Understanding Habits and How to Make Them Stick
Have you ever wondered why making new healthy habits stick (for the long term) is often challenging? The answer lies in understanding the anatomy of a habit and behavior change.
There are Three Layers to Behavior Change:
1) Outcome/What
This is the goal you want to accomplish. It could be to lose weight or even to read more.
2) Process/How
This is how you will accomplish this new goal. This is the actual habit or the act of doing something that results in the desired outcome.
3) Identity/Why
This is the reason for doing something to accomplish your goal. Having a firm grasp on your why is the true secret to sticking with your habit. To learn more, continue reading below.
Outcome Based Habits
The usual way most of us approach goal setting is to identify the outcome, or the desired result we want and then determine how to make it happen. For example, if you want to gain muscle mass (the outcome) the way to make it happen is through resistance training, eating healthy and recovering well (the process). This leads to outcome based habits and is the usual way most people tackle their goals.
Oftentimes we have great intentions to reach our goals and set forth with our new habits and everything is great until we stop without our goals being achieved. The problem is that we were too fixated on the goal without having an appreciation for the why behind the goal. Without knowing your why and really believing in it, habits just won’t last long enough to reach your goal.
The problem with outcome based habits is that they are powered by willpower and self discipline. Both are important characteristics for any goal driven person especially in the early stages of forming habits in order to build some initial momentum. However, at some point, having to muster up the strength each day to continue with our habits becomes more draining than motivating and we stop.
A great example of this is in the world of healthy eating. Most people take on healthy eating for a desired outcome like fat loss but after a short period of time, they stop because it is too hard to cook three meals a day or because they can no longer say no to foods they are trying to avoid.
Most of us at some point in our lives have found ourselves quitting the healthy habits BUT if we understand identity based habits, we will be less likely to throw in the towel and quit those habits we need to keep in our lives.
Identity Based Habits
For our habits to endure the test of time so that we reach our goals, we must look at our habits being fueled by our identity and know the why behind what we are doing. In other words, we should ask ourselves the question: why are these goals (outcomes) important to me that them worth doing? Or put another way, how will these habits shape who I am and who I wish to be?
In the example of someone wanting to lose fat weight, the why could be to avoid medication or to be a positive example for their children. This helps that individual to formulate an identity for themselves that then fuels the habits that need to happen.
When we identify ourselves as being a better version of who we currently are, it changes the neural networks in our brain that make it easier for us to begin and maintain the habits towards that vision. Whatever your goal is, think about the type of person that has those goals and identify yourself as being that same type of person.
By constantly reminding ourselves of the why and picturing ourselves as the person we wish to be, we rewire our brains to believe it is possible. This creates the mindset needed and with better mindset, we increase the likelihood of maintaining the habits and processes required for the goals or outcomes to be achieved.
If you want to lose weight for example, identify yourself as a healthy person who eats nutritious food and exercises regularly. When you identify yourself as that type of person already, it helps make habits stick longer because the actual habits that healthy people do are not just habits but a lifestyle.
Create a Vision Board
Many successful people have vision boards in their home or offices. Vision boards can be a wall or bulletin board with pictures of future goals to motivate you. If you want to have a lean body, it could be a picture of the lean body you wish to have. If it is energy you seek, it could be a picture of someone on top of a mountain.
Vision boards remind you of your goals, who you are and who you wish to become. They are reminders that can help you shape your identity and they provide a much more powerful fuel to maintain habits compared to will power and self discipline.
Final Thoughts
When people want to improve, they often do not consider identity change and focus on outcome based habits. They are less likely to reach their goals because outcome based habits require you to constantly exercise will power and self discipline which goes against who you are.
Identity based habits work because they help make the process become a lifestyle. When habits become lifestyle you reach your goals much easier. Only when you believe your identity is connected with the process will the outcome be achieved.
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This article was inspired by Simon Sinek and James Clear.
Simon Sinek - The Golden Circle
