Blog of Susmit.

New habits are hard to start and hard to keep. Part of the reason is how the brain works. This post covers the brain's layers, the "monkey mind," and a few ways to build habits you enjoy. The brain in layers Picture the brain as an onion. The outer layers are its most recent development. They handle things like enjoying a joke or music, and they're involved in conscious decisions. The deeper layers drive more reflexive behavior. Try this: Picture those layers for a moment. Remember that your conscious choices and your automatic reactions come from different parts of the brain. Meet the "monkey mind" The basal ganglia helps run patterns and automatic responses. Think of grabbing a snack when you're bored, or scrolling social media without deciding to. These behaviors are deeply wired in, so they're hard to break unless you work on changing them on purpose. Try this: Notice your own reflexive behaviors and the moments when they take over. That awarenes...

 Many people want to change but struggle to act. Understanding how habits work, and paying attention to how tasks make you feel, can help. This post explains the habit loop and how to use it. Start by noticing how you feel Mindfulness here means being aware of how a task makes you feel. That tells you which situations make you most productive. Once you notice your emotions and reactions, you can adjust your habits to get better results. The habit loop Charles Duhigg's habit loop describes how habits form and how they can change. It has three parts: cue, routine, and reward. Cue. A cue is anything that triggers a habit. It can be a place, a time of day, other people, your emotional state, or something you just did. Waking up in the morning, for example, can cue you to head straight for the coffee maker. Routine. The routine is what you do right after the cue. It's the habit itself, and it often runs in a half-automatic way. In the coffee example, the routine is making the coffee...

Some habits take hold and others fade. The difference often comes down to how appealing the habit is, how small you start, and how you handle the days you slip. Here are seven ideas that work together. 1. Make the habit attractive We tend to want what looks appealing, and that includes habits. Whether you're learning a skill, getting fit, or building a healthier routine, a habit you find attractive is one you're more likely to keep. 2. Start with two minutes Spend two minutes on the habit you want to build, whether that's writing, exercising, or learning. Starting small takes the intimidation out of it and helps you show up consistently. Those first two minutes lay the groundwork for the rest. 3. Start small, recover fast, show up often Three rules go together: Start small. Begin with something achievable, like those two minutes. Low resistance makes it easier to stay committed. Get back on track. Don't miss a habit two days in a row. One missed day is a slip; two start...