Habits and Change

I’m currently reading an incredibly insightful and fascinating book called “The Power of Habit”,  by New York Times reporter Charles Duhigg.  Along the lines of Malcolm Gladwell, Daniel Pink and others, Duhigg uses scientific studies, social psychology and powerful real-world examples to examine why we do what we do, why certain habits exist and how they can be changed to make us more successful in business and in life.  One of his most interesting case studies was that of the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA) and how their CEO changed the entire culture of the company not by focusing on earnings, revenue or share prices, but instead channeling all his attention to making sure that every one of their work places was as safe as possible.  This seemingly simple change made their workers more efficient, their leaders more attentive and accountable and made communication between employees a necessity for success.  A small change in the habits of ALCOA’s employees resulted in them becoming one of the most successful companies in the world.

While the book is full of business examples on how good or bad habits can change the entire fortune of an organization, Duhigg also sites numerous examples of how habits, good and bad, are vital in understanding why some people lose weight easier than others and why some people choose to exercise regularly while others would rather sit on their couch and watch TV.   This information was important for me to understand because being a Personal Trainer doesn’t mean that I just help people exercise and make them sweat, but it also means that I need to understand what makes each person tick, what their motivation is (or isn’t) and to try and help my clients create better habits so that they can have healthier lives in and out of the gym.  Every one of my clients is different and all of them have different goals, and it’s my job to figure out how to help them achieve success.  So I wanted to site a few specific exercise and health related examples from Duhigg’s book, see if they make a little bit of sense (I think so) and hopefully they will help us understand why we do do what we do.  In fairness, I am probably not doing his book enough justice by sighting only a few paragraphs and examples, but for the purposes of this blog post, I’ll do the best I can:

• “If you want to start running each morning, it’s essential that you choose a simple cue (like always lacing up your sneakers before breakfast or leaving your running clothes next to your bed) and a clear reward (such as a midday treat, a sense of accomplishment from recording your miles, or the endorphin rush you get from a jog.)  But countless studies have shown that a cue and a reward, on their own, aren’t enough for a new habit to last.  Only when your brain starts expecting the reward — craving the endorphins or sense of accomplishment — will it become automatic to lace up your jogging shoes each morning.  The cue, in addition to triggering a routine, must also trigger a craving for the reward to come.”

This passage is from one of Duhigg’s earliest chapter’s, where he examines cravings, and how they effect us every day.  Makes sense, right?  How many of us say that we are going to get to the gym but forget to put our gym clothes in our work bag or leave our sneakers at home?  But even if we remember all those things it still isn’t enough to create a habit.  Our brain has to crave some sort of reward at the end of a jog or a workout.  For me, my craving is making my body feel better, having more energy and pushing through those last sets so I can go eat!  This is hard because the opposite (being hungry, craving a Snickers bar, for example, and the sweet taste you get after eating it) certainly holds true as well.  Which is why …

• “When people start habitually exercising, even as infrequently as once a week, they start changing other, unrelated patterns in their lives, often unknowingly.  Typically, people who exercise start eating better and become more productive at work.  They smoke less and show more patience with colleagues and family.  They use their credit cards less frequently and say they feel less stressed.”

This quote is from a chapter called “Keystone Habits”, where Duhigg cites exercise as a habit that can trigger change in other parts of people’s lives.  For me, I know that after I exercise in the morning, I have more energy to accomplish what I need to during the day, whether it be training clients, teaching classes, running errands, doing dishes or playing with my son.  The last thing I want to do after a workout is eat a crappy meal because I know that I will have expended all that energy for nothing.  And again, this can certainly work in the opposite direction, but once a habit is created it’s hard to break (good and bad).

• Referencing a study on weight loss and keeping food logs, Duhigg writes:  “The participants started looking at their entries and finding patterns they didn’t know existed.  Some noticed they always seemed to snack at about 10 a.m., so they began keeping an apple or banana on their desks for mid-morning munchies.  Others started using their journals to plan future menus, and when dinner rolled around, they ate the healthy meal they had written down, rather than the junk food from the fridge.”

Every client that I talk to about nutrition I urge to keep a regular food diary, not only so I can see what they are eating on a daily basis but also so they can see what they are eating on a daily basis.  Until they see it written down, some don’t even recognize what or when they are eating, similar to the study participants above.  Once they see it in written form, they can try to figure out any patterns and plan ahead to make healthier choices.

Once again, I’m not doing Duhigg’s book much justice by picking and choosing a few passages to analyze in a blog, but his thesis that changing habits can create positive changes rings true with me and my business.  If I can help some of my clients figure out why they do what they do, I’m on the right path to helping them lead healthier lives, and if you can change even the smallest of your habits, you can do the same.