Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

This is an excellent novel that talks about how habits form , how do they work and how can they be changed .

I am going to explain the crux of the novel in the following four segments

Ø  what is a Habit loop

Ø  What is a routine 

Ø  What is a cue 

Ø  What is the reward

Finally , how this can be changed

Before I started reading this novel I have a bad habit of not reading after I come from work

Ø  What is a habit loop

Cueà Routineà  reward

In my  case everyday I used to come waste time and sleep

Cue : come home
Routine : switch on TV , cook for time pass, check my office mails again
Reward : convince myself that I am tired and thus rejuvenated

What is a cue

Cue is something that triggers the routine that is bad habit

What is the reward

Reward is something that you get for following the routine .

To elaborate more on cue and reward relationship , for many people smoking is a bad habit , in my case its is not reading . People find it really difficult to break the bad habit loop even if they want to . The question is what makes it so difficult to break the pattern .Answer is habit loop that is formed in subconscious mind .However this  can be changed with following the below seemingly simple formula

Formula is  TOILE . though it doesn't sound right it actually works

T: time , what is the time when habit loop starts
O: Who are the other other people around you
I ; immediate proceeding action
L : location
E emotional state

In my case

Time:

Sunday. : at around 07:30 went out bought groceries and slept
Monday : come home my office at 07:30 , watched TV slept
Tuesday : came home at 07:00 attended a meeting , cooked and slept

Wednesday:Have some office work , worked late and slept

So it is clearly in my case habit loop is kicking in at around 07 to 08

Other people around you:

There is no one around . So others are not influencing me :-)

Immediate proceeding action:

Monday : travel led by bus from office to home
Tuesday : came by bike from office to bus

Location :

Home on all the days .

Emotional state:

Sunday : tired and want to take break as it is weekend
Monday : tired due to long day and want to take a break
Tuesday : tired due to riding bike in traffic and want to take a break

So cue is 07:30 , routine is waste time and reward is relaxed

I enjoy reading a lot so I got to replace TV watching , checking unnecessary mails , attending meetings , with reading and learning which is very helpful to my career

How ?

Pack new habit in the same loop to get the same reward
After coming home practised having power nap for half an hour during 06:00-07:00 , so I am not tired and thus not resorting to time waste means to get relaxed .
I am able to read most of the days .
As I enjoy it too,  I am getting my usual reward of relaxation ;)

Understand and unleash your power to change habits