Episode #38: 3 Steps to Create Habits to Improve Your Life

The largest study completed on how high performers became so good at their skills, regardless of what it is, and how they maintain their peak performance, found that high performance habits were key to achieving their success. 

Similarly, various studies have found that up to 45% of your daily activities are actually habits.  Really strong habits occur automatically in your subconscious, whether you realize it or not. Those habits, along with your beliefs and mindsets, are part of the reason why up to 80% of your thinking and decision-making occurs in your subconscious yet also impact almost every decision you make.

So creating strong new habits that are beneficial to your performance are so critical to learning a new skill, achieving peak performance at something, or even achieving a thriving, fulfilling life.

In this podcast we dive into:

• What habits are
• Why habits are so important
• How habits can benefit us
• 8 principles for successfully creating habits
• A simple but powerful 3 step process to create habits
• How long it takes to create a new habit

Summary of Key Points

 A habit is a learned behavior that has become automatic through repeated exposure to a particular situation or cue. 

When we encounter a cue or situation that triggers a habit, the brain quickly retrieves the relevant information and executes the associated behavior without requiring conscious attention or effort. This frees up our conscious mind to focus on other things, allowing us to multitask and perform complex tasks more effectively.

The Neuroscience research suggests that building habits is important because our brains are wired to conserve energy by automating repetitive behaviors. When we repeatedly perform the same action in a consistent context, our brains form neural pathways that make it easier and more efficient for us to perform that action in the future.

There are some great benefits to building habits including:

• Increased productivity and efficiency
• Reduced decision fatigue
• Increased self-control
• Improved mood and emotional well-being
• Increased confidence

Some principles to effectively creating new habits include:

• Have a clear outcome or intention
• Starting small
• Make it easy
•  Be consistent
• Reward yourself
• Make the habit meaningful to you
• Don't give up
• Make the habit attractive

The simple but powerful 3-step process to creating new habits includes:

1. Create a cue
2. Establish the routine
3. Reward yourself

Research suggests that it can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days to establish a new habit, with an average of around 66 days. The variance will depend on a lot of different factors such as how important it is, how much you practice the habit, your environmental factors and many more.

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Chapters

• 2:19 What is a habit
• 5:36 Why habits are useful
• 6:18 Benefits of creating habits
• 9:35 Science behind creating habits
• 12:40 8 Principles for creating habits effectively
• 21:54 Simple but powerful 3 step process to create new habits
• 27:24 How long does it take for a new habit to stick?