The "Golden Rule" Of Habit Change

Want to break a habit?

 

Apply the "Golden Rule" and change the routine.

 

You see, if we keep the same cue and the same reward, then a new routine can be inserted.

 

Recently, I was having a conversation with a good friend of mine. We were chatting about habits and routines, and the variety of different things that we teach our clients on the “small victories” of success in life and business.

 

Personally, I love the topic of how habits and the brain works. It’s one of my all-time favorites.

 

So there we were, talking about mind-mapping, and how critical it is to physically map out your thoughts and ideas, so that you can turn them into actual processes and routines that make sense.

 

By the end of the conversation, we were talking about how to train yourself to wake up wicked early in the morning.

 

(Note: I told him my exact process and methodology for waking up early as crap. He texted me the next morning saying that he tried it out, and he loved it. So read on...)

 

I remember when I first started to identify this unhealthy habit of mine as a cause for concern. I literally could not help it but to sleep in until 9 o’clock or later, after going to bed around 10. That’s almost 12 hours of sleep. Half of my day was gone simply because I wanted to sleep instead of waking up and being productive…

 

I remember discussing this with my dad, and how I started to notice a trend. I would go to bed around 9 or 10 o’clock each night, and my body would wake up early - usually around 4 or 5 o’clock - each morning…

 

The problem, however, was that my subconscious mind would tell my conscious mind, “Wow, it’s only 4 o’clock? I can still get another five hours of sleep,” and I would listen to it…

 

This is not only bad from a productivity point of view, but also from a health perspective, as well. When you go back to sleep after your body has already woken up, you’re not only hurting yourself physically (higher risk of diabetes, heart disease), but you’re hurting yourself mentally (depression, socioeconomic status), as well...

 

 

Your body, truthfully, only needs about six to seven hours of rest each night.

 

 

The last time you woke up, decided to go back to bed, and then woke up again several hours later, how did you feel?

 

Did you wake up groggy, feeling mentally taxed, and just generally more tired?

 

Of course you did!

 

Your body isn’t supposed to sleep that long. It’s just not healthy for you!

 

So instead of saying, “I can still get another five hours of sleep or so,” what I needed my subconscious mind to say was, “Wow, it’s 4 o’clock! Time to get up. I have five more hours to be productive, before most people even start their days!”

 

You see, you need to learn to train your subconscious self, because it typically doesn’t have good intentions for you. You need to rewire it to listen to your conscious self.

 

And I knew that in order to do that, I had to change my habit of continuing to sleep after my body had told my mind that it was ready to be awake and be active.

 

But… How exactly do you change an unhealthy habit?

 

 

Want to break a habit? Apply the Golden Rule and change the routine. You see, if we keep the same cue and the same reward, then a new routine can be inserted.

 

For my example of sleep drunkenness (sleeping in), the cue and the reward never changed. My body’s internal clock would still wake up at it’s usual time around 4 or 5 o’clock in the morning (cue), and I still received the mental intoxication that I was craving (reward).

 

The thing that did change, however, was the routine. Instead of laying there and talking myself back into more sleep, I would - quite literally - spry out of bed, make it up, scurry downstairs, and start a pot of coffee.

 

I’d follow this with breakfast, tuning in to my favorite business podcast (We Study Billionaires - The Investors Podcast), having a shower, and then meditating before I started my work day.

 

This started my days at earlier times than nearly any other person, and gave me that mental intoxication or emotional high that I was craving.

 

(Note: This is “Bracket One” of my 7-Bracket Day-Map. I will blog on each bracket over the next few weeks until you have the full picture of how a typical day is mapped out)

 

Doing this new routine once, or even a few times, isn’t enough.

 

For a habit to stay changed, people must believe the change is actually possible. And most often, that belief only emerges with the help of a group, coach, mentor, etc…

 

Someone to hold you accountable.

 

It is important to note that though the process of habit change may seem simple on the surface, it is a Fool’s errand to imply that smoking, alcoholism, overeating, or other ingrained patterns can be upended without real effort.

 

Genuine change requires hard work and self-understanding of the cravings that drive certain behaviors. No one will stop sleeping in late simply because they sketch a habit loop.

 

So you see, I had to want to change for the betterment of myself. After all, how was I going to see what I was trying to achieve in life and in business, if I spent all of that time sleeping…

 

If you want to stop a certain habit, figure out a different routine that will satisfy the cravings filled by that habit.

 

If you want to change the way your company culture is run, study your organizational habits to determine why you really have these lapses of judgement. You will more-likely-than-not find that organizational culture is hierarchical, and that poor employee performance is a reflection of self.

 

For example, do you have a tendency to show up to work late or leave early? Your employees will likely do the same.

 

Does communication often feel difficult, forced, and unenjoyable? Your employees will likely feel the same.

 

Do you bash and belittle your employees for a job poorly done, even behind closed doors? Your employees will likely behave the same.

 

You will need to understand and rewire the routines of your personal and business habits, so that you are able to let them have a positive trickle-down effect on your company as a whole.

 

Whether you’re changing the habits of your personal life or business practices, the evidence is clear: If you want to change a habit, you must change the routine, and your odds of success will go up dramatically when you commit to the change and are held accountable.

 

Failures can become success stories. Smokers can quit puffing. Foodies can quit snacking on junk foods and sodas.

 

You can stop berating your employees, sleeping all day, or drinking too much alcohol.

 

You just need to change the routine.

 

What unhealthy habit do you have that you are going to change?

 

 

To healthy habits,

Tyler