Habits

I've been diving into "The Compound Effect" by Darren Hardy, and Chapter 3 is all about habits. I remember the first time I read this; I found it fascinating how all these little routines we do every day, almost mindlessly, can have such a massive impact on our lives. Here are my key takeaways.

First of all, it's essential to know that we all have a set of keystone habits that help us manage the day-to-day things that go on in our lives, like getting up every morning and brushing our teeth. That's something most people do without giving it a second thought. And that's good because dental hygiene is important. But it's important to know that there are other keystone habits in our lives that aren't good for us. For instance, if you followed up your teeth brushing routine by drinking a can of Coca-Cola, that would be an excellent example of a keystone habit that isn't serving you. As I've said, every habit compounds, whether it's good for us or not. Once you understand that concept, you can leverage the power of habit formation to dramatically improve the results you are getting.

So, let's talk about the Holy Grail of habit formation: consistency. Because it's all about showing up and doing the work. The small actions that you repeat consistently are what make habits stick. For instance, if you've decided that you want to install a workout routine each morning, even on those mornings you're not feeling motivated, push through and do it anyway because that's how you build those neural pathways in your brain that make the habit feel natural and effortless, just like brushing your teeth.

Now let's talk about triggers and cues and how you can set yourself up for success with these new habits. We all have those little triggers that prompt us to do certain things, like getting up in the morning and brushing our teeth. But you can hack that brain of yours by identifying cues that lead to the habits you want to adopt. Let's go back to that morning workout habit you wish to install. If before you go to sleep at night, you got your workout clothes ready, you set your alarm for the time you want to get up to do that workout, and before brushing your teeth, you put your workout clothes on, you'd be one step closer to actually completing that workout. This is my routine, so working out every morning is automatic and mindless. It's just something I do every day. And it's made easier by following a routine I give little thought to.

But I've learned that building habits is not just about going through the motions; it's about believing in yourself and embracing that identity. You've got to learn to see yourself as someone who embodies those habits and follows through. You'll be committed and resilient when you genuinely believe in your ability to adopt these habits. It's like having a secret weapon; your confidence and self-image fuel your motivation to keep going even when things get tough.

Chapter 3 of "The Compound Effect" is one of the longer chapters in this book, so next week, I'll finish my review by covering some critical things that you need to know and understand about the power of habits. It's the most crucial part of habits in our lives.

Quote of the week:

“This is the story of most people's lives; they're riding the horse of their habits with no idea where they're headed.”

Darren Hardy