Small Steps, Big Changes|The Power of Habits | Saurabh Bothra | TEDxYouth@TheShriramMillenniumNoida
Summary
TLDRThe speaker emphasizes the importance of developing good habits for physical and professional success, contrasting the ease of brushing teeth with the difficulty of exercising due to habit formation. They share their personal journey of teaching yoga online, which grew from three to thousands of attendees, highlighting the power of consistency over setting high targets. The talk offers three practical tips for habit formation: avoiding the 'All or Nothing' trap, setting intentions, and creating a positive identity by joining supportive groups.
Takeaways
- 😁 **Importance of Habits:** The speaker emphasizes that habits play a crucial role in our daily lives, affecting everything from physical fitness to professional success.
- 🏋️ **Exercise vs. Teeth Brushing:** The comparison between brushing teeth and exercising highlights how habits become easier with consistency, whereas lack of routine makes activities like exercise seem difficult.
- ⏰ **Autopilot Mode:** It's noted that 40-60% of our day is on autopilot, which can lead to unproductive habits unless we consciously build better ones.
- 🌟 **Consistency Over Motivation:** The speaker stresses the importance of consistency over motivation, as motivation can be fleeting, while consistency builds lasting habits.
- 📈 **Progress Over Time:** The example of the yoga sessions shows how starting small and being consistent can lead to significant growth over time, from three to thousands of participants.
- 🏅 **Guinness Record:** The speaker's online yoga class achieved a Guinness record, demonstrating the power of habit and consistency on a large scale.
- 🚫 **Avoiding the All or Nothing Trap:** The advice to avoid doing everything at once and instead taking small steps is given as a strategy to build sustainable habits.
- 📝 **Setting Intentions:** Setting clear intentions by deciding when, where, and how to perform an activity increases the likelihood of following through with it.
- 🌱 **Positive Self-Talk:** The speaker advises against negative self-talk and suggests joining groups that align with one's goals to foster a positive identity and support habit formation.
- 🔁 **Building Identity Through Habits:** The ultimate goal is not just to build habits but to form an identity around them, which becomes a self-sustaining cycle of positive behavior.
Q & A
Why is brushing teeth a common practice while regular exercise is not for many?
-Brushing teeth is a common practice because it has become a habit, whereas exercise is not a habit for many, making it seem difficult. The script suggests that habits like brushing teeth are easier because they are ingrained, while exercise is not yet a routine for most people.
What percentage of our day is spent on autopilot mode according to the speaker?
-The speaker mentions that almost 40 to 60% of our day, and even up to 90% for some people, is spent in autopilot mode.
Why is consistency important when it comes to building habits, as discussed in the script?
-Consistency is important because it transforms activities into habits, which then become automatic and require less mental effort. The speaker emphasizes that without consistency, it's challenging to achieve physical fitness, professional success, or learn new skills.
What significant milestone did the speaker achieve in their online yoga teaching?
-The speaker achieved the milestone of teaching an online yoga class with 279,400 attendees, which also led to a Guinness World Record for the largest online yoga class.
How did the speaker manage to maintain their habit of teaching yoga every day despite personal challenges?
-The speaker maintained the habit by following a routine and ensuring they took their yoga session every single day, even during personal challenges such as illness or injury.
What is the difference between good and bad habits formation according to the script?
-Good habits are difficult to form because they often require initial effort and do not provide immediate pleasure or results. Bad habits are easier to form because they typically provide instant gratification and do not have immediate negative consequences.
What are the three simple things one can do to make a good habit easier, as suggested by the speaker?
-The three things suggested by the speaker are: 1) Avoid the All or Nothing trap by starting with small steps, 2) Set an intention by deciding and planning the when, where, and how of the habit, and 3) Create a positive self-identity by joining groups that align with the desired habit.
Why is it advised not to rely on motivation alone when starting a new habit?
-It is advised not to rely on motivation alone because motivation can be fleeting. When motivation is high, people often take on too much, leading to failure when motivation drops. Instead, forming a habit should be based on consistent, small actions that are sustainable.
How can setting an intention increase the likelihood of performing an activity?
-Setting an intention increases the likelihood by 40% because it involves making a decision ahead of time, planning the specifics, and often sharing the plan with others, which creates accountability and clarity.
What role does identity play in habit formation as discussed in the script?
-Identity plays a crucial role in habit formation because once a person adopts a new identity, such as being a 'morning person' or a 'yoga person', they are more likely to consistently engage in behaviors that align with that identity without needing external motivation.
How does the speaker suggest using a group to support habit formation?
-The speaker suggests joining a group where the desired habit is a normal behavior. This helps in creating an identity and provides a supportive environment that reinforces the habit, making it easier to maintain.
