Learn To Fall On Good Habits
More than 40% of the actions you perform daily aren’t decisions, but habits.
The truth is that no matter how motivated you are towards your goals, motivation alone is not enough to get you there.
You will at times fall on to habits. We all do.
This is why just about every successful person stresses the importance of forming good habits.
What exactly are habits?
Habits are actions you constantly take without thinking much about it.
They are processes that our brain has learned to do automatically without having to participate much in decision making.
The automation of our actions frees up our mental energy to be used on other things, which can work to our advantage… if we’ve built good habits.
The good thing is, habits, like programs, can be replaced…
… and you’re probably wondering “how?”
Before you learn how to build good habits in your life, it’s important to understand how habits work.
How exactly do habits work?
🔁 Habits work through a loop.
1st — Something triggers the loop. It could be a time of day, a location, a visual, certain people, a feeling, a memory, pretty much anything.
2nd — The routine/habit kicks in. Whether that’s smoking a cigarette, thinking certain thoughts, eating junk food, or going for a hike.
3rd — You're rewarded with dopamine. Dopamine is the pleasure chemical your brain releases to make you feel good… and to reward you.
Every time the habit is activated by the trigger, the loop is repeated, and enforced, by your brain.
Your brain can’t tell the difference between good and bad habits…
… that’s up to you.
The secret to replacing habits
The good news is that you aren’t stuck with your habits forever.
Habits don’t really disappear. They can’t be deleted, but they can be replaced by using this simple habit implementation process.
- Use the trigger. Don’t leave it to chance, figure out what the cue is. If you’re forming a new habit, create a cue, such as:
Trigger: When you get home; Routine: change into gym clothes. - Implement the ensuing routine/habit. As soon as your trigger fires, implement the new habit. To continue the previous example:
Routine: Change into gym clothes; Habit: go for a run. - Provide the reward. You’ll find that your brain will start rewarding you with that dopamine rush pretty quickly.
Do this for a while, and the new loop will become automatic.
The importance of habits
Since habits become a part of who you are, the habits you choose to keep around will set the tone for your every-day-life.
Habits will be the stepping stones in the pursuit of your goals.
🏰 Habits are the foundation and the building blocks on which every goal, plan, and life are built, and you want to have good habits to support what you build.
When you go through a rough patch in life, or if you have a lazy day, you can rely on your habits to be there and carry you through…
… the direction in which they carry you though, that’s up to you.
Take control of your habits and Power On! 🚀
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