Psychologist Edward Thorndike – study of cats
“behaviors followed by satisfying consequences tend to be repeated and those that produce unpleasant consequences are less likely to be repeated.”
Clear, James. Atomic Habits (p. 44). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Problems
Repeated problems . . . Time for a habit (or a delegation)
Quit Repeating Yourself
We’re all hunting for rewards (good feelings) and we repeat things that give us rewards BUT sometimes I settle for small rewards when there are bigger rewards available.
“With practice, the useless movements fade away and the useful actions get reinforced. That’s a habit forming.”
Clear, James. Atomic Habits (p. 45). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Behavioral scientist Jason Hreha writes, “Habits are, simply, reliable solutions to recurring problems in our environment.”
Clear, James. Atomic Habits (p. 45). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
“if this, then that.”
Clear, James. Atomic Habits (p. 45). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Automation is king. Delegation is empire
“the conscious mind is the bottleneck of the brain.”
Clear, James. Atomic Habits (p. 46). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
“Habits reduce cognitive load and free up mental capacity, so you can allocate your attention to other tasks.”
Clear, James. Atomic Habits (p. 46). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Dullness or Freedom?
The process of building a habit can be divided into four simple steps: cue, craving, response, and reward.*
Clear, James. Atomic Habits (p. 47). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Today, we spend most of our time learning cues that predict secondary rewards like money and fame, power and status, praise and approval, love and friendship, or a sense of personal satisfaction.
Clear, James. Atomic Habits (p. 48). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Cravings. . .
“Cravings differ from person to person.”
Clear, James. Atomic Habits (p. 48). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
“If a particular action requires more physical or mental effort than you are willing to expend, then you won’t do it.”
Clear, James. Atomic Habits (p. 49). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
“The cue is about noticing the reward. The craving is about wanting the reward. The response is about obtaining the reward. We chase rewards because they serve two purposes: (1) they satisfy us and (2) they teach us.”
Clear, James. Atomic Habits (p. 49). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
And then it loops: cue, craving, response, reward
Problem phase, solution phase
Getting good or avoiding bad (pain)
Light switch…basic but a habit or an automation
Is it time to curate your automations? Are you accepting little rewards?
Good habit
Bad habit
Paul why do I do the things I don’t want to do and do the things I don’t want to do.
