4 Things to Try While Building New Habits ( Part 2)
So how to create a system of building habits? What are the keys to success? Before we jump into the solution, let’s think about when and how changes happen first!
3 Layers of Behavior Change
According to Clear, there are three layers of behavior change－outcomes, processes, and identity.
- Outcomes－Things you get/ goals you set (ex: losing weight, publishing a book)
- Processes－Things you’ve done (ex: setting up training program)
- Identity－Things you believe (ex: your worldview, bias, and hypothesis)
Modifying the Direction of Changing
Most people change in the direction of identity→ processes→outcomes. That means you emphasize what you will get eventually. But this is not strong enough to let you stick to your plan for a long time. Once you reach the goal, you might lose your way and move backward again. Thus, Clear suggests that we should reverse the direction, the ultimate goal of changing is to become the kind of person we wish to be.
“The goal is not to read a book, the goal is to become a reader. The goal is not to run a marathon, the goal is to become a runner. The goal is not to learn an instrument, the goal is to become a musician.”
So if you are quitting smoking, next time when someone passes you a pack of cigarettes, instead of rejecting by saying “ No thanks, I am quitting smoking”, try “No thanks, I don’t smoke”.
2 Steps to Change Your Identity
Deciding the Type of Person You Want to Be
The first step is to figure out what kind of person you wish to be, what you wish to represent, and what your principle is. If you have no idea what kind of person you want to be, you can try to ponder what kind of person can achieve your goal. For example, you can think about what kind of person can lose 40 pounds of weight or what kind of person can learn a new language.
Prove it to yourself with small wins
The word “identity” is derived from the combination of the Latin words “essentitas” (existence) and “identidem” (repetition). That means your identity is built by repeated habits. Every action is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. So start with an easy action, gaining confidence by finishing the action and then keep modifying and repeat it.
“Each time you write a page, you are a writer. Each time you practice the violin, you are a musician. Each time you start a workout, you are an athlete.”
4 Laws of Behavior Change
1st Law: Make It Obvious
“Cue” is what triggers our brain to initiate an action, and also the bit of information our brain predicts rewards. So if the cue is easy to see, there’s a higher chance for us to do something. There are four simple steps to make the cue obvious:
- Be aware of your habits－ You can do it with creating a “ Habit Scorecard”. First, list all of your habits. Then write “+” next to the habits you define as “good habits”; “－” next to the habits you define as “bad habits”; and a “=” next to the neutral ones.
- Implementation Intention－ State clearly what, when, and how you will take action.
“I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION].”
3. Habit Stacking－ Pair the things you want to do with the things you are doing every day.
“After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].”
4. Designing the Environment－The space of the environment and how the cues set in it matter a lot. For example, if there’s a plate of cookies on the table of my dining room, every time I pass the dining room, I will unconsciously grab some cookies whether I’m hungry or not. So try to separate space for different works and make the cues of good habits obvious in the environments.
People often choose products not because what they are but where they are.
Take me for example. I like to stay at home on weekends, and thus, if there are things I have to deal with outside, I tend to pile them up until the last moment. This habit makes me anxious and forgetful before I take off. In order to fix it, every time if there’s something I have to deal with in the next morning, I will write down a note : ” After I finish 20 pages of reading, I will set off.” and put the car-key on my desk before I go to bed.
2nd Law: Make It Attractive
Dopamine-driven loop－ According to researches, dopamine will be released not only when we experience pleasure but when we anticipate it. Moreover, dopamine is said to spikes greater when we anticipate rewards.
It is the anticipation of a reward — not the fulfillment of it — that gets us to take action.
Temptation Bundling－ According to Premack Principle, a higher probability behavior will reinforce a less probable behavior. So pair a thing you want to do with a thing you need to do!
“ After [(CURRENT) HABIT I NEED], I will [HABIT I WANT].”
For example, before I set off on an errand, I will write down a note: “After I finish the task, I will go buy a chocolate bar”.
Group Effect－ We tend to imitate habits of three social groups:
- the Close－ We often build the same habits with people frequently around us. So join the culture where you have things in common with others in the first place, and where your desired behavior is normal behavior.
- the Many－ We’d rather be wrong with the crowd than be right by ourselves.
- the Powerful－ We tend to imitate people we admire and learn what we think can bring us praise and respect.
Change of Thoughts－ Try to replace “ have to” with “ can”. For example, I have to save money → I can have more money to spend next month.
Let’s take a break, and finish the last two laws in the next part!
