All of us want to build better habits,
Like eating healthier, exercising more effectively, being “more productive,” and so on.
Somehow though, it is often the case that we fall back into our same old routines—as if, out of habit. No matter how intensely we want that change, we don’t follow through with it. Quite ironic.
Anyways, I was so curious as to why we always fall back into our old patterns of being that I decided to do some research. This resulted in many “lightbulbs" going off in my mind.
My “research” consisted of reading the book, Atomic Habits by James Clear, which may be considered a modern classic. Having read it, I now consider myself to have a PhD in some aspect of psychology and feel confident in educating you.
I learned that one reason some people might fall back into their “old ways” of being is because they still identify with those ways, or better said, they identify with the person, or self-image, which aligns with those old ways.
So I guess all those times, a long time ago, where I didn’t always feel like having the healthy choice for breakfast, was not because I didn’t have the willpower, but because I still somewhat viewed myself as a “person who eats ok quality food” instead of a “person who is fully health conscious about their food choices.” And that shift in mindset, in your idea about who you are, makes all the difference.
To give you an example—i.e., of this "shift in mindset"—I changed my usual thought of “I want to eat a healthier breakfast” to something more focused around my identity like, “I am someone who prioritizes my health and my family's health.” That shift in perspective made me realize that new habits can actually be easy—and in some cases, easier than keeping around your old ways.
But I digress.
James Clear’s book is based on 4 “laws” of habit formation: i.e., making the habit 1) obvious, 2) attractive, 3) easy, and 4) satisfying. And it’s easy to see how these 4 laws make any habit almost effortless.
Make it obvious.
Your brain, for the most part, likes to run on autopilot. What this means is that you simply adapt to cues in your environment spontaneously—and sometimes without realizing it.
Let’s say you’re taking a stroll through a new town you’re visiting, with the context that you had no previous thought, arbitrarily, of getting a coffee that morning. But… lo and behold… There is a cute and artsy little cafe on the same sidewalk you're walking on. How could you not walk in? It’s right there and, the smell? lost for words. And then you see the chocolate croissants through the window…
Perhaps if your new habit is drinking more coffee, walking the path with the coffee shop is a great way of making it obvious—of putting a cue that triggers a habit right in front of you.
If someone’s new habit is drinking more water, it would likely be a good idea for them to always have a bottle of water, filled, somewhere within their reach, and somewhere they can see. Why? Because this reminds them of the habit, and may trigger the act of drinking more water.
Isn't it much easier to follow through with something when you actually know what it is, and is right in front of you?
Hypothetically, if you wanted to stick to the habit of eating certain foods—particularly ones that are "healthier," for both you and the environment—it would be much easier if that food just appeared in front of you whenever you got hungry, instead of you having to go out of your way to find it—thus reinforcing, repeatedly, your identity of being someone that eats food congruent with your health, and nature's health (*cough cough* — doesn't our subscription basically allow anyone to do this with a few clicks?).
Make it attractive.
A better way to say this is, "make the habit feel good” or, feel even better than not acting the habit out.
Many high-school students who absolutely drudge studying or school work may have unknowingly practiced this law on their habits. They may, for example, listen to music which allows them to focus more effectively, or simply music that makes them feel good, while doing their piecewise functions from algebra. Now they associate the oh-so-boring math homework with feeling good, and they look forward to doing it. Who knew high-schoolers could be so wise?
You could, for example, do the same during your gym workouts, which may at the beginning be so un-attractive to do. But pair it with your favorite tunes, and it is sure to become one of your favorite activities.
This is one of the secrets of building habits—having them make you look forward to them with anticipation.
Make it easy.
Just when you’re about to embark on your journey of “starting” a new habit is when this law is the most important. Us as humans like to take the path of least resistance and, when met with the slightest bit of friction or that "I don't feel like doing that” feeling, we often retreat back to what is comfortable and easy.
Most people fail not because they lack motivation, but because their new habit is exactly that, too “new,” and requires too much effort to adapt—that’s why it’s important to make your habit as easy as possible, as to make it more likely to follow through.
And remember, it’s about consistency here, and not intensity—particularly at the beginning. Shrink the habit into the easiest possible version if you can.
If you want to start working out, and want to make it as effortless as possible, tell yourself you’re only going to go to the gym for 15 minutes. What’s important is that you repeat this, and make a habit out of this small action—and get used to it. Only then should you worry about "intensifying" it.
You may wish to have a habit of eating healthier. After defining what "eating healthier" means, you can make it easy by promising yourself to stick to eating only one main "healthy" meal, made with whole natural ingredients, each and every day, and that you are allowed to snack on whatever you can possibly imagine or want after you eat that main meal.
You may find that after that meal you don’t even crave any other “junk” food.
The key to making it easy is automation. Something that can be replicated with minimal effort, efficiently—again and again.
Quite ironic again, is it, that our subscription option for our products is a perfect example of making it easy and automated. It removes the hassle of remembering, re-ordering, and/or running out of food. Forget the days of "I have nothing for dinner tonight! I should have ordered a roast last week!" and needing to go to the grocery store last minute, where you do your best to justify buying that lanky cut of "pasture-raised" meat (not to mention, anyone else who isn't subscribed won't be able to take any products from you before they sell out—subscribers get "first-dibs").
Make it satisfying.
The final law of building a habit that sticks is to make it satisfying. Why do you think some “bad” habits like eating all of the sweets in the pantry or coming back to the fridge every few minutes for another slice of chocolate cake stick so well? Instant gratification.
The human brain is wired for instant gratification. When the body receives an immediate reward/benefit, it makes sure not to forget it. The taste of the cake’s frosting leaves such an impression on your taste buds that they would like to, or rather must, repeat the experience.
And that’s exactly how you should make your habits—incorporate an immediate reward into the habit, whether self-imposed or not. Otherwise, it might be hard for your brain to reinforce the behavior.
Perhaps you might feel good physically crossing off the task/habit with a pen after you have completed it; and that might be enough by itself for you to be satisfied.
Or you might give yourself a small reward after. Like a little dessert after your healthy home-cooked meal.
Or my favorite: make the healthy meal feel like a treat itself, or in a nutshell, "have your cake and eat it too." Just because the food is natural and healthy doesn’t mean it tastes bad—quite the contrary actually.
Make one of your family's classic dishes you always look forward to, or take any of the recipes on our website to make one of your meals, and you won't be worried about how to "stick to your habit," but rather about your new daily indulgence that you can't seem to get rid of.
(btw, everyone can get a little reward of getting 5% taken off all of their subscription orders, because they deserve it for starting a new life-changing habit—click here to find out how)
Take action.
Unfortunately, now that you’ve read this blog, you don’t have any more excuses, because you know that building new habits is actually easy, and especially when you follow the simple framework of:
Setting clear cues and reminders (obvious)Linking habits to pleasurable feelings (attractive)Reducing the amount of friction it takes and start small (easy)Rewarding yourself and tracking progress (satisfying)
Before you know it you’ll be in a positive feedback loop and other people will think you’re some superhuman with unwavering discipline—but really, you just know the secrets.
And it can't get any easier than with the subscription option we offer, which makes your habit of actually eating the healthy food you wish to eat effortless and easy, by getting your food delivered on a regular basis. No matter how “too busy” you are to go to a health foods store or to buy directly from a farm, the food will come regardless, and reinforce your habit of “being someone that makes health-conscious food decisions for themselves and their family.”
Find out more about how our subscriptions work by clicking here.