Outlines
🌟 Building Habits for Success
The speaker begins by contrasting the common habit of brushing teeth with the less frequent habit of exercising, questioning why we prioritize one over the other. They argue that the key difference lies in habit formation. Brushing teeth is easy because it's habitual, while exercise is seen as tough due to lack of consistent practice. The speaker emphasizes that habits are crucial for various aspects of life, including physical fitness and professional success. They share their personal journey of teaching yoga online, starting with a small audience and growing to a large following through daily consistency. The narrative highlights the power of habits and the impact of consistency, regardless of initial small beginnings.
🚫 Avoiding the All or Nothing Trap
In this paragraph, the speaker discusses the challenges of forming good habits and the common pitfalls people encounter. They explain that bad habits are easier to form because they provide immediate pleasure and lack severe consequences when done occasionally. Conversely, good habits are harder to start because they may not be enjoyable initially and don't show immediate results. The speaker advises against the 'All or Nothing' mentality, where people set high goals at the beginning but fail to maintain them. Instead, they suggest starting with small, manageable actions that can be consistently performed, even when motivation is low.
📅 The Power of Setting Intentions
The speaker continues by highlighting the importance of setting intentions to build and maintain habits. They explain that while motivation is important, it's not enough to sustain a habit; intention is key. By deciding in advance when, where, and how to perform an action, one is more likely to follow through. The speaker suggests that setting clear intentions can increase the likelihood of taking action by 40%. They also touch on the idea of avoiding negative self-talk and the significance of surrounding oneself with a supportive environment that aligns with one's goals.
🌱 Cultivating Identity Through Habits
In the final paragraph, the speaker concludes by emphasizing the role of habits in shaping one's identity. They argue that the ultimate goal is not just to build habits but to develop an identity that aligns with one's aspirations. By consistently practicing a habit, it becomes a part of one's identity, making it easier to maintain. The speaker encourages joining groups that reflect one's desired identity, as this can significantly influence behavior. They leave the audience with the message that the habits one builds today will determine their future.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Habit
💡Autopilot mode
💡Consistency
💡Physical fitness
💡Professional success
💡Yoga
💡All or Nothing trap
💡Intention
💡Negative self-talk
💡Identity
💡Group dynamics
Highlights
The importance of habits in daily life and their impact on physical and professional success.
The contrast between the ease of brushing teeth and the difficulty of exercising due to habit formation.
The concept that habits are formed through consistent repetition, not just motivation.
The speaker's personal journey of teaching yoga online and the growth from three to thousands of attendees.
The idea that habits become easier with time and can lead to unexpected achievements.
The psychological explanation of why bad habits are easier to form than good ones.
Advice on starting good habits with small, manageable steps to avoid the 'All or Nothing' trap.
The significance of setting intentions to increase the likelihood of habit formation.
The role of identity creation in habit building and how it leads to consistency.
The power of surrounding oneself with like-minded individuals to reinforce desired habits.
The speaker's experience with building a daily yoga habit despite physical challenges.
The practical advice on making exercise a habit by starting with short sessions.
The importance of not relying on motivation alone but also on consistent action.
The speaker's strategy for maintaining consistency in teaching yoga through various life obstacles.
The transformative effect of habit-building on personal and professional growth.
The speaker's encouragement to focus on building processes and habits rather than aiming for specific targets.
The impact of habits on reaching a wider audience, as illustrated by the speaker's online yoga classes.
