How to Habit Cue
When it comes to building better eating habits or a more consistent workout routine the first few words that come to mind are generally
“motivation” “willpower” “restraint” “mindset” etc.
If you want to make a habit like eating better or working out more a bigger part of your life, all the motivation, willpower, or restraint in the world won’t get you very far. These qualities, while equally important in their own right are highly variable and come and go like a tide.
Any one of us can come out of the gates in January with a renewed spirit and seemingly unlimited amounts of motivation. But, how many of us still feel that way in February, March, or April??
Habits are highly context dependent. We have different habits at work vs. at home, we have different habits around friends vs. strangers, and we definitely have different habits at the movies vs. sporting events, right?
Countless studies have proven that environmental conditions consistently trump motivation. With that knowledge, we can easily“hack” our environments to improve healthy habit forming!
The best way to hack your environment is by creating visual cues that trigger the behaviors you’re after. It’s estimated that half of the brain’s resources are dedicated to vision. Therefore, creating obvious visual cues can draw our attention towards a desired habit.
Want to read more? Put books on your coffee table, night stand, kitchen table, etc.
Want to drink a protein shake for breakfast ? Put the container and the blender on the counter the night before.
Want to hit the gym after work? Put your gym shoes and workout clothes on your desk.
These simple manipulations of your environment work wonder for creating new habits that stick.
“If you want to make a habit a big part of your life, make the cue a big part of your environment” – Atomic Habits
The design of our environment influences how we engage with the world. By taking control of our environment, we take back control of our life. Be the designer, not the consumer!
For more information on weight loss, click the button below!
