by Trevor Ragan and Alex Belser | Podcasts | Taking Action
If we want to make a lasting change we need to understand how to build our underlying habits. In this episode we call upon one of the world’s leading researchers on habits, Wendy Wood, to help us do that.
Featuring
Wendy Wood: Professor Psychology & Business at USC
Key Points
What is a habit?
Automatic actions and behaviors we build up over time. Think of it as a mental shortcut we use. When certain actions are become automatic, we can invest our attention elsewhere.
How are habits formed?
Habits are formed from consistent repetitions through the habit loop: cue, response, reward. The cue is an environmental trigger, the response is our action, and the reward is the feeling we get from performing the action.
How often are we in habit mode?
Some studies show that nearly 40% of our behaviors are habit based. But a better way to think about it is that our habits support, in part, almost everything we do.
How do we change and build our habits?
When we want to make a change our build a habit, most of us rely upon willpower. Research shows that willpower alone usually won’t get the job done. The more effective approach is to focus on changing and designing our environment and cues.
How long does it take to build or change a habit?
Depending on the complexity it could take anywhere from 9-90 days. There is no set rule.
What are some tips to change our environment?
Friction is a great tool to keep in mind. Make the behavior you want to engage in easy and the behavior you want to stop more difficult. Think about proximity and visibility.
Close/visible = low friction
Far/out of sight = more friction
Small habits can lead to big change
The average person might read a shelf of books in their lifetime (50-100). By building the habit of reading just 30 min a day we would end up reading 1000+ books. A small habit, that we could all build that leads to a life changing output.
Quick Links
Good Habits, Bad Habits by Wendy Wood
Wendy’s Twitter
Alex Belser’s Website
Trevor Ragan
Apple Podcasts
Spotify