Transcripts
[Music]
so I'll begin with a
question did you brush your teeth
today I hope yes and uh if I ask you why
you would probably say cavities or my
mouth should not smell and who doesn't
brush teeth today in in today's time
right but if I have to ask you another
question did you exercise
today ah come
on I know for a fact 80% of of us don't
do exercise every single day but when
you say that I brush my teeth because I
want to care for my oral health we don't
do exercise when it comes to our
physical health why you might say that
brushing our teeth is pretty easy but
exercise is tough no here is where we
are wrong brushing our teeth is easy
because it has become our habit and
exercise is difficult for us why because
we have not yet developed it as an habit
okay
almost 40 to 60% of our day goes into
autopilot mode like you use your mobile
phone you keep scrolling and you don't
even realize when it is half an hour 1
Hour 2 hours and then suddenly you
realize oh my God I wasted so much time
this happens every single day we are on
autopilot mode for 40 to 60% even 90%
for some people so here is what is
important when you talk about
habits it's the the most important thing
if you talk about physical fitness if
you talk about your professional success
or if you talk about anything that you
want to learn unless and until it
becomes part of our habit or I would say
if unless we are consistent with it it's
not going to work for us and I'm sure we
have had our experiences now let me tell
you why I talk about habits so much and
what has it created in my life so I
started teaching yoga online I was
teaching it before also but I started
teaching it online 22nd March 2020 the
day of lockdown that was day one and I
had three people joining my yoga session
after
1,63 days where I have taken a live
session every single day even after I
had dingu I had Co twice I had a knee
injury or I have fallen sick once in a
while still I ensured that I follow a
routine I take my yoga session every
single day in the morning today I had
279 ,40 people attending a live yoga
session
now thank
you this is absolutely magical if you
tell someone when you are teaching three
people in an online medium that one day
you will be teaching three lakh people
they would probably think you're joking
and that was the case with me also I did
not realize or I did not even think or
even aim in my life that I would want to
teach three lakh people people in an
online yoga session but it happened why
not because I wanted to come first like
we do in our classes or I wanted to
reach X number of people I just wanted
to follow a habit of teaching every
single day now the interesting part is
of course uh we just heard that we have
the online largest online yoga class we
have a Guinness record on that but the
interesting part is not this the
interesting part is on day one I had
three people on after one year of
regular teaching I had 120 people in my
yoga
session after 2 years I had 1,30 people
after 3 years I was at 81,000 here I
have stopped expecting anything more
than what I have in my life I was so
happy but when you are happy and you
continue following the process this is
what
happens in any habit when you start
doing it consistently you never get
results never if it's a good habit by
the way
uh whenever we keep doing it keep doing
it keep doing it you keep improving on
it magic happens and I still don't
believe today that I'm teaching three
lakh people in an online session we have
in the past four years we have touched
60 lakh people can you just imagine how
many people we have taught and honestly
speaking when I was teaching three
people in my first class I thought the
maximum that I can teach teach is 1,000
that was an impossible number you say
now that you aim for the moon and then
you reach the sky some some prb like
that but this is phenomenal and that's
why I keep telling people that focus on
building a process building a habit and
becoming consistent rather than aiming
for your Target because your target will
always be limited by your mind you will
be able to think oh I want to just Excel
or I want to come first in my classroom
but the the life is much much more
beyond that
yeah so now the obvious question is bad
habits are so simple right you just keep
scrolling
and time is gone but when you want to
build a good habit it is challenging of
course yes what is the difference or why
is a bad habit easy and why is it a good
habit difficult or challenging the
answer is pretty straightforward
whenever you do something which is bad
so now uh we have to also Define bad bad
is not necessary neily bad like
scrolling your mobile phone or eating a
junk food is not necessarily bad but we
consider that for some time as a bad
habit whenever you are doing something
like eating pizza burger or anything
junk you get some pleasure
right and the second point is you don't
have any negative impact if you do it
once if you know that eating cyanide is
poisonous and it's going to take your
life you will never dare to eat it
but eating a pizza is
not once it's not but if you build it as
a habit eventually you end up having a
sedentary lifestyle similarly for good
habits doing a good habit might not
necessarily be pleasurable or rather
starting a good habit let's take example
for exercise
starting that that initial momentum of
exercise is really difficult but once
you do it you might feel that oh yeah
I'm feeling more energetic I'm feeling
more flexible great but starting is
always
tough and second point is there is no
immediate result you do exercise once
nothing
happens you do it twice nothing happens
you do it Thrice one month two month
probably not like that result that you
might be expecting that's
why bad habits are easy to form and good
habits are difficult to form they are
not difficult necessarily it's just like
brushing your teeth and surpr
surprisingly you know what brushing your
teeth is easy but brushing your teeth
before going to bed is still tough
because it's not your
habit and exercise can also become a
habit and it can become very easy for
you we have seen it across three lakh
people join my
sessions average daily attendance in our
classes is
70% you would not even get like in an
offline setup if 10 people have joined a
yoga session seven people don't come but
in an online setup building a habit
becomes so so easy and people want to
exercise with
us and why does that happen how do you
make a good habit easy this is what I'm
going to share there are three simple
things that you need to do if you follow
these three things you can make any
difficult habit which might seem
difficult literally easy for you like
brushing your teeth would you be
interested to
know perfect thank you so much at least
two people said
okay so if you want to make any good
habit easy or you want to stay okay let
me ask you one question how many of you
