The habit loop provides a practical framework for behavior change. Unfortunately, by the time we are adults, we rarely examine our habits. In the case of good habits, this lack of mindfulness isn’t a problem, but it can be disastrous when applied to bad habits. The neurological feedback loop, Cue, Craving, Routine, and Reward is responsible for creating all our habits. We are continually learning to link actions with outcomes. If the outcome is unsatisfying, the behavior is forgotten. If it is gratifying, the Routine is remembered and repeated until it becomes a habit. Once it becomes a habit, our conscious mind recognizes a cue; we feel a craving, which initiates a response. Each habit solves a problem. The primary issue our ancestors faced was survival. They needed food, water, shelter, and sex to survive. These rewards provide immediate gratification. This is why our reward system heavily favors instant gratification and discounts delayed gratification. Our ancestors didn’t have 5-year plans. Anything that took more than a few minutes wasn’t considered. While we have evolved, our reward system hasn’t. It still favors immediate gratification. This bias is the reason we are all so susceptible to bad habits.
Our conscious brain, in charge of executive function, decides which habits to perform, but it doesn’t execute them. It sees a familiar Cue and determines which Routine to execute. Our primitive brain executes the Routine. Habits live in our primitive brain, which learns through repetition. We condition it like we would an animal, through repetition and rewards. Like a beast, it is powerful but impulsive. It is always looking for a quick payoff. If we want to interrupt bad habits and replace them with good habits, we must understand the habit loop and the tendencies of our two minds.
The Four Laws of Behavior Change developed by Atomic Habits’ author James Clear is designed to encourage good habits by reinforcing each component of the habit loop:
- Cue: Make it Obvious
- Craving: Make it Attractive
- Routine: Make it Easy
- Reward: Make it Satisfying
He reverses these four laws to break a bad habit. Make the Cue invisible, the Reward unattractive, the Routine harder to execute, and the Reward unsatisfying. He does a fantastic job of providing practical suggestions on how to accomplish each law.[i] James Clear’s book complements Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit. The Power of Habit helps us to understand habits, but it isn’t a manual for behavior change. Atomic Habits fulfills that role, providing actionable strategies in a simple to follow format. Our book has an even narrower focus. It seeks to combine the strategies of behavior change with tactics designed to produce a leaner fitter body. “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” Sun Tzu
My second book, Lean by Habit – A Bulletproof Plan for Body Transformation is NOW available on Kindle. If you prefer audio, did you know that the Alexa App can read Kindle books while you’re driving or going about your day?
SAMPLE THE FIRST HOUR FOR FREE: leanbyhabit.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/LEAN-BY-HABIT-Better-1.m4a
Small Changes, Fantastic Results
If you are looking for a simple, common-sense approach to weight loss that creates a strong-firm body for life, Lean by Habit is it! It contains everything you need to get in great shape. You’ll have eight free downloadable training programs to choose from based on your goals, a flexible diet, a habit tracker scorecard, and other execution-focused materials to help you succeed.
Lean by Habit combines the best behavioral and exercise science to produce outstanding results through short-daily bouts of exercise. Fifteen minutes is all you need to start getting leaner, fitter, and stronger.
If you are motivated to improve how you look and feel, the time to act is NOW! Don’t give your motivation a chance to wane and your excuses time to talk you out of it. When it comes to improving your life, there is no place better to start than with your habits, and there is no better program than this one to help you do it.
Click HERE to get it delivered to your device and start taking those small steps that produce tremendous results. Act now before the book increases to its normal price of $9.99.
This book contains:
- The Three-Step Process for Behavior Change
- The Four Elements of Execution
- Eight Programs (with downloadable training logs)
- A Habit Tracker Weight Loss Scorecard
- A Flexible Diet
The AUDIBLE and PRINT versions will be available in November 2024.
If I can help you overcome challenges or answer questions, please email me at LeanByHabit@gmail.com.
Is there a better investment than the one you make in yourself? Purchase Lean by Habit NOW and start making the small changes that add up to spectacular results.
All the best,
Jeff Emblen
Author of Lean By Habit and The Fat Loss Habit
[i] James Clear, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, Avery (October 16, 2018)
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