Willpower isn’t just a skill. It’s a muscle

Why we do what we do in life and business

Hey

What was the first thing you did when you woke up this morning? Did you shower, check your email or had your tea/coffee? Did you brush your teeth before or after your shower? What route did you take to work?

Chances are that whatever you did, you have been pretty much doing the same for the past many days.

Habits, you see.

A study from Duke University in 2006 revealed that over 40% of daily actions are not conscious decisions, but rather habits!

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Before we get into the newsletter, a quick recap and an announcement:

1. We are now going to have monthly themes for the AtomicIdeas newsletter. For Jan month, it’s habit building (checkout the rest here).

2. The subscribers from India aren’t able to subscribe (Stripe really sucks). Have enabled an alternative payment method from Razorpay.

3. You can now refer your friends to AtomicIdeas and win free access to the newsletter! 😎

And now, sharing today’s AtomicIdeas from a book, which brings ton of scientific perspectives to habit building (and changing) processes.

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do In Life And Business by Charles Duhigg

Sharing key ideas from the book that will truly help you in your habit building journey.

“Willpower isn’t just a skill. It’s a muscle, like the muscles in your arms or legs, and it gets tired as it works harder, so there’s less power left over for other things.”

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#1: How Habits Emerge

“Habits, scientists say, emerge because the brain is constantly looking for ways to save effort. Left to its own devices, the brain will try to make almost any routine into a habit, because habits allow our minds to ramp down more often.”

Biologically, we form habits to save energy, so anything we do regularly will become a habit.

So, How are habits formed?