When I’m coaching clients, we discuss habits—eating, moving, working, sleeping, or other aspects of self-care. We brainstorm how to create new patterns for better health—cutting back on sugar, walking daily, or sitting less. And strategize how to use your individual strengths and values, supports, and structures to overcome obstacles. People seem to like the idea of breaking goals down into habits. They seem more manageable and can quickly become automatic. And a bonus—they help you change related areas of your life too. You know, you start exercising more and suddenly find yourself craving greens and going to bed earlier.

How can we make creating new habits easier?

Charles Duhigg, the author of The Power of Habit, tells us: 

“All habits—no matter how large or small—have three components, according to neurological studies. There’s a cue—a trigger for a particular behavior; a routine, which is the behavior itself; and a reward, which is how your brain decides whether to remember a habit for the future. ” He suggests that “If you can identify the right cue and reward—and if you can create a sense of craving—you can establish almost any habit.”

In this 16-minute (worth the watch) TedX Talk, he gives an informative introduction to why our behaviours are compelled by habit: