How to break habits from The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

Summary

The script explores the power of habit formation and change, using the personal example of a daily cookie craving that led to weight gain. It outlines the habit loop involving cues, routines, and rewards. The speaker identifies the cue as a specific time of day, the routine as the act of eating a cookie, and discovers the true reward was social interaction, not the cookie itself. By altering the routine to achieve the same reward through socializing without the cookie, the habit was successfully changed, leading to weight loss. The script challenges viewers to identify their own habit cues, routines, and rewards to effect change.

Takeaways

• 🍪 The script discusses the struggle with changing a habit of eating a chocolate chip cookie every afternoon, which led to weight gain.
• 🕒 The habit was triggered by a specific time cue, between three and three-thirty in the afternoon.
• 🔍 The speaker experimented with different routines to identify the true reward behind the habit, which was social interaction rather than the cookie itself.
• 🚶‍♂️ By substituting the cookie with alternative activities like walking or talking to colleagues, the speaker was able to break the habit.
• 📉 As a result of changing the habit, the speaker lost 12 pounds, demonstrating the power of understanding and altering habits.
• 🧠 The habit loop consists of three parts: the cue, the routine, and the reward, which are essential to understand to change a habit.
• 🤔 The process of identifying the cue and reward involves self-observation and experimentation to understand the underlying motivations.
• 🔑 Diagnosing habits is crucial for change; understanding the cues, routines, and rewards allows for intentional habit modification.
• 🌟 The script emphasizes the importance of recognizing the power of habits and how they influence our actions in life and business.
• 📚 The speaker encourages learning more about habits from the book 'The Power of Habit' and visiting thepowerofhabit.com for further insights.

Q & A

What is the habit described in the script that the narrator wanted to change?

The habit described is going to the cafeteria every afternoon to eat a chocolate chip cookie.

How much weight did the narrator gain due to this habit?

The narrator gained exactly eight pounds due to this habit.

What is the first step in the habit loop according to the script?

The first step in the habit loop is the cue, which is a trigger that makes the behavior unfold automatically.

What did the narrator discover as the cue for their cookie craving?

The narrator discovered that the cue for their cookie craving was a certain time of day, specifically between three and three-thirty in the afternoon.

What is the routine in the habit loop as experienced by the narrator?

The routine for the narrator was getting up from their chair, walking to the elevator, going up to the 14th floor, buying a cookie, and eating it while talking to colleagues in the cafeteria.

Why are rewards considered the most important part of the habit loop?

Rewards are considered the most important part of the habit loop because they are the reason habits exist, providing the desired outcomes that drive the behavior.

How did the narrator experiment to figure out the true reward behind their habit?

The narrator experimented by changing their routine on different days: taking a walk, buying a candy bar, or just talking to friends instead of buying a cookie, to test different hypotheses about the actual reward they were craving.

What did the narrator realize was the actual reward they were seeking?

The narrator realized that the actual reward they were seeking was not the cookie itself, but the social interaction that came with eating it in the cafeteria.

How did the narrator change their habit to stop gaining weight?

The narrator changed their habit by replacing the cookie with socializing, standing up and talking to a friend instead of going to the cafeteria for a cookie.

What was the result of the narrator changing their habit?

The result of changing the habit was that the cookie craving disappeared, and the narrator lost about 12 pounds.

What is the key takeaway from the script regarding changing habits?

The key takeaway is that by diagnosing the cues, routines, and rewards in one's habits, it is possible to change them in any desired way.

Outlines

00:00

🍪 Understanding Habit Formation and Change

This paragraph discusses the process of understanding and changing a habit, using the personal example of an afternoon cookie craving that led to weight gain. The speaker realized the need to analyze the habit loop, which consists of a cue, a routine, and a reward. The cue was identified as a specific time of day, the routine was the act of going to the cafeteria to eat a cookie, and the reward was initially thought to be the cookie itself. Through experimentation, it was discovered that the true reward was the social interaction during the cookie break. By changing the routine to socialize without the cookie, the habit was successfully altered, leading to weight loss. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of identifying the cues, routines, and rewards in one's habits to effectively change them.

Keywords

💡Habit

A habit is a routine behavior that is typically triggered by a specific cue and provides a reward. In the video, the speaker describes a habit of eating a chocolate chip cookie every afternoon, which led to weight gain. The concept of habit is central to the video's theme, which is about understanding and changing habitual behaviors. The speaker's personal habit serves as an example to illustrate the process of habit formation and the potential for change.

💡Cue

A cue is the trigger that initiates a habit loop. It can be a location, time of day, emotional state, or a specific behavior. In the script, the speaker identifies the cue for their cookie-eating habit as a specific time of day, between three and three-thirty in the afternoon. Understanding the cue is crucial for diagnosing and potentially changing a habit, as it is the first step in the habit loop.

💡Routine

The routine is the actual behavior that is performed in response to the cue. In the video, the routine is the speaker's action of getting up, walking to the elevator, going to the cafeteria, buying, and eating a cookie. The routine is a key component of the habit loop and is what needs to be changed if the habit is to be altered.

💡Reward

The reward is the benefit or pleasure that the habit provides, which reinforces the behavior. The speaker initially thought the reward was the cookie itself but later realized it was the social interaction that occurred while eating the cookie. The reward is essential to understanding why habits are maintained and can be leveraged to replace old habits with new ones.

