Habits

[marasca]

I've been reading a book called The Power of Habit. I'm not saying that it's changed my life yet, but I can definitely see how it could. How it will, I hope. It's basically about the science of creating and changing habits and routines, from the individual level all the way up to the societal level. There's a lot of practical information in it that could be leveraged to one's advantage, plus the case studies are fascinating.

A few random thoughts on how I'm already thinking about using this info:

• I've realized that part of why I'm inefficient in the morning and therefore often late is that I don't have my morning routine set into, well, a routine. I do things in wildly different orders every morning (I always shower first, but after that it's a crap shoot). This leads me to neglect important steps, like grabbing food from the fridge, and I waste time thinking and wandering aimlessly trying to remember what I meant to do when I shouldn't have to. I do the same things every day, so there's no reason this can't be streamlined.
• There's a good bit of info on breaking bad habits by identifying the trigger for the habit and craving or payoff you seek, and just changing the thing in the middle that satisfies that payoff. I'm hoping that with some good self-reflection I can use this to change my snacking habits.
• The author mentions that there are some "keystone habits" that lead to further change in other areas. For individuals, exercising is generally a keystone habit that leads to improved eating habits and even improved productivity at work. I haven't thought of it in quite this way before, but I think I instinctively knew it was true for me. When I stop exercising, everything else falls apart. So I feel more committed to figuring that issue out. I'm thinking about some kind of team, class, or at least something like a running group. It's in this book, and I've heard it countless times before, that you're more likely to stick with an exercise regimen if you do it with, and are accountable to, a group or at least another person.

Also, I'll note that while the author only mentions Weight Watchers in passing, it's pretty impressive how much of that system really is based on the science of forming healthy habits. This is making me consider giving it another try. The one thing I think WW could do better is making people feel more like part of a group. I never really felt connected to the other people sitting in the room with me. Encouraging more interactivity between group members during the meeting, like having times of small group discussion among members, could be really beneficial. The meetings always felt more like a teacher at the front of a classroom, and even when you were addressing another member's question or concern it felt more like you were talking to the leader than to that other member.