The quality of our habits makes up the richness of our lives. Habits are rituals or behaviors that we perform automatically. The good ones, such as daily flossing, exercise, and mindful eating, contribute to a healthier life. In contrast, the less envious ones like consuming junk food, binging on Netflix, and skipping workouts can detract from our potential.
These vital mental shortcuts allow us to glide more efficiently throughout our day. A lot of what we do is mindless; we are constantly reacting to situations without having the time to conduct elaborate mental trials. One paper published by a Duke University researcher in 2006 found that more than 40% of the actions people performed each day were not actual decisions, but habits. Without them, we would be overwhelmed and simply nonfunctional at times because we are bombarded with millions of bits of information and lack the time and cognitive resources to decipher all of the data. By not thinking about routine actions such as how we are going to brush our teeth, what breakfast we will have, and how we will commute to work, allows us to conserve energy on recurring events so we can use our thinking power for more significant decisions.
How long does it take to change a habit?
The research on this question is varied. In the preface to his 1960 book Psycho-cybernetics, Dr. Maxwell Maltz, a plastic surgeon turned psychologist, wrote: “It usually requires a minimum of about 21 days to effect any perceptible change in a mental image.” According to recent research by Phillippa Lally, the typical average is about 66 days. But in that study, the range was wide, anywhere from 18-254 days because it depended on the kind of habit. Drinking 8 glasses of water each day is much easier than going for a daily run, which could take closer to 7-8 months to cement for some people. In reality, habit work never stops because if we do not maintain them, we lose the routine and the benefit.
Other variables can impact the timeline, such as how long the habit has been ingrained in our mind, how compelling the reason for the change, how big the payoff will be, how dire the consequences if we stick with the status quo, how positive the emotions connected to the behavior change, and the surrounding circumstances. For example, if we have witnessed a friend die of lung cancer, that may prompt us to quit smoking immediately. If we feel incredible going for a daily walk and we start to notice progress shortly thereafter, we are more likely to implant that habit into our lives.
How do habits work?
In two common frameworks, Charles Duhigg in “The Power of Habit,” describes a habit loop consisting of 3 elements, while James Clear’s “Atomic Habits” explains 4 steps in the process by subdividing the second step.
Here is how they explain it:
1. Cue. A trigger that initiates the behavior because you are conditioned to notice the reward.
2. Routine. The behavior you use in response to the cue. James Clear subdivides the routine into the craving (the motivational force behind the habit) and the response (the actual practice you perform).
3. Reward. The satisfying feeling you get when you address the cue.
When putting it together, it looks like this: You wake up (cue), you want to feel alert (craving), you drink coffee (response), you satisfy your craving of feeling alert (reward). Therefore, drinking coffee becomes associated with waking up.
Habit loops are important because our brains would shut down due to the overwhelm of the everyday minutiae without them. When we break a habit into its parts, we can understand them better and zoom in to a specific area to triage.
Knowing our habits can improve the quality of our lives. Instead of running on autopilot and accruing behaviors that may not serve us, we can be more deliberate. When we build good habits, we create freedom for the things that we want to do the most.
Quote of the day: “For the first 30 years of your life, you make your habits. For the last 30 years of your life, your habits make you.” -Hindu Saying [This was reportedly a favorite of Steve Jobs who sent it out to friends on invitations to his 30th birthday party].
Q: What cue or trigger starts one of your habits? What can you do to interrupt the loop? Comment and share below, we would love to hear from you!
[The next blog in this series 2/7 will focus on increasing your awareness to change your habits better]
As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with people to cultivate habits that serve them, contact me to explore this topic further.
When was the last time you examined your habits?