book productivity
by Charles Duhigg
A habit is a choice that we deliberately make at some point. Eventually we stop thinking about the choice and it becomes automatic.
Habit Loop :
A well defined cue and a reward is necessary to form habits
Apart from these three, there is another essential component: craving
Cravings make people stick to the habit loop. Cravings drive habits.
As we do enough repetitions of the cue -> routine -> reward loop, our minds start expecting a reward as soon as it notices the cue i.e. our minds start craving for the reward. This makes us stick to the habit loop.
Habit Change You can't extinguish a bad habit. You can only change it.
Golden Rule of Habit Change: To change an existing habit, retain the old cues and old rewards but modify the routine.
Another essential component of habit change is belief. Belief that you can change. Being a part of a supportive group to together form better habits makes believing easier.
Keystone Habits: Developing some habits creates a positive effect that also helps with creating other unrelated habits. Keystone habits lead to "small wins" that motivate in forming other good habits.
Willpower is a finite resource. It is like a muscle that can be exercised and made stronger. When forming or changing habits it is helpful to plan exactly how the change is going to be achieved. Having a plan reduces the dependence on willpower. Eg. If the goal is to go on morning runs. Decide when to wake up. Arrange for the outfit the night before. etc.
Changing habits involves identifying the crucial parts of the habit loop: cue, routine, reward. Then make a concrete plan that substitutes the routine with what is desired.