A Guide to Changing Habits... changing some habits can be ... difficult. But this framework is a place to start. Sometimes change takes a long time. Sometimes it requires repeated experiments and failures. But once you understand how a habit operates -- once you diagnose the cue, the routine and the reward -- you gain power over it.Charles DuhiggCD_bb1de694-af60-11e5-bc1f-fef4f14c773bAuthor of The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business_bb1de7c0-af60-11e5-bc1f-fef4f14c773bTo provide a guide to experimenting with how habits might change. _bb1de856-af60-11e5-bc1f-fef4f14c773bRoutineIdentify the routine_bb1de932-af60-11e5-bc1f-fef4f14c773bStep 1... MIT researchers ... discovered a simple neurological loop at the core of every habit, a loop that consists of three parts: A cue, a routine and a reward.To understand your own habits, you need to identify the components of your loops. Once you have diagnosed the habit loop of a particular behavior, you can look for ways to supplant old vices with new routines...How do you start diagnosing and then changing ... behavior? By figuring out the habit loop. And the first step is to identify the routine. _bb1de9aa-af60-11e5-bc1f-fef4f14c773bRewardsExperiment with rewards_bb1dea22-af60-11e5-bc1f-fef4f14c773bStep 2Rewards are powerful because they satisfying cravings. But we’reoften not conscious of the cravings that drive our behaviors... Most cravings are ... obvious in retrospect, but incredibly hard to see when we are under their sway.To figure out which cravings are driving particular habits, it's useful to experiment with different rewards.This might take a few days, or a week, or longer. During that period, you shouldn't feel any pressure to make a real change -- think of yourself as a scientist in the data collection stage...PatternsAs you test each reward, document the first three things that come to mind and look for patterns._bb1deaa4-af60-11e5-bc1f-fef4f14c773b2.1As you test four or five different rewards, you can use an old trick to look for patterns: After each activity, jot down on a piece of paper the first three things that come to mind ... They can be emotions, random thoughts, reflections on how you're feeling, or just the first three words that pop into your head...The reason why it's important to write down three things -- even if they are meaningless words -- is twofold. First, it forces a momentary awareness of what you are thinking or feeling... studies show that writing down a few words helps in later recalling what you were thinking at that moment. At the end of the experiment, when you review your notes, it will be much easier to rememberwhat you were thinking and feeling at that precise instant, because your scribbled words will trigger a wave of recollection.ReconsiderationAfter testing each reward, wait 15 minutes and consider whether you still feel the craving._bb1deb26-af60-11e5-bc1f-fef4f14c773b2.2Then, set an alarm on your watch or computer for 15 minutes. When it goes off, ask yourself: do you still feel the urge ...?And why the 15-minute alarm? Because the point of these tests is to determine the reward you're craving... By experimenting with different rewards, you can isolate what you are actually craving, which is essential in redesigning the habit.CuesIsolate the cue_bb1deb9e-af60-11e5-bc1f-fef4f14c773b3To identify a cue amid the noise, we can ... Identify categories of behaviors ahead of time to scrutinize in order to see patterns. Luckily, science offers some helpin this regard. Experiments have shown that almost all habitual cuesfit into one of five categories: 1) Location, 2) Time, 3) Emotional State, 4) Other People, 5) Immediately preceding action.So, if you’re trying to figure out the cue ... write down five things the moment the urge hits.LocationDocument where you are._bb1dec2a-af60-11e5-bc1f-fef4f14c773b3.1TimeDocument the time._bb1decac-af60-11e5-bc1f-fef4f14c773b3.2EmotionDocument your emotional state._bb1ded2e-af60-11e5-bc1f-fef4f14c773b3.3PeopleDocument who else is around._bb1dedc4-af60-11e5-bc1f-fef4f14c773b3.4ActionDocument the action that preceded the urge. _bb1dee46-af60-11e5-bc1f-fef4f14c773b3.5PlansHave a plan_bb1deed2-af60-11e5-bc1f-fef4f14c773b4Once you've figured out your habit loop -- you've identified the reward driving your behavior, the cue triggering it, and the routine itself -- you can begin to shift the behavior. You can change to a better routine by planning for the cue, and choosing a behavior that delivers the reward you are craving. What you need is a plan... Within psychology, these plans are known as 'implementationintentions.'_bb1def68-af60-11e5-bc1f-fef4f14c773b2015-12-30http://charlesduhigg.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/A-guide-to-changing-habits.pdfOwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net