You need to be aware of your habits before you can change them. As we grow up, we rarely notice the habits that govern our lives. Most of us never think about tying the same shoe every morning, unplugging the toaster after each use, or always changing comfortable clothes after we get home from work. After decades of mental programming, we automatically slip into these patterns of thought and action. “Time widens the gap between success and failure. He will multiply everything you give him. Good habits make time your ally. Bad habits make time your enemy. Behaviours are attractive when they help us adapt. Clear suggests that we mimic the habits of three groups: “Habits are easier when they match your natural abilities. Choose the habits that work best for you. “We mentally map our habits to where they occur,” clear says. That`s why we usually associate places with certain routines – that`s why it`s so hard to work at your dining table or rest while you`re still sitting in front of your desk. Thus, we can consider habits and identity as a self-reinforcing loop.

The more we work on habit, the stronger the identity becomes – and the more automatic the habit. “Of course, your habits aren`t the only actions that affect your identity,” Clear says, “but because of their frequency, they`re usually the most important.” “The most effective way to change your habits is to focus not on what you want to achieve, but on who you want to become.” By definition, habits are small actions that can be accomplished in seconds. But what makes them important is that they happen at crucial times that send you to a productive day or an unproductive day. A useful technique to make habits more attractive is to group temptation together. Here we connect the action we want to do with an action we need to do. However, your current habits are not necessarily the best way to solve problems in the category of underlying patterns, they are just methods that you have used in the past and learned from. Create a habits dashboard to list all your current habits that are done daily. Because behaviors influence each other, the end of one habit often serves as an indication of another. By listing your habits, you can see which actions precede them and which follow.

By listing your clues and rewards in this way, you will see what current behaviors might be appropriate to recognize the desired new behaviors. The 4 laws of atomic habits are derived from the four stages of habit formation. These phases are the keyword, desire, reaction and reward. Every habit you have is associated with these four phases. The authenticity of our habits is just as important as the systems around them. James Clear points this out in several sections of the book, and it stood out alongside some of the techniques and theories I had never encountered before. I refer to this framework as the four laws of behavior change, and it provides a simple set of rules for creating good habits and breaking bad habits. You can think of any law as a lever that influences human behavior. When the levers are in the right positions, it`s easy to create good habits.

If they are in the wrong position, it is almost impossible. The secret to building a habit is to “always stay below the point where it looks like work.” Obviously, it calls the two-minute rule: new habits should last less than two minutes. « The ultimate goal of habits is to solve life`s problems with as little energy and effort as possible. » “The process of behavior change always begins with consciousness. You need to be aware of your habits before you can change them. People who look disciplined are simply better at removing bad habit signals from their lives. “Reduce the friction associated with good behavior. When friction is low, habits are simple. The idea is that these small habits serve as gateways to larger goals. “Your results are a measure that lags behind your habits.

Your net worth is a measure of your financial habits. Your weight is a measure of your eating habits. Your knowledge is a measure that lags behind your learning habits. Your clutter is a measure of your cleaning habits. You get what you repeat. The cost of your good habits is in the present, while the cost of your bad habits is in the future, and instant gratification usually wins. How fit or out of shape are you? A result of your habits. Rethinking your habits to highlight the pros rather than the cons is quick and easy and can change our entire mindset.

#3: The 1st Law: Make it obvious. In order to change, break or create new habits, we need to become aware of our environmental signals using appropriate techniques. Simple redesigns of the framing of our habits using techniques such as stacking habits can have profound effects on our behavior. Sometimes success is less about making good habits easy and more about making bad habits difficult. […] If you work in your favor, automation can make your good habits inevitable and your bad habits impossible. What are the 4 laws of atomic habits? How can obeying these laws help you develop new positive habits? To break bad habits, we can also reverse the 3rd law of behavior change to “make it difficult”. “The advantage of habits is that you can do things without thinking about it. The downside is that we stop paying attention to small mistakes. Habitual contracts can be used to add social costs to a behavior, making the absence of our habits more public and painful. Feeling like someone else`s habit is a powerful motivator. Many of the rewards you receive are delayed.

You will only receive a paycheck after weeks of work. It is only after months of study that you get a final grade. But human nature is wired in such a way that it wants instant gratification, and most good behaviors take time before positive results accumulate. You sacrifice yourself now to benefit from it later. To stay motivated to continue good habits, find ways to create rewards that are immediately satisfying. “Your identity is born from your habits. Every action is a voice for the kind of person you want to become. Gradually, your habits are not associated with a single trigger, but with the entire context surrounding the behavior. Context becomes the keyword. If you are interested in exploring some of the scientific discoveries behind habits and learning a wide range of techniques to optimize your habits, I highly recommend this book.

And, of course, there`s far more to its nearly 300 pages than any book summary could do justice. If you`ve ever wondered, “Why don`t I do what I say, what I`m going to do? Why don`t I lose weight, quit smoking, save for retirement, or start this side business? Why do I say something is important, but I never seem to take the time for it? The answers to these questions can be found somewhere in these four laws. The key to creating good habits and breaking bad ones is to understand these basic laws and adapt them to your specifications. Any goal is doomed to failure if it goes against the grain of human nature. A great way to curb bad habits and cause good habits is to use an engagement device. It`s a decision you make now that will control your actions later, like paying for a gym membership in advance. Readers of Charles Duhigg`s The Power of Habits will recognize these terms. Duhigg has written a great book and my intention is to pick up where he left off by incorporating these phases into four simple laws that you can apply to build better habits in life and work. The two-minute rule is also effective in facilitating behaviors.

Often, you jump into the biggest changes that are needed when you`re trying to build new habits or start new behaviors. But major behavioral changes are difficult to maintain over time. You`ll make more progress if you break down the behavior into small two-minute steps. These increases will lead to massive successes. Once your pride is involved, you will fight tooth and nail to maintain your habits. The real change in behavior is a change in identity. At each stage of the habit loop, there are four important laws that can be applied to optimize our habits: #5: The 3rd law: Make it easier for yourself. Our brain is designed to help us automate our habits and make them easier. But we can make them even easier by using techniques such as the two-minute rule and engagement devices.

Nor is it the case that the consequences of bad habits are delayed and the rewards are immediate, because this allows us to have excuses to continue bad habits. Good habits are reversed because the immediate results are not pleasant, but the end result is positive. Since habits are automatic behaviors, you probably don`t notice all the clues that prompt you to act.