3 things I’ve learned about the power of our habits
Fernando Cuevas
Human Resources and Learning & Development Executive and Consultant, I/O Psychologist, Master Trainer and Coach dedicated to enriching lives and accelerating success.
Your brain doesn’t know best, let your values make the call – The way habits are formed is through repetition, it’s that simple. Anything that you do repeatedly creates connections in your brain, and the more you do it, the stronger these neuro-connections get. This is your brain’s way of saving energy, assuming that if you are doing it frequently it must be important and good for you. However, as we all know, frequent is not always good, so the first step for using the power of habits in our favor is through self-awareness. One way of doing this is writing down what we do on a regular week, and then assessing which of our routines and habits are worth strengthening and which ones we would be better off letting go.
Build on what you have- try habit stacking– Habit stacking, or habit chaining refers to the process of linking together an activity you want to incorporate into your routine to a habit you already have. This anchors your new habits to a cue that already exist. For example, I do my stretching exercises in the shower (don’t try this at home) and it’s the only way I have been able to make them stick. Other examples of habit stacking are: pouring yourself a glass of water every time you pour yourself a coffee, only letting yourself watch your guilty pleasure TV show when you are on top of your treadmill or taking a deep breath every time you reach out for your phone. For this to work in the long run, it is important that we can see a separate reward for the new behavior we have stacked but it's a great way to get it going.
Something is better than nothing- It’s OK (and probably even better) to start small when you’re attempting habit changes. Real change takes time and consistency is more important than intensity. So, if you want to read more, start with a couple of pages a day; if you want to eat healthier, start with removing one thing or if you want to increase your presence in LinkedIn, start with liking and commenting on one post a couple of times a week. Build on small successes to cement your habit further.
What other things have you learned about the power of your habits?
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Psicóloga I Coach Ejecutivo I RRHH hospitalidad y salud I Formadora Ejecutiva
3 年Great reading Fernando Cuevas! I have learned that starting habits may become a negotiation skill that I may have on my mind but when I focus on the benefits and what I want to get out of that, it works automatically ?? It may be some kind of trend to "lazyness habits" in my case!
HR Consultant/Director | Executive and HR Coach | Author | Speaker - Empowering HR Leaders to build a credible brand
3 年Love this Fernando Cuevas habit stacking has really helped me to embed some powerful morning routines to win the day ??????????
CX und Customer Relationship Management Consultant | Connector - Netzwerker - Collaboration Enthusiast | Servant Leader | Projekt Management Experte | Employee Experience & Engagement Optimizer | Future of New Work
3 年Love your topic and ideas around habits Fernando Cuevas! Immediately thought about the Scrum values which I am living and embracing daily (respect, openess, courage, commitment, focus) when I read ??”your brain doesn’t know best, let your values make the call”. Plus trying the habit stacking, never thought of it. And to make it fun, I will start with the stretch exercise in the ?? to give it this a momentum??
Behavioral Scientist | Mindset & Emotional Intelligence Trainer | Business & Talent Development | Author | Strategic Workforce | Innovation | Culture Transformation | emotions-at-work.com
3 年Fernando Cuevas thank you for this post! even if it's difficult to create a new habit an accountability partner can be of great help to anchor it!
Enabling resilience and lifting spirits for teams, leaders and individuals through genuine connection | Moving workshops, keynotes and coachings | Passion & expertise for hospitality | [email protected] ???? ????
3 年Habit stacking - great tip! Especially for all those of us who say: "I don't have the time to do something extra." (BTW: I do a heels-toe-heels-toe exercise when brushing my teeth to strenghen my ankles and balance ;-))