What is a habit?

“We first make our habits, and then our habits make us.”
– Emmons

You may have heard that many successful people have good habits, and that’s because habits are powerful tools that shape our lives, both personally and professionally. But what exactly is a habit? A habit is a behavior that becomes automatic through repetition. It’s something we do without even thinking about it – like brushing our teeth or checking our phones first thing in the morning. The habits in your life are formed when our brains recognize a pattern and develop neural pathways that make it easier for us to perform the behavior in the future. 

The great thing about habits is that they can be beneficial if we cultivate good ones, like exercising regularly or being more organized. However, bad habits, like procrastination or smoking, can have negative consequences on our health, relationships, and productivity. The good news is that habits can be changed with effort and dedication.

I like Stephen Covey’s description of habits in his book, 7 habits of highly effective people. To develop a habit, 3 things are required:

1. You must know what to do.
2. You must know how to do it.
3. You must want to do it.

How Good Habits Affect Your Goals

Creating good habits can greatly impact the achievement of our goals. It all starts with the decision to form better habits. It may seem tedious and challenging at first, but with persistence, it is possible to make it a part of our daily routine. By trying to form a new, good habit regularly, we are gradually cultivating a reliable and positive behavior that can contribute to our overall success in life.

The more good habits we incorporate into our life, the closer we get to reaching our goals. Moreover, maintaining good daily habits is a self-affirmation that demonstrates discipline and determination, which is an essential aspect of achieving our goals.

In short, putting in the effort to adopt good habits not only benefits our health and well-being, but it also enhances our ability to manage our time, increase productivity, and attain greater success in life. So, let’s make the conscious decision to adopt good habits and start moving closer to our goals today!

Let’s take a look at the goals and things you want to achieve. What kind of habits will help get you closer to them and help you achieve them? Remember that some of these habits might be outside of your comfort zone, and you’ll need to find ways to build new behavior. 

How are habits formed?

It is fascinating to learn how habits are formed. Our brains are wired to create patterns and repeated behaviors become a part of our daily routines. The habit loop, consisting of a cue, a routine, and a reward, is what solidifies a habit.

Initially, it takes a lot of willpower to adopt a new habit, but as we repeat the behavior, it becomes second nature. It becomes as effortless as scrolling through your social media feed.

Motivating yourself to form new habits is crucial to enhance your life. The easiest way is to start by setting small, achievable goals and consistently working towards them. By taking action one step at a time, you can create slowly and surely develop positive habits that can transform your life. Habits can make or break us, but with the right mindset, we can cultivate habits that lead us towards success and fulfillment. 

What’s the habit loop?

The habit loop is a simple yet effective concept that can help you understand the structure of any habit, whether good or bad. At its core, the habit loop consists of three steps: cue, routine, and reward.

First, there’s a trigger or cue that signals your brain to start the routine, which can be an external or internal stimulus. For example, if you want to develop a new positive habit of exercising every day, the cue could be setting an alarm, reminders on your phone at a specific time of day, or simply just putting on workout clothes. 

The cue is important because it prompts the brain to start the routine, which is the behavior or action that follows. The routine can be a physical action, a thought process, or an emotional response. For example, in the case of exercising, the routine might involve getting up early and going for a run or doing a workout.

Finally, the reward is what reinforces the habit and makes it more likely to continue in the future. The reward can be a feeling of accomplishment, a tangible reward, or a sense of pleasure. In the case of exercising, the reward could be feeling energized or seeing improvements in physical fitness.

By understanding these steps, you can gain insight into how your habits work and how to change them. Start by identifying the cue and reward for any habit you want to change, then experiment with different routines until you find one that’s more positive and reinforces better habits. With time and effort, you’ll break free from the cycle of bad habits and start building habits that support your goals and aspirations. 

What’s the difference between habits and routines?

It’s important to understand the difference between habits and routines, as they both play a significant role in our day-to-day lives.

Habits refer to the actions we repeatedly do without thinking, such as biting our nails or checking our phone every few minutes. Routines, on the other hand, are a set of repeated actions that we intentionally do to achieve a certain outcome, such as a morning routine to help us start the day off right.