💡Habit Loop

The habit loop is the cycle that includes the cue, routine, and reward, which together form a habit. The video script describes how the speaker identified and experimented with each part of the loop to understand and change their habit. The habit loop is a fundamental concept in the video, illustrating how habits are formed and can be broken.

💡Trigger

A trigger is another term for a cue, which sets off the habit loop. The video uses the term 'trigger' to describe what causes the behavior to unfold automatically. The speaker's trigger was the specific time of day, which prompted the urge to eat a cookie.

💡Experimentation

Experimentation is the process of testing different hypotheses to determine the true reward behind a habit. The speaker used experimentation by substituting the cookie with a walk or a candy bar to identify that the actual reward was social interaction, not the cookie itself. This experimentation is a practical approach to understanding and changing habits.

💡Diagnosis

Diagnosis, in the context of the video, refers to the process of identifying the cue, routine, and reward of a habit. The speaker emphasizes that by diagnosing one's habits, one can change them. This is a key takeaway from the video, suggesting that self-awareness is the first step towards habit change.

💡Change

Change, particularly in the context of habits, is the act of modifying or replacing a routine to achieve a different outcome. The video's narrative is centered around the speaker's journey to change their habit of eating a cookie, which they accomplished by replacing it with a new routine of socializing without the cookie.

💡Weight Gain

Weight gain is a consequence of the habit described in the video, serving as the motivation for the speaker to change their behavior. The speaker's weight gain due to the cookie-eating habit is a tangible result that underscores the impact of habits on one's health and well-being.

💡Socializing

Socializing is revealed as the true reward behind the speaker's habit, rather than the cookie itself. This realization is crucial for changing the habit, as it allows the speaker to maintain the rewarding aspect of social interaction while eliminating the unhealthy routine of eating cookies.

Highlights

The importance of understanding the habit loop to change a habit.

A personal example of a habit causing weight gain and its impact on personal life.

The habit loop consists of a cue, routine, and reward.

Identifying the cue is crucial for habit change.

The routine is the behavior that follows the cue.

The reward is the most important part of the habit loop.

Experimenting with different rewards to understand what drives a habit.

The realization that the craving was not for cookies but for socializing.

How changing the routine can lead to a new habit formation.

The disappearance of the old habit and the formation of a healthier one.

The practical application of habit change leading to weight loss.

The power of diagnosing habits to change them as desired.

The book 'The Power of Habit' as a resource for understanding habit formation.

The website 'thepowerofhabit.com' for further learning on habit change.

The significance of cues, routines, and rewards in personal life and their potential for change.

Encouragement to identify and change habits for a better life.

Transcripts

imagine for a moment that you have a

habit that you really want to change

let's say for instance you go up to the

cafeteria every afternoon you eat a

chocolate chip cookie this habit is

cause you to gain a little bit of weight

in fact this habit has caused you to

gain exactly eight pounds and your wife

has started making some pointed comments

and when I say you what I really mean is

me because this is a habit that I had

that I just couldn't kick to understand

why that have it was so powerful and

what it would take to change it I had to

learn how a book every habit functions

the same way at first there's a queue

some type of trigger that makes the

behavior unfold automatically studies

tell us that you can be a location the

time of day certain emotional state

other people or just a pattern of

behaviors that consistently triggers a

certain routine to figure out the cue

from my craving I spent a few days

tracking exactly when the urge to eat up

cooking it and what I know it is pretty

soon was something interesting the

cookie craving always hit about between

three o'clock and three thirty in the

afternoon that was my cue it was a

certain time of day the next part in the

habit loop is the routine the behavior

itself and for me that was pretty easy

to figure out every day between three

and three-thirty get this craving for a

cookie I'd get up out of my chair and

walk over to the elevator I take the

elevator up to the 14th floor I'd get

out I'd buy a cookie and then I would

eat it while talking to my colleagues in

the cafeteria

the last part of the habit loop is the

reward and in some respects the reward

is the most important part because

that's why habits exist so that we can

get the rewards that we want but

figuring out a reward is kind of tricky

to figure out what reward was driving my

habit I did a little bit of an

experiment one day when the cookie urged

struck instead of going up to the

cafeteria I went outside and I took a

walk around the block then the next day

I went up to the cafeteria but instead

of buying a cookie I got a candy bar and

then ate it at my desk and then the day

after that I went up to the cafeteria

again but I didn't buy anything instead

I just talked to friends for about 10

minutes you get the idea what I was

trying to do was tested different

hypotheses to figure out what reward I

was actually craving and what I figured

out pretty quickly was it had nothing to

do with cookies it had to do with

socializing nowadays what happens is at

about three thirty in the afternoon I

absent-mindedly stand up and look around

the office I see a friend I'll walk over

and we'll gossip for ten minutes and

then I'll go back to my desk the earth

should go get a cookie has completely

disappeared the new behavior has become

a habit and I've lost about 12 pounds

results studies have shown that if you

can diagnose your habits you can change

them in whichever way you want so what

are the cues routines and rewards in

your life what happened do you want to

change

the power of habit why we do what we do

in life and business learn more at the

power of habit calm