Habits will make or break you (How to hack your habits to live your ideals)

Researchers at Duke University found that habits make up 40% of our behaviour.

If we spend almost half our lives on autopilot, habits are one of the most powerful forces determining the quality of our lives.

What you consistently think about and do not only shapes your beliefs and actions, but can also mold your very personality through habitual behavior.

To fully crack the code of habits and take back control of your life, I have created this guide to help you break bad habits and build new, healthier ones so you can live the life you desire.

What are habits?

Habits make or break our lives.

Every successful person can attribute some of their achievements to good habits, while every unsuccessful individual is often under the influence of detrimental ones.

The Oxford Definition is: "A settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up." (Psychologically, it's an automatic reaction to a situation.)

Positive habits encourage your ideal self.
Negative habits restrict your ideal self.

Luckily, we have the power to change all of them. Let's find out how.

The Cue 🌀

Bored? Maybe afternoon snacking is a form of entertainment.
Phone buzzes? So, you pick it up to connect with others.
Just got home? Maybe you always turn on the television.

Whether we notice or not, all habits have cues.

Usually an environment, preceding event, other people, emotional state or other time that starts the behaviour.

Leverage environment by:

- Record all existing habits.
- Record all corresponding cues.
- Habit Stacking (When existing habit X occurs, I will do new habit Y)
- Design your environment to make bad habits hard and good habits easy.

The best way to document behaviour is to write it down as you go through your day, starting with the biggest positive and negative habits.

The Craving 🍫

Cravings can feel impossible to conquer, but it is absolutely possible.

You may crave a cigarette when in the car, crave a snack after work, or crave alcoholic drink when stressed.

The craving is an emotional connection to a specific cue; when you notice the cue, your brain anticipates an opportunity for reward.

Say you eat chocolate for the first time.

Leverage cravings by:

- Joining habits you "must do" to ones you "want to do".
- Rewarding yourself after long discipline streaks.
- Reframe habits into opportunities.

The Response 🧠

Human nature will often follow the path of least resistance…

The response is a behaviour you perform to create the change you desire.

Your brain prompts you to take specific action because it believes it will create the feeling of satisfaction you want.

You have a choice here whether to be conscious or unconscious with your reaction.

Leverage response by:

- "Create an environment where doing the right thing is as easy as possible." - James Clear
- Remove obstacles between you and desired behaviour.
- Make habits as small as possible.

The Reward 🎁

Rewards of bad habits often last moments and leave in moments…
Think junk food, gaming sessions or social media scrolling.

The reward is the satisfaction you receive from taking action. By doing so, you change your physical and emotional state.

The brain then builds a neural pathway from the cue to this new state of pleasure. Every time you experience the cue, your brain will want to desire that pleasure again.

Leverage rewards by:

- Record habits to see progress.
- Ending new habits with rewards.
- Make rewards fulfilling and healthy.

Animals are easily trained into behaviours with tactical rewards, humans are no different, but being conscious on what we reward and when can be the difference between good and bad habit formation.

Make Tiny New Habits

When people struggle to build habits, they usually say something like, "I just need more motivation." Or, "I wish I had as much willpower as you."

This is the wrong approach. Studies show that willpower acts like a muscle. The more it is used, the more fatigued it becomes. Motivation, on the other hand, rises and falls, as Stanford professor Bj Fogg calls the "motivation wave."

Forget about your willpower and motivation problems.

Instead, start with simple 'tiny habits '. These little, manageable actions require less motivation and are easier to maintain.

Don't worry about the quantity or your capability. Just focus on doing these tiny habits regularly.

Consistency is the first hurdle to overcome; after that, you can raise the task's demands, like "progressive overload," to encourage habit formation.

Start first. Optimise later.

When we go to the gym, we don’t lift 1000kgs in a single lift; we break the volume into smaller lifts to achieve overall volume without injuring our bodies.

Habit formation is no different. If we try to create a demanding habit from the start, we will burn out quickly. Instead, make an easy-to-fulfill habit and build it over time. For example, the habit at the start could be simply driving to the gym and walking inside.

Things like sticking to a specific time, doing your workout directly after an existing habit, or having a routine you always follow after the workout are all good incentives.

If you master this, the rest of the routine will have a solid base from which to build, so focus all your energy on showing up for the initial stages.

Breaking Bad Habits

Let's take a habit many resonate with scrolling on social media. Focus on the cue that triggers this habit.

For me, the cues were boredom, loneliness, and anxiety.

The first cue was boredom. In today's society, we're bombarded with content 24/7. What helped me was removing the apps from my phone for a few weeks. This detox broke the cycle.

The second cue was loneliness. Spending more time with friends or family made me less inclined to reach for my phone, and changing my environment helped me choose healthier alternatives.

The third cue, anxiety, was more challenging. Recognising that anxiety made me crave social media helped me notice both the anxiety and the habit. Focusing on my breathing helped me become more present and reduced my stress.

This process is different for everyone. Find what works for you and dig deep into your cues. Soon, you'll break the habit by removing the stimulus. Only then will you truly conquer it.

Homerun Habits

Some habits offer a more significant return on investment than others.

Take exercise, for example. It helps you maintain a healthy weight, boosts energy, improves focus, aids sleep, and increases lifespan.

Some habits even create other good habits. Learning to be more disciplined or learn better can compound these positive effects across your life.

If you're looking for a place to start, focus on one critical habit that will positively impact all other areas of your life: exercise.

Yet, many people overestimate the effort required. You don't need to go to the gym with the latest gear or follow an extreme routine.

If you're building an exercise habit, begin with something you can do regularly and progress from there.

Eliminate Half Habits

A big problem is having half habits when building.

Similar to setting goals, if we set too many or try to do too many at once, we never truly focus on the one that matters.

Instead of forming many habits at once, focus on 1-2 at a time and perfect them. Then, move on to new habits while maintaining the existing ones.

Think of it like juggling… But this is no circus; this is your life.

Make your habits a priority and ensure the most important “Home Run” ones are formed first.

Personal Progress 22nd June - 29th June 🤯

Weekly discovery:

This week I learnt a lot, mainly that If I don’t prioritise the most important thing first, I never get back to it when the day gets hectic.

Now, Im waking up and doing the important things first before anything.

This way, I can complete important tasks well before the day starts.

Favourite quotes of mine this week:

Current Reads:

The Lessons of History - Will and Ariel Durant (1hr 20mins read)

The best short summary of history I have ever heard.

William and Ariel Durant studied history for over 50 years and condensed it into a short summary. I cannot believe such insight could be condensed so much and remain very impactful.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I can give you the tools, information, and resources to change, but at the end of the day, you are the only person who can change your life.

Your dream life is around the corner. You can achieve it.
Reading this will do absolutely nothing unless you take ACTION.

My mission is to help people live with purpose towards their ideal future.
I hope this helps you do just that.

Longer newsletter this week, if you were patient enough to read, send me a message!

To help another person with habits - Share, Like and Comment.

Until next week,
Leigh.