While routines can become habits over time, it’s important to remember that habits are often done unconsciously, while routines involve intentional effort and choice. Let’s take a look at Robin Sharma’s idea of waking up at 5 a.m. every morning in his book “The 5 a.m. Club”.  When you are starting on it, it will be more of a routine than a habit. You’re going to need to create new plans to go to bed earlier to ensure you have enough hours of sleep and still get up at 5 a.m. 

By recognizing the distinction between the two, we can better understand how to break negative habits and develop positive routines to enhance our daily lives. 

So, make the choice today to create a morning routine that sets the tone for the rest of your day, and watch as intentional actions turn into positive habits that lead to a happier and more productive life.

How long does it take to form a new habit?

Developing a new habit definitely takes time and effort, but it is absolutely worth it in the end. The amount of time it takes to establish a new habit varies from person to person, but popular belief is that it takes about 21 days for a habit to form. 

Now, if you believe that, and wonder why you are falling short, that’s because in reality, it takes a significantly longer time to make a habit stick. 

As per the findings of Phillippa Lally, a health psychology expert at University College London, published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, up-to-date research shows that it takes a considerable amount of time for a new behavior to become habitual – precisely 66 days on average. Therefore, it is imperative to understand that it may take anywhere from two to eight months to successfully integrate a new behavior into your daily routine, rather than the popularly believed 21-day myth. 

Remember that some habits can take longer to form, especially if they are more complex or demanding. So don’t be discouraged if it takes longer than you expected. It’s important to stay committed and focused on your goal.

One helpful tip is to start small and gradually increase the intensity or frequency of the habit. Additionally, make sure to surround yourself with positive influences and remind yourself why you started in the first place. You have the power to make positive changes in your life and develop new habits that will benefit you in the long run. So keep at it and don’t give up – you’ve got this!

Building Habits for Success

Three Quick Tips for Breaking Bad Habits

“Habit is either the best of servants, or the worst of masters.”
– Emmons

Breaking bad habits can be a challenging task, but it’s not impossible. You have the power to change your habits and transform your life.

Here are three ways to break bad habits:

First, identify the bad habit and understand why it’s a problem. Once you have a clear understanding of the consequences of your bad habit, you can work towards eliminating it.

Second, replace the bad habit with a good one. For example, if your bad habit is smoking, replace it with a healthy activity like jogging or yoga.

Finally, surround yourself with positive influences and hold yourself accountable. Identify people who support your new habits and stay away from situations that may trigger your bad habit. People who share their goals and dreams with others have a higher chance of sticking to it, so tell a close friend about the routine you have decided upon and making yourself accountable will increase your chances of success. 

Remember, breaking a bad habit takes time and effort, but the benefits are worth it. You’ll feel empowered and have a greater sense of control over your life. So, let’s start breaking those bad habits today and create better habits that lead to a more fulfilling life.

“The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.”
– Samuel Johnson

7 Steps to Building Good Habits for Success

Building good habits is essential to achieving success in life. But forming a habit is not an easy task. It needs consistency, perseverance, and discipline. Here are seven simple steps that can help you build and cultivate good habits. First, identify the trigger of your habit formation.  Second, determine the craving that prompts your behavior. Third, dig deep into the root cause of your habit. Fourth, set up a routine that aligns with your desired habit. Fifth, stay motivated to keep your habit in check. Sixth, track your progress to measure your success. Finally, reward yourself for your small achievements along the way. By taking these 7 steps, you can create a roadmap that helps you develop good habits and stick to them. You can leverage the power of habits to improve your life and achieve your goals. Remember, if you want to form a habit, consistency is key. Make it a point to stay committed to your daily routine, and you will slowly start to see the fruits of your labor. In doing so, you’ll be able to build a positive cycle that feeds on success and motivates you to keep moving forward.

