When we remove the cues and associations from our environment, we can also remove the habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, we can structure our lives in a way that doesn’t require huge self-control (like not drooling over cookies on our desk.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bad habits feed into themselves, creating a negative vortex of emotions and the repetition of the bad habit we’re trying to break. Researchers call it \u201ccue-induced wanting\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“You feel bad, so you eat junk food. Because you eat junk food, you feel bad.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nThe worrying fact is, we can\u2019t forget a habit. Once it\u2019s encoded, those pathways will always be there, ready to be re-activated when we experience the correct cue<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, we must guard our environment carefully and hide any potentially triggering cues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2nd Law – Make It Attractive<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n“A supernormal stimulus is a heightened version of reality and it elicits a stronger response than usual.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nWe’ve already established that our brains are hugely sensitive to our environment, identifying cues to initiate our behaviours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That sensitivity is only too observable when there’s a heightened stimulus to initiate a craving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you already have problems with alcohol and other addictions, these stimuli may seem constantly exaggerated, guiding your desires…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the fact is, big business and the media are constantly tapping into our atavistic instincts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From food companies spending millions to discover the most excitable flavours of crisps to the bright, colourful adverts on TV, we’re constantly bombarded with marketing experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Such forms of exaggerated reality only serve to fuel our bad habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consumerism is predicated on finding our psychological levers and pulling them, one after another. To instil good habits, we need to make their stimulus as supernormal as possible to compete with these other distractions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dopamine<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nDopamine is the neurotransmitter behind desire and is central to our formation of habits. When dopamine is withheld from rats, for example, they lose the will to live because they have no motivation to act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s released both in anticipation of pleasure and as a reward for performing an action, using the same circuitry in the brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s why fantasising about our upcoming holiday (wanting) can be so enjoyable is frequently better than the satisfaction we derive from the activity itself (liking).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s because more neural pathways are allocated to wanting than liking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Liking centres of the brain often referred to as hedonic hotspots. Wanting centres of the brain are activated 10 times more than liking centres during studies.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nDesire creates the motivation needed to initiate habits, and James recommends using a principle called temptation bundling, or “linking an action you want to do with an action you need to do.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This might be watching tv at the gym or listening to podcasts while you clean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
[Joel’s note – In my mind, the one drawback to temptation bundling is that you\u2019re dismissing mindfulness in order to distract yourself. Therefore we might not learn the inherent enjoyment in tackling tough tasks. However, perhaps we can use the principle to create a new habit before gradually removing the reward.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n
James also suggests combining this approach with habit stacking, which I think I prefer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [HABIT I NEED]. After [HABIT I NEED], I will [HABIT I WANT].<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nNeed to start stretching? After dinner, limber up for 10 mins before allowing yourself to watch your favourite boxset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Family and Friends<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nWe often imitate the habits of those closest to us, with three groups, in particular, having the most influence on our behaviour: “The close, the many, the powerful.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Actually, the invisible roles played by those around us is pretty astonishing,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“One groundbreaking study tracked twelve thousand people for thirty-two years and found that a person\u2019s chances of becoming obese increased by 57% if he or she had a friend who became obese.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nOne of the best ways to change our habits is to associate with a group where good behaviours are considered normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From a primitive standpoint, we yearn for tribal acceptance and will whatever’s necessary to conform to the expectations of the group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Indeed, the shared community identity will also help reinforce our personal self-image and serve to keep us more compliant and accountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From AA meetings to entrepreneurial masterminds, this principle is evident all around us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fixing Bad Habits<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n From a prehistoric perspective, we have particular drivers of human nature, such as feeding, reproducing, gaining status…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Essentially, all the elements that allow us to survive and thrive as a species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, most habits, rather than creating new motivations, simple channel these ancient desires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Habits, at their core, are about changing our state in order to survive. We do this by moving from less desirable to more desirable states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why do you reach for the cookie? Because a craving for sugar is desired to provide more fuel for survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These wants are initiated by cravings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Associations, cues and cravings are derived through emotions and our desire to feel different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Neurologists have discovered that when emotions and feelings are impaired, we actually lose the ability to make decisions. <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nIn this way, James says, we can learn to master hard habits by associating them with positive emotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is a form of psychological reframing, which seems to draw upon the methods used in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One way to do this is to regard the habit as a positive challenge or opportunity by changing the way we think about the task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
James suggests telling ourselves that we “get to” do something, instead of “have to” do it. This new association can completely alter our perception of the activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another way is to bake our habit into a motivation ritual, much like a pre-game routine, in which our tasks are mentally paired with enjoyable activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Find something that makes you truly happy\u2014like petting your dog or taking a bubble bath\u2014and then create a short routine that you perform every time before you do the thing you love. Maybe you take three deep breaths and smile.