The habit framework serves as a practical guide to changing habits that distills the lessons from The Power of Habit.
Step 1: Identify the Routine
To understand your own habits, you need to identify the components of your habit loop. First, identify the routine, which is the behavior you want to change. Next, you need to find the cue and reward for this routine, which is easier said than done. To figure this out, a little experimentation is needed, because, more often than not, both the reward and the cue are hidden behind noise.
Step 2: Experiment with Rewards
Rewards are powerful because they satisfy craving, but most cravings are only obvious in retrospect, and we’re often not conscious of the cravings that drive our behaviors. To identify cravings, experiment with adjusting your routine so it delivers different rewards, without pressure to make a real change – you are only collecting data. What you choose to do instead of the original routine doesn’t matter. After each alternate routine, set a 15 minute timer, at the end of which you will ask yourself if you still feel the urge to complete the original routine. By experimenting with different rewards, you can isolate what you are actually craving.
Step 3: Isolate the Cue
To identify cues amid noise, we can (as psychologists do) identify categorize of behaviors ahead of time to scrutinize in order to see patterns. Almost all habitual cues fit into one of five categories:
- Location
- Time
- Emotional State
- Other People
- Immediately Preceding Action
So when figuring out the cue for a habit, write down five things the moment the urge hits:
- Where are you:
- What time is it?
- What’s your emotional state?
- Who else is around?
- What action preceded the urge?
Using this strategy, you can find commonalities between the entries to identify the cue.
Step 4: Have a Plan
Once you’ve identified the components of the habit loop, you can change to a petter routine by planning for the cue and choosing a behavior that delivers theReward you are craving. All you need is a plan. Because habits form when allow our brain to follow cues, execute routines, and receive rewards on our behalf, we need to begin making choices again to break the formula. The easiest way to do this is to have a plan, write it down, and execute it. Sometimes, changing habits can take a long time, and it might require repeated experiments and failures, but eventually, you will gain power over it.