Building good habits can be challenging, but it’s possible to create lasting positive changes in our lives. Here are seven baby steps to help you build good habits:

1. Identify the trigger: Understand the circumstances or environment that lead to your habit. Pay attention to situations or events that factor into your habit. What prompts it? Remember that triggers can be both internal (your own thoughts and feelings) and external (things you see, hear, smell or touch). Once you understand what those triggers are, look for ways to create more triggers for good habits, and eliminate triggers for bad ones. 
2. Understand the craving / root: Figure out what you’re seeking through the habit. Examine why you formed this habit. What purpose did it serve when you first developed it? What fulfilling need does it satisfy?  Even bad habits exist because it is fulfilling some need.  Once you understand what those needs are, you can form healthier habits to meet them. 
3. Leverage on your strengths: I’ll cover more on this in a separate section below. In short, understanding your strengths can help you find the easiest and most effective way to start and stick to a routine, and repeating it enough times for it to become a habit. Which leads to the next step.
4. Establish a routine: Create a consistent practice around your desired habit. Consistency is key to making it stick. The key is to start small and make sure that the habit you are trying to create is manageable. One great way to begin is by identifying the habits that will have the most significant impact on your life and starting with those first. Another tip is to ensure your routine includes an element of enjoyment to it. For example, listening to music that you like while running may help you to stick with the routine more easily. 
5. Choose a positive motivation: Identify a positive reason for your habit. What benefits can you experience? While extrinsic motivation can be helpful, it is more important to have intrinsic motivation.  Align your new goals with your values, and you may find it more motivational for yourself. 
6. Track your progress: Keep track of your progress and celebrate small victories along the way. This helps you to stay on track and to reinforce the habit. You can create your own tracking using an Excel sheet, or any notes application.  Alternatively, you can use the habit tracker feature in the StrengthsFinder Singapore Network (SFSN) Community Portal. It’s free to join, and has lots of strengths development resources. Remember, creating good habits is a process, so don’t get discouraged if you slip up from time to time. The most important thing is to keep up the momentum and continue to work towards your goal of creating healthy habits for yourself.
7. Evaluate and adjust: Be willing to evaluate your habit and make changes as needed. It may be helpful to set a reminder in your calendar so that you remember to pause and access your progress.  This is the time to re-examine whether your routine is working, whether it is still aligned with your values, and whether there are other ways you can leverage on your strengths. 

Be kind to yourself and remember that forming new habits is a journey, not a destination. By following these steps, you can stack the odds in your favor and build good habits that promote your overall wellness and happiness. It takes time and practice, but it will be worth it in the end. 

Leveraging on Your CliftonStrengths for Habit Formation

In step 3 above, I mentioned the importance of leveraging on your strengths.  As a Strengths Coach, I thought I should share more on that. 

We are often not aware of our strengths, and using a tool like CliftonStrengths can help accelerate that process.  The reason that I like using CliftonStrengths is because of the precision of the tool, and the ease of translating the report into actionable items. 

Let’s talk about what using your CliftonStrengths would be extremely helpful in building a habit. Habits are the building blocks of our daily routine, and when we have the right ones in place, we can achieve incredible feats. Creating a habit is not only about repetition, but it is also about using your motivation and driving force to help it become automatic. When you focus on your talents, habit formation becomes natural and (almost) effortless. 

Here’s why: the talents that your CliftonStrengths report reveals is your “naturally recurring patterns of thoughts, feelings or behavior that can be productively applied”.  By looking at your profile, it may already give you some insights into why you have particular habits already in place. Understanding your reports will help you to better understand the motivations behind those habits (step 2), and help you to create routines (step 4) that you are more likely to stick to. 

Try this: Look at the habits that you’d like to form, and ask yourself which talent theme do you have that would help you. For example, if you were looking to build habits to exercise more, and you have the Analytical Talent theme.  What data would you like to track to see your progress?  If you have the Relator Talent theme, who might you invite to exercise together with you?  If you have the Woo Talent theme, perhaps you would like to join group exercises classes where you could meet new people. 

This is your opportunity to employ some creative thinking in looking for ways to embed your talent themes into your routines.  Chances are you will enjoy it more!