Behavioral economist Dan Ariely writes in
The Wall Street Journal (2/1/20):
"To get a resolution to stick, we
need to make the desired behavior automatic. For instance, if you want to exercise more,
build a very simple habit: Every Tuesday at 5 p.m., go to a group exercise class after work. Ideally it will be something you find enjoyable and rewarding, so that the habit is more likely to stick.
The more you repeat a behavior in the same context at the same time, the more automatic it will become and the less you’ll have to rely on willpower."
"For a good introduction to the research on this topic, I recommend Wendy Wood’s recent book,
Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes that Stick.”
A landmark book about how we form habits, and what we can do with this knowledge to make positive change
"We
spend a shocking 43 percent of our day doing things without thinking
about them. That means that almost half of our actions aren't conscious
choices but the result of our non-conscious mind nudging our body to act
along learned behaviors. How we respond to the people around us; the
way we conduct ourselves in a meeting; what we buy; when and how we
exercise, eat, and drink--a truly remarkable number of things we do
every day, regardless of their complexity, operate outside of our
awareness. We do them automatically. We do them by habit. And yet,
whenever we want to change something about ourselves, we rely on
willpower. We keep turning to our conscious selves, hoping that our
determination and intention will be enough to effect positive change.
And that is why almost all of us fail. But what if you could harness the
extraordinary power of your unconscious mind, which already determines
so much of what you do, to truly reach your goals?"
"Wendy Wood
draws on three decades of original research to explain the fascinating
science of how we form habits, and offers the key to unlocking our
habitual mind in order to make the changes we seek. A potent mix of
neuroscience, case studies, and experiments conducted in her lab, Good Habits, Bad Habits is a comprehensive, accessible, and above all deeply practical book
that will change the way you think about almost every aspect of your
life. By explaining how our brains are wired to respond to rewards,
receive cues from our surroundings, and shut down when faced with too
much friction, Wood skillfully dissects habit formation, demonstrating
how we can take advantage of this knowledge to form better habits" Source:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43565368-good-habits-bad-habits
