Benefits of Books – The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do, and How to Change by Charles Duhigg

This is what I took away from the excellent book The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do, and How to Change by Charles Duhigg

Why habits are needed and beneficial

A habit is a choice that we deliberately make at some point and then stop thinking about, but we continue doing it, often everyday. Another way to say this is that a habit is a formula our brian automatically follows.

Humans want to be as efficient as possible so it looks to create or follow habits. This is a good objective for projects. What project activities can be made into habits e.g. completing project documentaion each day, project team members reviewing and providing feedback on project documentation each week etc

A habit needs a cue (when hear, see etc something then do the habit), then the routine (actions in the habit like pit tooth paste on tooth brush) and then a reward (to make msure we know that the habit is worth repeating and keeping)

So to create a useful habit you need to create one that has a cue, the routine and the reward (habit loop)

Exercise –
cue – get out of bed
routine – pressups
Reward – coffee

First find a simple and obvious cue (film on teeth) then clearly define the reward (beautiful smile)

Think about the fresh coffee and that craving will drive you to exercise

Running
Cue – go for run / lift kettle bell when arrive from work (leave running shoes near the door so you see them)
Routine – run / lift
Reward – guilt free Netflix / recording the distance over time

What creates a habit

Craving – we expect the reward from running – the feel good factor of sense of accomplishment and guilt free Netflix

Habits need to cause a craving in you to be effective. So a habit needs a cue, a routine and a reward, then a craving that drives the loop

If I want to create habits in me or other people then I have to identify the craving that will drive the reward.

Cravings are what drive habits. To know how to spark a craving makes creating a new habit easier

How to change a bad / unwanted habit

Use the same cue.
Provide the same reward.
Change the routine.

This will then change the habit from bad to good it you have belief!

Belief is the ingredient that makes a reworked habit loop into permanent behaviour.

You have to believe that things will get better and that you can cope the stress of a bad event without the bad habit (alcohol, biting nails)

Side effect of good habits

Identify keystone habits that when in place result in other positive effects – it causes a chain reaction

Willpower

Willpower / grit / self discipline is the most important keystone habit

Self discipline has a bigger effect on academic performance than intellectual talent

Willpower is not a skill. It is a muscle so therefore it gets tired as it works harder so if you use a lot of willpower on one thing there is less of it for another.

So after complex tasks or a tough day at work I have less willpower.

Plan how you will act before something happens so you are not reacting in the moment but executing a planned routine.

Questions for kids and yourself so to get them and yourself to create goals –
How are you going to study tonight?
What are you going to do tomorrow?
How do you know if you are ready for the test?

These are open questions not closed (yes or no)

If you feel like a cog in a machine and that you have no control then you will use up more willpower. If you feel like you are part of something that helps others and that you are in control (you can make decisions, provide input) then you will us up your will power slower. Empowered people = more success.

Give yourself and others a sense of control will improve self discipline and performance.

Do not create processes without getting everyone involved. People need to feel like they have some control of their lives.

Crisis = opportunity to change

Use a crisis to push through positive change. Prolong the crisis and make it public so people are forced to change

A crisis is an opportunity to do things you have always wanted but lacked the attention or support to do it. Never let a a serious crisis go to waste

How to predict and manipulate habits

Dress something new up as something familiar it is easier for people to accept

Framework to change / create habits

Identify the routine
Experiment with reward
Isolate the cue
Have a plan

Identify the routine
The loop at the core of every habit – a cue, a routine and a reward
To understand your habits you need to identify the components of your loops. Then you can look for ways to change / replace old vices with new routines

Experiment with rewards
Rewards are powerful as they satisfy cravings. It is hard to identify the craving. You have to identify which cravings are driving which habits.
What are you craving? Break from your desk, social interaction, thirsty, hungry- test each of these
Record your feelings after the experiment- you feel relaxed, not hungry….
Then 15 minutes later ask yourself do you still have the craving – e.g. sugar etc
This will give you the results as if you still have craving then your variable did not satisfy it but if it did then you know the actual craving

Isolate the cue
All habitual cues fit into one of these 5 categories –
Location
Time
Emotional state
Other people
Immediately preceding action

Uses these 5 categories to analyse what the cue could be to a habit that you want to change e.g. eating an afternoon cookie –
Where are you? At my desk
What time is it? 3:36pm
What is your emotional state? Bored
Who else is around? No one
What action proceded the urge? An unanswered email

Record these each day so to identify the pattern and therefore the cue e.g. you want a cookie between 3 and 4pm, so time is the cue and the reward is the distraction from what you are doing

Have a plan
You know the habit you want to change
You know the reward you want
You know the cue that starts it

Now plan for the cue and choose a different behaviour that will give you the same reward that you are craving.

When I see cue, I will do routine in order to get a reward