Have you ever stopped to think about the way your habits impact your life?

Few people are aware that nearly 40% of what they do on a daily basis is habitual.

And that once habits form, the brain stops fully participating in the decision making process.

Why? Because it doesn’t have to anymore.

Habits are a system the brain uses to streamline your activities - and it will use them to automate particular behaviours without you even thinking about it.

The problem with that becomes apparent as soon as your brain installs a habit you didn’t deliberately design. If you pick something you know serves you, habits are an incredibly powerful tool. But if you’re not consciously designing them, your habits will bring you undone.

So, how exactly do they work?

In The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg explains that MIT researchers discovered a three-step neurological pattern that forms the core of every habit.

The first step is a cue. It’s a trigger that tells your brain to go into automatic mode and prompts the behaviour that follows. The second step is routine, which is the behaviour itself - the action you take. The last step is reward, which helps your brain determine if a particular habit loop is worth remembering or not.

Habits with immediate rewards are easy to pick up, whereas those with delayed rewards are more difficult to commit to and maintain. Think about how easy it is to check your phone compared to exercising more.

Think about a habit you’d like to change and ask yourself:

• When did the habit begin?
• How has the habit changed over time?
• When do you typically engage in the habitual behaviour?
• Is there a specific location that triggers this habit?
• What else is usually happening in your life when the habit occurs?
• Does your behaviour affect other people or facets of your life?
• What does the habit do for you?