The Secret Ingredient to Great Habits

How are those New Year’s Resolutions coming along? It took me all the way into February to decide on mine – but I’m off to a good start thanks to The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg

Photo from: http://charlesduhigg.com/the-power-of-habit

I read this amazing book last year and put Duhigg’s theory to the test with promising results. Here’s a quickie review of the book and how I used it to lose over twenty pounds!

The Habit Cycle

There are three key ingredients (well, arguably four – but I’ll get to that in a bit) to a well-honed habit: the cue, the routine, and the reward – in that order - repeated over and over. Here’s a visual:  

For example:

Cue – My teeth feel gross

Routine – I brush my teeth

Reward – My teeth feel great!

Wikimedia Commons: Photographer: Bill Branson

 Well, that seems easy. So why is it so difficult to form a habit? Why do we go to the gym for two straight weeks, then every other day, and then surrender to a bag of Cheetos?

Wikimedia Commons: By Fourohfour

The Secret Ingredient

A habit takes about 30 days to develop, right? Well, not really. It takes as long as it takes to build a craving.  The craving is what separates a well-honed habit from an on-again off-again behavior pattern. It develops when the routine is repeatedly and continuously paired with the cue and reward – the brain pays attention and forms a new neural pathway. That pathway solidifies the likelihood we will practice that habit – it’s basically hardwired into our brain.

Another visual:

Here’s an example:

A woman comes home from work tired and grouchy (cue). She goes for a 30 minute run (routine). She feels better (reward!) She continues this cycle, even when she doesn't want to, and actually starts craving the half-hour run. The craving makes it easy to continue – and a good, healthy habit is fully formed.

Wikimedia Commons: By Peter Van Der Sluijs

Conversely, the same woman comes home from work tired and grouchy (cue).  Each day she relaxes in front of the TV with a bag of chips (routine). She feels better (reward!) Guess what she craves?

Forming New Habits

Last year I put “The Power of Habit” to the test. Intrigued by my daughter’s love of fresh fruit – she’ll order it instead of French fries! - I wondered if I could manipulate my own eating habits. I liked fruits and vegetables, I just didn’t crave them. Cheese and crackers were more my thing when hunger struck.

So every time I was hungry (cue) – and I mean every single time - I ate a fruit or a vegetable (routine). I waited for the hunger to dissipate (reward) and then I would eat the rest of my meal. My goal was to train my brain to crave healthy foods when I was hungry – and it worked! Not only did I develop a craving for fruits and vegetables, I found myself filling up on them prior to eating anything else, and I dropped twenty pounds in three months.

Wikimedia Commons: By PDPhoto.org

This year I’m working on a more comprehensive habit, something Duhigg calls a Keystone Habit . I’ll write about that next time. Meanwhile, consider working on a new habit for 2015 – and don’t give up –success will come if you hold out for the craving!

Pinterest: www.LivingWellSpendingLess.com

Productivity Tips from Dory the Fish

Do you remember Dory from the Disney/Pixar movie Finding Nemo? She was the show-stealing neurotic and forgetful regal blue tang fish with the Ellen Degeneres voice. Her most memorable line, to me anyway, was this mantra: “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.” She would sing song her way through life, not always knowing the point or where she was headed, but loving the ride just the same.

I felt like Dory this week. I had so much to do, but lacked direction and purpose. All attempts to focus were futile, and the more disciplined I tried to be - (“you can’t do this until you do that”) - the less I accomplished.

My customers frequently seek the formula for productivity. There are plenty – that’s for sure: 

• avoid multitasking
• eliminate distractions
• set a timer
• take small steps
• visualize the end

I can’t argue any of these; they all work. But what about those days when they don’t; when you’re just “swimming” in circles? That’s when I call on the genius of Dory.

I just keep swimming…or moving…or working…or doing literally anything. Because little bits of progress, even if not perfect, or in the right order, or at the right time, are usually better than nothing. I write for a bit, process a few bills, delete an email here or there, maybe run an errand. It’s not textbook time management, but it’s good enough.

Earlier this week I found myself with two hours between picking up my daughter and niece from camp and picking up my dog from the vet. It was hot, traffic was thick, and the last thing I wanted to do was “kill” a couple hours. I had work to do! But the girls pulled me into a fun pet store – the kind that allows snake holding and bunny snuggling and even permits its mascot tortoise to roam freely. The collective animal spirit was working magic on my mood. I was relaxing.  I strolled back to the aquarium section, and there - swimming, swimming, swimming - was Dory the blue tang – or at least her close relative. She was beautiful.  It was just the reminder I needed to keep moving, to keep swimming; but to enjoy the ride, too.  Thanks, Dory.

The Tornado in my Brain

The tornado in my brain: call the client, update the website, write the newsletter, create the agenda, call the painter, cook the dinner, chair the meeting, plan the weekend - you get the picture. This constant onslaught of ideas and projects and tasks used to be like a hurricane in my head - swirling around with an occasional crack of thunder. Then I found OneNote, and quickly fell in love.

OneNote by Microsoft is the perfect answer for those who wear many hats, are over committed, are super creative, like to brainstorm, or have ADHD. It's a software program that allows you to create electronic three-ring binders and stuff them full of all the scraps, notes, pictures, and ideas you can gather - minus the pinch-y rings and three-hole puncher.

I am classically over committed. I have a professional organizing business, am a PTO president, also the NAPO Oregon president, and, most importantly, have a family. So I created four "notebooks" in OneNote - one for my business, one for each board, and one for my family. Within each I have tabs and pages. For instance, I have a notebook for my business, Totally Orderly. Within that notebook I have "tabs" for marketing, social networking, ADHD, website, writing, etc.. Within any tab, I have pages. Under ADHD I have pages for adults, women, children, students, books, blogs, etc. It's so easy!

I use OneNote exclusively for projects in action, but some of my friends store reference items as well. You can post notes, documents, links, thoughts, plans, lists, tables, pictures, scans and more! OneNote is the first program I open in the morning and the last one I close at night. I'm in and out of it all day, toggling between notebooks and making progress in all areas.

Try the free trial of OneNote. Let me know if it's calmed the storm for you!