the same goal, but the difference is in their systems. Achieving a goal is a monetary thing, and goals also restrict our happiness.
Goals are just as important for setting the direction.
However, a system is required to move in that direction and achieve the goal.
Set goals first, then focus on the system.
Habit Stacking
Install a new habit after breaking an old one. Here the old habit will act as the cue, or trigger, for the new habit.
When you complete the old habit, you can use the momentum of that habit to start a new habit, and that extra momentum will help overcome the initial friction of a new habit.
1% Improvement
Getting 1% better every day is good in the long run. You will be able to see the results after a while. If you wait for a year, you will be 37% better than the previous year.
Just remember one thing, there will be one time during this long run when you won’t be able to see any progress, but then you also have to carry on.
Identity Change = Habit Change
To form a new good habit or break an old bad one, simply alter your identity in the eyes of yourself and others.
If you want to quit smoking, then whenever anyone offers you a cigarette, say, “I’m not a smoker.”
If you want to build a good reading habit, tell others that you are a good reader. When you start saying like that your subconscious takes it as an order and tries to act according to that.
The Habit Loop
Any habit can be broken down into a feedback loop that involves four steps:
- Cue: is that thing (mainly visual) that reminds you about the thing you are about to do.
- Craving: Then you wanted (thinking) to do that thing.
- Response: You do that thing.
- Reward: You get a reward after completing that thing.
- If the cycle is completed successfully then you have created a habit to do that particular thing.
Accountability Partner
We tend to imitate the habits of three social groups: the close (family and friends), the many (the tribe), and the powerful.
An accountability partner can create an immediate cost to inaction. We care deeply about what others think of us, and we do not want others to have a lesser opinion of us.
When you know someone is watching, that can be a powerful motivator!
Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity
Secret to Self-Control
People with high self-control tend to spend less time in tempting situations. It’s easier to avoid temptation than resist it.
So make the CUE invisible or remove those things from which you are more distracted.
The purpose of setting Goal is to win the game. The purpose of buliding System is to continue playing the game.
2 Minute Rule
The Two-Minute Rule states, ‘When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.’
The more ritualized the beginning of a process, the more likely it is that you will be able to enter the state of deep focus required to accomplish great things.
So for new habits just try to do it only for minutes but every day. If someday it feels like you can’t do that, then just do it for 2 minutes.
Habit Tracking
A habit tracker is a simple way to measure whether you completed a habit, such as marking an X on a calendar or using an app.
Habit trackers and other visual measurements can make your habits satisfying by providing clear evidence of your progress.
Never miss twice. If you miss one day, try to get back on track as quickly as possible.
Identity change is the north star of Habit Change.
