Creating Habits through Repetition is Key

Aristotle spoke about this over 2400 years ago

Good morning B.Y.E.rs

Welcome to the Weekly Write Ups. Today, we are going to talk about a quote by a man who died in 322 BC, and already knew the importance of this fundamental concept. Aristotle said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

This quote speaks to the importance of developing habits that support our goals and aspirations.

In the book that I often refer too, "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg, the author delves into the science of habit formation and how we can use this knowledge to make positive changes in our lives. One key concept of my weekly writings is idea of "budgeting your energy habits like you would your money habits." and I would like to explore how the two can work together.

When it comes to money, most of us have a budget to ensure we do not overspend and that we are using our money wisely. The same principle can be applied to our energy and habits. We only have so much energy to use each day, so it's important to budget it wisely.

For example, if you want to develop a new exercise habit, you might start by budgeting 30 minutes of your energy each day to this habit. This might mean waking up 30 minutes earlier or cutting back on something else to make time for exercise. By budgeting your energy in this way, you are making a commitment to yourself and giving yourself the best chance of success. If you have someone to join you as an accountability partner, then I would highly recommend that you set goals together and dates in which to check up on each other or in turn motivate each other to stick to the goal that you set for yourself.

Another technique that can help with habit formation is called "habit stacking." This involves linking a new habit to an existing habit. For example, if you want to start meditating every morning, you could link this habit to your existing habit of drinking coffee. Each morning, you could make your coffee, then spend 10 minutes meditating before starting your day.

By linking the new habit to an existing one, you're making it easier to remember and more likely to stick. Over time, this new habit will become automatic and part of your daily routine.

It's also important to understand the cues and rewards that drive our habits. According to Duhigg, every habit has three parts: a cue, a routine, and a reward. The cue is the trigger that tells our brain to start the habit, the routine is the behavior itself, and the reward is the positive outcome that reinforces the habit.

For example, if you have a habit of snacking on junk food in the afternoon, the cue might be feeling bored or stressed at work. The routine is to go to the vending machine and buy a candy bar. The reward is the sugar rush and temporary feeling of satisfaction.

To change this habit, you need to identify the cue and find a healthier routine that provides a similar reward. For example, if you feel bored or stressed at work, you could replace the candy bar with a healthy snack like an apple or a handful of nuts. The reward is still the temporary feeling of satisfaction, but now you're getting it from a healthier source.

As per the image above, You could stack your habit change with the ability to socialize with colleagues and friends on the canteen or general area/relaxation facility of the workplace. This way you eat healthier, and can also substitute the lack of sugar rush by feeling the positive effects of community, camaraderie and general good conversation. At the same time you need to understand how much of this interaction is good for your experiment and how much is a distraction for doing the things that you need to do for the day. I expand on this idea here, Discussing Selfish vs Selfless .

Developing habits that support our goals and aspirations is key to achieving excellence in all areas of our lives. By budgeting our energy habits like we would our money habits, linking new habits to existing ones, and understanding the cues and rewards that drive our habits, we can make positive changes that stick. Remember, as Aristotle said, "Excellence is not an act, but a habit."

Happy Habit Building and B.Y.E. for now