How do I change my habits to achieve long-term success?

Habits are not just limited to our behaviors but can also involve our thoughts, feelings, and values. For instance, biases and racism can be viewed as habits since they are ingrained ways of thinking about certain things. Habits originate from intentional behaviors that are repeated in the same context, at the same time and in the same place. When this happens, our brains start recognizing them as patterns and create habits. Habits are essentially learned predispositions of behavior that are associated with a certain context, and they involve a clear routine and reward. This is called a habit loop.

The more times we repeat a behavior, the stronger the link becomes in the brain. When our brain recognizes a habit trigger, it automates our response to it, which is why we tend to do things mindlessly. Doing something often enough, in the same context, and with a trigger leads to the development of a habit. However, if we do it at random times or in random contexts, it is less likely to become a habit.

The science behind habits is that neurons that fire together, wire together. When two neurons fire at the same time, they become associated and wired together. For example, when a child is bitten by a dog, the brain associates the dog with pain, leading to the fear of dogs. Habits work the same way, as our brains associate triggers with specific habits, creating neural pathways. The more we repeat a habit, the stronger this neural pathway becomes, and the less we do the habit, the weaker the pathway becomes.

Every habit we have gives us a reward, which is why we tend to repeat them. Sometimes, the reward we get from a habit is not what we desire. For instance, having dessert every night may not be great for our health goals, but it satisfies our sweet tooth, which is why we repeat the habit.

In summary, habits are learned predispositions of behavior that become automatic and mindless through repetition in the same context, at the same time, and with a trigger. Habits involve a clear routine and reward, creating a habit loop in our brains. Neurons that fire together wire together, leading to the development of neural pathways, which strengthen with repetition and weaken with inactivity. Understanding how habits work can help us break unhealthy habits and form new healthy ones.

We finish the episode with a rapid fire round where Peet asks Gina where to begin to quit the most common habits.