How better predictions lead to better habits 

#100HABITSIN100DAYS | DAY 19

Humans are prediction machines.

We make decisions based on how we predict they’ll make us feel.

There has been an interesting case of a patient called Elliot, who after brain damage was no longer able to experience emotions.

Even though he could still reason why one option might be better than the other, he was no longer able to make decisions. 

“Damasio and his colleagues have since studied over 50 patients with brain damage like Elliot’s who share this combination of emotional and decision-making defects.

 

And researchers have found that patients with injuries to parts of the limbic system, an ancient group of brain structures important in generating emotions, also struggle with making decisions.”

 

From Decisions and Desire (Harvard Business Review)

And we (unconsciously) expect to feel the same way in the future as we feel right now.

Who hasn’t been there?

You feel miserable about a breakup and even though rationallly you know you will get over it, somewhere deep down it feels like you will never be happy again.

Or you feel great, and make all kinds of plans, assuming you will experience this level of energy and excitement indefinitely. Even though you know better.

Why is this relevant to habit-building?

For two reasons.

One is that when establishing a new habit, we often very motivated.

And so we expect to feel this level of motivation in the future.

But, as we’ve all experienced, motivation comes and goes, at least if you don’t design it.

So when it’s time to do that big thing you set out to do, eventually there will be a day where you don’t feel like it.

Keeping this in mind when you are designing new habits, and coming up with habit boosters and obstacle battleplans for when motivation is low, will make you more likely to succeed.

The other reason is that when it’s time to do your habit, and you feel tired and unmotivated, it’s also easy to believe you will feel like this in the future, making you more likely to quit.

When in reality, just getting started with your habit will often change how you feel about it, and create motivation.

Motivation follows action.

When you keep this in mind, it can make you more resilient to push through your initial resistence.

Here is my new habit recipe for today:

• Habit 34: Epliate my legs weekly

And, in case you’re curious my challenge progress so far.

How to unfool yourself

Next time you design a habit, try asking yourself “Will I be able to follow this plan even if I feel really tired and ‘meh’?”

If the answer is “No.”, consider adding more habit boosters or starting with a smaller version of your ideal habit.

And next time when you don’t feel like doing your habit, remind yourself “I will feel more motivated once I’ve gotten started”.

And only focus on doing the single next action, rather than focus on the complete process.

Of course, if you feel miserable during your entire habit nearly every time, you will probably want to look for a different habit.

But 9 out of 10 times, we just need to unfool ourselves from thinking we’ll feel this way forever.

If you have any questions, please let me know or ask them on the live Thursday at 16.30 CET in the Mighty Habits Facebook group.

Update 19/100 complete 💪. Thanks for reading!

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