Habits

Suggested Video.
The Power of Habit.
  • The 'Habit Loop'
  • Cues and rewards are key.
  • Target 'freaks-out' it's customers.
  • Camouflaged marketing.
Note: Writing this page reminded me of  a series of studies that came to be known as the marshmallow experiments.  At Stanford, in the 1960's, psychologist Walter Mischel offered young children one marshmallow instantly  or if they waited around 15 minutes when they would get two marshmallows. Some children waited some did not.  Guess which group tended to have a better quality of life as they grew older?  Take a look at 'The Psychology Big Book'. 
Stephen Covey in 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' has a section (The Maturity Continuum) looking at the journey we all take from total dependency to being independent to being Interdependent.  
Wellness.
  • Stay centred and focus on things you can control:  You are in control.  Learn to take control
  • Be patient:  Creating or breaking attitudes takes time, concentration and effort.
  • Become aware:  To change you need to understand what needs changing.  The overuse of 'filler words' is a good example of this (see video).  
  • BE HAPPY:  Being happy is a great habit to develop and it's easy - just smile.

What's Next?

  1. Make a list of all of your habits.  Split the list between good habits and bad habits.
  2. Make a commitment to break the bad ones.
  3. Work out the cues and rewards that perpetuate your bad habits.
  4. Work out a way to disrupt the cues and remove the rewards.
  5. Reward yourself every time you manage to avoid one of your habitual responses.
Suggested Videos.
1. How to stop using filler words.
2. A simple way to break a bad habit - WARNING 4.22 bad language - shame it (in my opinion) spoils the presentation.