Research has shown we spend about 40% of our waking time in "Habit Mode." Yet, many people have a hard time changing their habits.
Habits are Made of 4 Components:
1. Cue: The "spark" that starts the habit. There are 5 Types of Cues.
2. Craving: The subconscious and emotional element behind that habit.
3. Routine: The actions you actually take.
4. Reward: The often subconscious benefit of taking those actions.
Most popular advice around habits, talks about this 4-step system. As important as systems are, when discussed this way, you remove the "you" inherent in the problems you have with changing. If you were an organization, than setting up a system like this would work. But you're not an organization.
Recognizing the system, without understanding what drives that system (you and your stories), causes you to trip over yourself when you try to change. Often, you then beat yourself up or quit.
The problem is, you're changing "Out of Order."