The Power of Habits: How to Create & Break Habits
“We are what we repeatedly do, excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
~Aristotle
Did you know your life today is essentially the sum of your habits? Habits… the small decisions you make and actions you perform every day. What you repeatedly think and do forms the person you are, the things you believe, and your personality.
How do we establish habits that are good for us? The pandemic sure did away with our daily routines! And now that we’ve gotten used to a new routine at home…we’re heading back out in the world, facing new ones yet again.
We all have some we want to break, don’t we? Seems like the older we get, the harder it is to let go of old ones and create new habits. What gives?
Here’s the thing: at least 40% of our habits are unconscious, and therefor creating new or eliminating old habits must be a conscious choice and decision that is repeated over and over.
According to Charles Duhigg, author of Power of Habits, habits are based on 3 basic keys:
Cues: the triggers for our unconscious behaviors (time, place, emotional state, other people & a proceeding activity /thing)
Routine: the behavior / routine itself
Reward: the benefit you gain
We can change our routines and the rewards, but not the cues…we will get triggered, that’s a fact. How we respond is what we can manage differently.
This short video provides an example: Power of Habits or here are a few that I hear often: It’s 5 PM and you reach for a glass of wine or a cocktail; you desire a cigarette after a meal; you open the fridge as soon as you get home..
A few positive habits: you make the bed first thing every morning; it’s 5 AM and time for daily work out, you start and end your day with a glass of water….
So then, how do we change habits?
First: set intention and have a desired outcome. What’s my intention to create/ change a habit? What’s my desired outcome? What will I get, be, have etc if I do what I intend?
And then: remember this little nugget: A.R.T
Awareness: no change will happen without awareness…so become aware of your triggers, behaviors & rewards (your patterns)
Response: a conscious choice is a response, where you can begin practicing turning your less desirable habit into a positive one. (reaction=unconscious, response=conscious)
Time: repeat, repeat & repeat again. Forming new habits takes time and if you start with small, consistent adjustments and be patient! It takes 18-254 days to form new habits, so if you get off track, shake it off and continue towards your desired outcome.
An example: You get home from work. Instead of opening the fridge, you replace that habit with another one that provides a positive reward. Rinse & Repeat. Remember:
Motivation gets you going. Discipline keeps you going.
To Powerful, Positive Change…Cheers!
Adela