struggle with consistency of practice
you can raise your hand you have started
something and you couldn't follow it and
you know that it is so important for you
thank you hands down but you couldn't do
it here are three things that you can do
first do not get into All or Nothing
trap let me ask you another question how
many of us have got that super solid
motivation on a Monday morning or first
of uh any month or first of January and
then you picked up okay I'll wake up
early I'll eat clean food I'll read a
page every single day I'll read one book
in a week and I'll complete 52 books in
a in an year and you decided like
multiple things you probably followed it
also for a week but after that when your
motivation went down you stopped doing
literally everything raise your hands if
you have experienced something like this
this is precisely called as the All or
Nothing trap either we do everything or
we stop doing
everything so next time whenever you
start a habit never rely on your
motivation when your motivation is high
you take wrong decisions for your habits
so whenever you are motivated to start
something always choose the least
possible action that you can do when you
are not motivated suppose you not
motivated to read you can still read one
page at least a page Ag and I'm sure if
you decide that you want to read one
book A Week in 12 months you will read
zero
books but if you read one page a day
you'll probably end up reading much much
more than even what you thought so never
ever start doing everything at once take
small steps
and so let me also give you another
example of exercise whenever we think of
exercise we feel we should sweat we
should feel exhausted we should feel
like we have done something then we feel
that we have done Exercise not really
true exercise can be as low as 5 minutes
10 minutes but our mind sets an
expectation what is the expectation the
exercise is complete only when I do it
for an hour for 45 minutes or I sweat
that's not necessarily true you can do
even 10 squats five squats 5 minutes of
high intensity exercise everything is
okay until and unless it is
nonzero so when you are good when you
have energy do 100 but when you are not
good when you are not motivated do one
just don't do zero is that
clear okay perfect so that's step number
one step number
two very
important how many of you have said this
I'm going to start doing X activity
tomorrow and tomorrow we have said the
same thing please raise your hand thank
you now you know what motivation is not
the missing Factor here you are
motivated that's why you are at least
thinking about doing it you know what is
missing setting
intention now what do I mean by setting
intention let me tell you this
first setting intention is going to help
you 40 like it is more 40% more likely
that you will do an activity if you set
an intention Now setting intention is as
simple as taking the decisions before
like one day before and not just before
the activity suppose like uh I usually
teach yoga so my normal examples are all
about exercise but you can relate to
your activity also so someone says I
want to start doing yoga
tomorrow very important for them to
decide what time are they going to do
where are they going to do with whom
they are going to do are they going to
do inside the house or they going to go
to the gym or they're going to go to the
Garden or a Yoga Center why because next
day when they get up and if they have to
take 10
decisions when where how what they will
end up saying I'll do it
tomorrow is it making sense to you yeah
so setting intention means simply
deciding beforehand and probably writing
it down so that you have more clarity
that is how you convert your motivation
into an actual action motivation is
Never Enough you always need an intent
of when what where how etc etc to
actually converted into an action so
that is Step number two you always
decide write down send in WhatsApp
message to your friend or or anyone whom
you want to be your accountability
partner so that you are clear what to do
and this is applicable not just for
habits it's for everything any single
task if if you're not able to do it just
write down when where what how will I do
it and you are 40% more likely to
actually attempt and do that task okay
that's step number two third and the
most important task set an intention
yeah very important very very important
how many of you have said this I am
lazy come on don't be
shy okay
perfect what you tell yourself is what's
going to happen if you say you are a
lazy person you will be a lazy person
forever no scientific tool no
motivational speaker not even God can
help you
here if you say you're lazy that's
true that's just
true yeah very important of what you say
now I am not saying you should lie to
yourself you're waking up at 10:00 and
you're saying to yourself no no I'm a
very active
person not going to work so you don't
have to lie to yourself but very
important that you don't have negative
selft
talk now what does this mean if you say
I'm an active person or let's take
example of you want to become a morning
person so for example you're waking up
at 9:00 and you want to become a morning
person that does not mean you have to
wake up at 4:00 a.m. you just have to
wake up at
8:30 you have to do something very
similar very small that justifies what
you want to say to
yourself is that clear so very important
what you talk and I'm telling you a
secret to actually change
this join a group if you want to be a
morning person join a group where
everyone is a morning person if you want
to become an entrepreneur join a group
where everyone is doing business or
talking about ideas if you want to be a
guitarist join a group where everyone is
playing guitar your group will create an
identity for you so when you talk about
habit building and consistency identity
creation is supposed to be the notar
what you want to achieve eventually is
not habit it's an identity today I say
I'm a yoga person why because I've done
yoga for 1,600
days today I say I'm an entrepreneur
because I'm running a company it's an
identity that I live with once you have
your identity set you do not need any
support any motivation you will do
it is that clear so that is the last
thing and the most most easiest thing to
do join a group where your desired
outcome is a normal behavior everyone
behaves in a way how you want to be is
it making sense yes so your friends will
Define your identity if they do wrong
you are very likely I'm not saying you
will 100% do wrong but you are very very
likely to do wrong and if they are doing
good you are very very likely to
actually do good so you have to ensure
that your surrounding also supports your
good
habits that's the last thing I want to
say if you build your habits today your
habits will build your tomorrow thank
you so much
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