How to implement atomic habits

?? How to implement atomic habits:

The habit formation loop comprises four components: cue, craving, response, and reward. The cue stimulates a craving that leads to a particular behavior, which is followed by a reward that reinforces the habit. By manipulating these elements, we can effectively establish new habits while breaking bad ones.

?? Cue - Make it Obvious:

Create a list of daily activities and assign them a sign of +, -, or = based on their impact. This can help us identify the habits that need to be developed or broken. Let's say you are working on your side-project or pursuing any hobby, assign a '+' next to it. You are spending more than 3 hours on Instagram, assign a '-' next to it. If you are not sure, assign '=', which means a neutral.

?? Visual Cue:

The key is to make the visual cue specific and highly visible so that it catches your attention and triggers the habit.

You forgot to prepare your breakfast yet again. Attach sticky notes on the washroom mirror. If you want to play guitar again keep it in the hall rather than in your closet.

You drink less water. Keep filled water bottles around the room.

?? Habit Stacking:

Time to revisit the list. Think about activities like meditation, photography, or evening walks that have a positive impact on you. Use these existing habits and stack them with new ones.

The format to follow is: After X, I will perform habit Y.

After meditating for 5 minutes, I will do gratitude journaling.

? Time & Place Cue:

Let's compare these affirmations: I will read a book this month. vs I will read 10 pages of Atomic Habits daily after having dinner at my study table.

The latter affirmation is more likely to be carried out since it is more specific.

?? Environment/Context:

A couch can be a place where someone reads a book to another person the same place might mean relaxing after work and watching Netflix.

Identify these spaces within your environment. Assign a particular task to these spaces.

? Craving - Make it Attractive:

Dopamine: Our motivation level is affected by dopamine. We are more likely to act when the dopamine level is high. It is released while anticipating and experiencing any activity. Social Media/Junk Foods and Drugs release high levels of dopamine and are highly habit-forming.

Hence, making habits attractive is vital. Expectations of the rewarding experience drive us to act.

?? Temptation Bundling:

Listening to music while working out. More probable behavior ( listening to music) enforces the less probable behavior. (working out)

?? Group Influence:

Become part of a group/culture. If you want to read more join a book club. If you want to get back in shape, join a group of people who have an active lifestyle. Our habits are the modern solution to ancient desires. Being a part of a group or society has been our innate desire. Hence, we are more likely to follow.

?? Re-train the brain:

Associate the hard habits with a positive experience.

Fitness = Health, Well-being. Fitness ≠ Fatigue.

Cleaning = Peace of mind. Cleaning ≠ not a waste of time.

?? Response - Make it Easy:

When any habit is repeated over a long period of time. The behavior becomes automatic. This leads to habit formation.

?? Frequency > Time: Life is a marathon rather than a sprint. Consistency matters more than intensity. Spending 10 minutes daily to learn Spanish vs Spending an hour on the weekend. Research shows that the former shall show better results. Make sure you are consistent and focus on repetition rather than intensity.

?? Reduce Friction: Reduce the number of obstacles in your way to perform a particular activity.

If you plan to join a gym, make sure it is close to your home or located in your way of commuting to work.

If it feels overwhelming to sit for hours and read a book start with reading 1-2 pages a day.

? 2-Minute Rule: Avoid procrastinating:

Create a miniature habit of the final goal. If running for 10 kilometers is the goal. Create a 2-minute window, in which you stretch and tie up shoes.

If your goal is to study for one hour, spend the first two minutes preparing all the topics you need to cover and the material you would need to refer to.

?? Reward - Make it Satisfying:

The most important rule of behavior change is making the experience rewarding. If you experience a reward at the end of the behavior, you are more likely to repeat it next time.

??Reward Yourself in Small Ways:

A positive habit has immediate pain and delayed results. We can make the experience rewarding by creating visual signaling tools.

Moving marbles into a jar if you drank one gallon of water that day. Strike off the habit from the daily habit tracker if you prepared a healthy meal for yourself.

?? Bad days - Just show up:

We are bound to have a bad day. It is just around the corner.

It is important for us to show up in these moments rather than stay in our shells and feel miserable about our situation.

If you read 20 pages every day, but due to unavoidable circumstances you can't achieve that goal on a particular day then read 5 pages instead of 20.

?? Accountability Partner:

Being held accountable helps us to keep our desired habits in check. We want to be liked and respected. Our behaviors are likely to be influenced by concrete and immediate consequences.

You want to limit your screen time. Take a screenshot of the daily usage and send it to your accountability partner. In case you cross the limit, you send out a sum of money to the other person or you can be creative and create your custom reward/punishment.