Buzz
Many of my daily routines are often labeled as 'good habits.' I take a morning walk, visit the gym almost daily, and prepare my meals on weekends to ensure I have nutritious lunches ready.
However, these behaviors didn’t emerge just from habit stacking or other quick tricks. In reality, most 'habits' are skills that require dedication and time to master—they’re not effortless shortcuts.
Most 'habits' are far from simple
Psychologists describe 'habits' as actions we perform automatically in certain contexts. 'For instance, hair twirling might eventually happen without the person being consciously aware of it,' states the definition provided by the American Psychological Association.
However, when discussing forming a habit, we typically refer to actions performed regularly. While the aim might be for them to become automatic, they aren’t instinctive responses to our surroundings. For example, people often express a desire to develop 'habits' such as:
Regular gym visits
Increasing vegetable intake
Reading more books
Flossing daily
Maintaining a consistent bedtime
These behaviors are neither simple, reflexive, nor unconscious. Some are straightforward—like using habit-stacking techniques to ensure you floss after brushing. However, most habits require significant effort and time to establish.
What we truly seek is a shift in behavior
Psychologists use the term 'behavior change' to describe actions like eating healthier, improving sleep, or choosing to read over endlessly scrolling through social media. This concept is backed by numerous studies and theoretical frameworks that examine how individuals successfully alter their behaviors.
Research shows that adopting a new behavior (often referred to as a 'habit') demands time, effort, and a series of mental shifts as we transition from someone who doesn’t engage in the behavior to someone who does it consistently. See if you recognize yourself in one of these stages:
Precontemplation: You have no interest in doing the activity (for example, going to the gym).
Contemplation: You’re considering starting the activity regularly. You might begin researching articles about what to expect during your first gym visit.
Preparation: You’re taking initial steps toward the activity. This could involve touring a local gym or purchasing workout gear. You might even try a few sessions, but you’re not fully committed yet.
Action: You’re actively doing the activity. This isn’t the starting point or the final stage. At this phase, you may still feel uncertain, face discomfort in your new routine, and risk quitting if challenges arise.
Maintenance: This is when you’ve finally established the 'habit.' Like maintaining a car or a relationship, sustaining a habit requires effort. Disruptions such as vacations, injuries, or setbacks can occur, and you’ll need to anticipate and address these challenges to ensure the behavior change lasts.
Progressing through each stage demands effort, time, and shifts in mindset. The journey isn’t always straightforward: relocating to a new city or missing workouts might set you back temporarily, but it doesn’t mean you’ve failed entirely.
Every 'habit' involves its own unique learning curve
Even seemingly simple behaviors involve multiple steps. For instance, if your goal is to eat more fruit, placing a fruit bowl on the table is just the start. You must identify which fruits you enjoy, purchase them consistently, and learn how to select them wisely—avoiding berries on the verge of spoiling or bananas that are too green to ripen soon. (It’s also useful to know that refrigerating berries extends their freshness and that buying both green and yellow bananas ensures a week’s supply of perfectly ripe fruit.)
Consider another example: You might view 'running every morning' as a straightforward habit. However, becoming someone who effortlessly maintains this routine involves numerous underlying factors.
To illustrate, the most insightful book I’ve read about running isn’t focused on quick fixes like pairing your run with walking your dog. It’s The Non-Runner’s Marathon Trainer, which initially seems to provide a training schedule. Surprisingly, the actual plan occupies just half a page (specifically, the lower half of page two).
The bulk of the book focuses on transforming you into a runner. By the end of the introduction, you’ll encounter stories from individuals who despised running yet found marathon training rewarding. This highlights that conflicting feelings are normal and shouldn’t deter you.
Additional chapters cover topics like choosing sweat-wicking clothing, preventing chafing, pacing yourself, staying motivated when exhausted, identifying injuries, tracking mileage, adjusting your diet for carb intake, setting realistic goals, packing for race day, and managing the pre-race taper without feeling overwhelmed.
These skills are crucial for every runner, and none of them are innate or automatic initially. They require learning, practice, and personalization—determining which mental strategies keep you motivated, which shoes suit your feet, and more. Even though I read this book early in my running journey (my notes date back to 2003), it took years to fully grasp and apply the basics to my own routine. And I’m still discovering ways to improve as a runner.
It’s perfectly fine to put effort into (and find joy in) your habits
Traditional habit-building tips often imply that habits are dull and require trickery to maintain. While this might apply to flossing, activities we genuinely want to do are driven by enjoyment or the benefits they bring.
Finding pleasure in activities is completely normal, especially those that benefit us. If you view 'eating healthy' as a perpetual chore, it will always feel burdensome. However, if you explore tasty recipes or even develop a passion for cooking, you’ll not only stick with it but also enjoy it.
We naturally persist in activities we love, while avoiding those that feel tedious. Donald Edmonson, a behavior change researcher, emphasizes that lasting change comes from breaking free from autopilot.
Habit hacks still serve a purpose
Habit stacking and similar techniques aren’t inherently bad. However, they’re insufficient on their own to drive significant, long-term changes in your life.
These strategies can fail, so consider the consequences. If you pair your favorite TV show with treadmill sessions, you might eventually skip the workout and just watch TV. If you meditate daily to maintain a streak, losing a 364-day streak could lead you to abandon meditation altogether. When habits rely solely on self-deception, you’ll struggle to reach the maintenance phase. Small tricks can’t fuel major transformations.
However, habit hacks are effective for simple, low-pressure tasks or as components of a broader goal. Treat them as reminders rather than motivators. Stacking works well for establishing a bedtime routine (or morning or pre-gym routines), but these are just parts of the larger behavior change you’re pursuing, like 'going to bed on time.' When building habits, start with the big picture before focusing on the details.
