Today, I want to dive into the four stages of habits. Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let's address why we even want habits in the first place. What do they do for us? Think about all the things we'd like to do regularly—brush our teeth, exercise, and so on. We don't want to wonder every single day whether we should brush our teeth; we want these actions to happen almost automatically. Habits make that possible.
Imagine changing the radio station in your car while driving. Remember when you first learned to drive? Initially, you couldn't manage both tasks simultaneously. Over time, however, driving became second nature, freeing up mental capacity for other activities like changing the radio station. Nowadays, we might use that spare capacity to check our phones, which can be dangerous if something unexpected happens. The point is, habits allow us to perform activities with less mental effort, making them more likely to occur consistently.
So, what are the stages of acquiring a new habit? The first stage is the initial attempt. Imagine switching from driving your car to taking public transportation. When you wake up and think about how you'll get to work, you want public transportation to be your default choice. The first time is always the toughest because you're figuring out many new things—where's the bus stop? What's the route? How long will the trip be?
After this initial hurdle comes a period of around 40 repetitions. During this phase, the activity gradually becomes easier and requires less conscious effort until it solidifies into a habit. Then comes the third stage where the habit runs on autopilot; it just happens naturally without much thought.
But what about the fourth stage? This occurs when you fall off the wagon—perhaps due to a vacation or a strike—and revert to old behaviors. Getting back on track requires some extra energy and effort.
To summarize: First comes the initial attempt, followed by a consolidation period of roughly forty repetitions. Then there's a phase where the habit runs smoothly on its own. Finally, there's the challenge of resuming the habit if you've stopped.
Think about what habits you'd like to establish in your life. Is it having morning coffee? Putting your phone away when you get home so you can spend quality time with loved ones? Turning off the TV at a certain hour? Drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning? Reflect on these four stages and consider how much effort and attention each one requires.
If you plan carefully and focus on each stage—making sure the first attempt works, getting through those next forty repetitions, maintaining consistency afterward, and knowing how to get back on track—you'll make your habits more likely to stick.
Good habits can be our allies. While bad habits exist too, focusing on cultivating good ones significantly improves our lives. Think about outsourcing more beneficial activities to your habit department, making them more likely to happen without much thought.
