Most people feel a gap between their current self and the person they aspire to be. Whether it’s working out regularly, eating healthily, learning a language, or simply engaging in hobbies, achieving these goals often feels like becoming a different person. This blog explores why change is hard and how understanding habit formation can make it easier.
Understanding Your Brain: The Jungle Analogy
Imagine your brain as a dense jungle. Making a decision to do something is like moving through this jungle – it’s hard and energy-consuming. To save energy, your brain creates paths, which become easier to traverse the more you use them. Over time, these paths turn into highways, making certain behaviors effortless and comfortable.
Key Insight: Change is hard because your brain prefers the comfort of established highways over creating new trails.
Routines and Habits
Routines: These are sequences of actions carried out in the same way because they work well. Routines are managed by a “wise planner” in your brain, responsible for strategizing and long-term goals.
Habits: These are actions carried out without much thought, managed by an “impulsive toddler” in your brain. Habits are set in motion by triggers – context cues that signal the start of a behavior.
Key Insight: Routines can eventually turn into habits, making actions feel effortless.
Building a New Habit
1. Break Down Goals into Actions Start with specific, manageable actions. For example, instead of aiming to “get fit,” focus on doing ten squats every morning.
2. Create Triggers Establish clear triggers associated with your new habit. These can be visual cues, specific times of day, or designated places. Consistency is key.
3. Make the Action Pleasurable To make the habit easier to repeat, find ways to make the action enjoyable. For instance, listen to your favorite podcast while working out.
Key Insight: Small, consistent actions lead to significant changes over time.
Turning Routines into Habits
Repeat your actions regularly, ideally every day. Over time, your brain will form a new highway, making the decision to perform the habit feel less like a chore and more like a regular part of your day.
Key Insight: While habits still require effort, the decision to do them becomes easier.
Patience and Persistence
Building a habit can take anywhere from 15 to 250 days. Starting is the easy part, but continuing every day is challenging. However, with persistence, it becomes easier.
Key Insight: Change is a direction, not a destination. Even small improvements are successes.
Conclusion:
Understanding the science of habits can help bridge the gap between who you are and who you want to be. By breaking down goals, creating triggers, and making actions pleasurable, you can form new habits that lead to lasting change.
FAQs
Q1: Why is change so hard?
Change is hard because your brain prefers the comfort of established paths over creating new ones, which requires more energy.
Q2: What are triggers in habit formation?
Triggers are context cues that signal the start of a behavior. They can be visual cues, specific times, or designated places.
Q3: How long does it take to form a new habit?
Forming a new habit can take anywhere from 15 to 250 days, depending on various factors such as the behavior and individual differences.
Q4: How can I make a new habit easier to repeat?
Make the action enjoyable by incorporating elements you like, such as listening to your favorite podcast while working out.
Q5: What is the difference between routines and habits?
Routines are sequences of actions carried out intentionally, while habits are actions performed without much thought, triggered by context cues.