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nNow, whenever you need an extra dose of happiness in day to day life, you just need to take three deep breaths and smile to re-activate the same neural happiness program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like training a pet, we’re training our minds for certain cues and rewards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s important to note, however, that our habits rely on associations and different cues mean different cravings for different people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scanning our environment, we see cues and make predictions all day, but these interpretations are entirely subjective. Therefore, the tasks you choose to associate with pleasurable activities will likely differ from mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3rd Law: Make It Easy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWe can never be perfect when we try to learn a new habit or skill. Therefore, the key is to start with consistency, or “putting your reps in” as James calls it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our cognitive machinery is neuroplastic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s to say, by practising an activity we change the structure of our brain (called long-term potention). Such an effect is shown with London taxi drivers, who display a larger hippocampus from memorising the road layout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many of us have heard that “neurons that fire together, wire together” Donald Hebb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though we generally lack aptitude in a new skill, like learning to drive, our progress slowly becomes smoother with practice, in a process known as automaticity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At this point we can hold a reasonable conversation and still drive safely, our subconscious brains placing us on autopilot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many people ask how long it takes to form a habit, while James says they should really be concerned with how many reps it takes for the behaviour to become automatic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When that new behaviour is firmly entrenched, you’ll have crossed the “habit line.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reduce the Effort<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nAgain, from an evolutionary standpoint, we’ve been designed to conserve energy wherever possible, a mindset which is often incompatible with positive habit formation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, we have to make it as easy as possible to do the right thing and reduce any friction associated with the new task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All businesses operate on the principle of making our lives more convenient (and humans lazier) in some way, home delivery being a prime example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Business is a never-ending quest to deliver the same result in an easier fashion.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nSo, how can we use this principle to our own advantage?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The best place to start is environment design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Picking a gym on the way home from work<\/li> Laying out exercise clothes the night before<\/li> Disposing of junk food from your fridge and replacing them with healthy snacks<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\nThe Two-Minute Rule<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n“Researchers estimate that 40 to 50% of our actions on any given day are done out of habit.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nThere are numerous tiny moments throughout the day which are decisive in creating the type of person we want to become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rather than relying on motivation to instil our habits, which will inevitably wane over time, we can utilise the two-minute rule instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Simply setting ourselves the task of performing an activity for two minutes will act as a gateway to slip into a more productive mindset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This could even start with reading one page of a book or writing one sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rather than focusing on the results of these actions, instead we’re simply mastering the art of showing up and forging a new identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Instead of trying to engineer a perfect habit from the start, do the easy thing on a more consistent basis. You have to standardize before you can optimize. As you master the art of showing up, the first two minutes simply become a ritual at the beginning of a larger routine.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nCementing Good Habits<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nWe can use commitment devices to help schedule our preferred actions ahead of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This might include arranging a run with a friend to encourage us to show up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We can also use “strategic, one time decisions” like setting up an automatic savings transfer as soon as we’re paid each month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The rise of technology now allows us to automate many previously undesireable tasks allowing us to set and forget the correct behaviour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We can forget about willpower and make the desired behaviour inevitable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This could involve signing up for a healthy veg box scheme to provide regular access to nutritious food or a credit card which saves money each time we make a purchase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4th Law: Make It Satisfying<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe Main Rule<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n“What is rewarded is repeated. What is punished is avoided.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nRewards are essential, but the main caveat is that the satisfaction we derive from the activity has to be immediate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Animals exist in what’s known as an immediate return environment in that they’re very focused on the present moment, to both stay alive and thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For millennia, humans were the same, but despite our programming, society has been constructed around delayed return principles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s to say…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“You can work for years before your actions deliver the intended payoff.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nHowever, we didn’t evolve to fully appreciate this mindset, as evidenced by a concept that scientists call time inconsistency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Time inconsistency shows that we value rewards received immediately more than ones which are delayed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although this has served us well, when it comes to creating good habits, the effect can backfire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“With our bad habits, the immediate outcome usually feels good, but the ultimate outcome feels bad. With good habits, it is the reverse: the immediate outcome is unenjoyable, but the ultimate outcome feels good.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nSo, the takeaway is that that the more pleasure we get from an activity, the more we have to question whether it will lead to our desired outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Good habits often don’t feel as good in the moment, even though the long term rewards can be enormous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s why it’s essential to tap into our primitive psychology and pair good habits with immediate rewards to ensure we continue with our preferred behaviour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Much like giving a dog a treat when they behave, what reward can you give yourself for completing the correct action?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sticking to the System<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\nIt’s vital to make our daily actions obvious and trackable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
James recounts the story of a successful salesperson who moved a paper clip from one jar to another to track his sales calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Making progress is satisfying, and visual measures\u2014like moving paper clips or hairpins or marbles\u2014provide clear evidence of your progress.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nHowever, perhaps the easiest way of measuring our progress is through a habit tracker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
[Note from Joel – I personally use a habit tracking app, which allows me to record when I perform the correct behaviour.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Apparently, the comedian Jerry Seinfeld employed a similar method for writing daily jokes, which has been popularised as The Seinfeld Strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Habit tracking serves many purposes, making behaviour “obvious, attractive, and<\/em> satisfying.”<\/p>\n\n\n\nObvious<\/strong> – research shows that simply by maintaining food or spending logs, we change our behaviour more effectively. It also keeps us honest about our habits.<\/li>Attractive<\/strong> – visual progress provides extra motivation, especially on bad days.<\/li>Satisfying<\/strong> – tracking becomes its own reward in that we begin to focus on the system, and maintaining our action-taking streak, instead of the reward.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\nJames finishes the book by covering some advanced tactics in “how to go from being merely good to truly great.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also provides bonus chapters on using these techniques in business and parenting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, I haven’t included them in this Atomic Habits summary, as I encourage you to read the full book for maximum return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n