What Do Your Habits Say About You?
Let’s be honest with ourselves without any judgment….how are your New Year’s Resolutions going? Or your Word of the Year? Change is hard. Some of our habits and patterns have such a permanent residence in our minds that they feel “normal” and it’s right about now that we revert back to the old patterns. Our habits and routines add up to be our life, truly. It’s beautiful how we want to change those outdated habits and constantly evolve ourselves - such freedom in that process. So what makes a new habit stick? Yes, consistency is key but bookending your habit is the secret. Research shows that the key to forming new habits is all about reinforcing success. Productivity expert James Clear, author of "The Atomic Habits," makes this easy for us with his concept of the Habit Loop. Few concepts have gained as much recognition and acclaim and understanding this tool is akin to unlocking the secret code to lasting behavioral change.
The Habit Loop is a simple yet profound framework that consists of three key components creating a formula for what you wish to implement in your life: : Cue →Routine → Reward. This loop is the neurological pattern that governs any habit, from the mundane to the life-altering, change your life kind of habits.
Here’s How:
Cue: The Triggering Signal
The Habit Loop begins with a cue, a triggering signal that initiates the habitual behavior. Cues can be external (such as a specific time of day or a particular location) or internal (like an emotional state or a preceding action). Identifying the cues that prompt our habits is the first step toward understanding and reshaping them. For many of us, the alarm clock is a cue, signaling us to drop into our morning routine. For example, you have an engrained routine of brushing your teeth before leaving the house or before bed and that was established by a cue, most likely in childhood. We can come up with many different forms of cues
First, write a new habit you want to add to your work or personal life. It can be a small addition to your day or an overhaul to your current routines. Go easy on yourself and curate from a place of how you want it to feel. Then, identify a Cue that will trigger you to drop into the new habit/routine. It could be a time of day, a location, an emotion, other people, or a preceding action.
Routine: The Behavior Itself
Following the cue, we engage in a routine, the behavior that constitutes the habit. This is the action we take in response to the cue, and it can be positive or negative, constructive or detrimental - good vs bad habits. Go ahead and write the action you will take after your cue to create this new habit/routine. Capture the one thing you’re committing to here!
Reward: The Positive Reinforcement
The Habit Loop concludes with the reward, the positive reinforcement that follows the routine. This could be a sense of accomplishment, a surge of endorphins, or any other form of gratification. We know that great high after a good workout - that is a reward. We can also insert rewards into our routine - remember this is the secret sauce to getting the new habits to stick. The reward reinforces the habit loop, making it more likely that the behavior will be repeated in the future. This is the step often missed and causes that rut we know all too well where life feels mundane. I always say choose things you love as rewards - your favorite coffee, a moment outside with the sun on your face, chatting with a friend, you get the idea - it’s the things that make you happy. How do you want to reward yourself after completing your new habit/routine?
You just created a Habit Loop! Now implement it, be consistent and enjoy those rewards. Before you know it, these habits will naturally become part of your day. That’s the Whole Point, right?