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...