{"id":24772,"date":"2021-05-28T19:21:26","date_gmt":"2021-05-28T23:21:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=24772"},"modified":"2021-06-20T12:26:48","modified_gmt":"2021-06-20T16:26:48","slug":"habit-formation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/habit-formation\/","title":{"rendered":"Habit Formation: How to Use the Compound Effect"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What does behavioral psychology say about habit formation? How can you unlearn old, self-sabotaging habits<\/a> and craft new, positive habits that align with your goals?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Darren Hardy, the author of The Compound Effect,<\/em> habit formation is a slow and gradual process. The key to successful habit<\/a> formation is introducing small behavior changes and compounding their effects over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read about the psychology of habit formation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Psychology of Habit Formation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your behavior is all that stands between you and your goal. You need to figure out what you need to stop<\/em> doing so the Compound Effect doesn\u2019t drag you down, and you need to figure out what you must start<\/em> doing, so the Compound Effect can take you in the right direction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tracking Self-Defeating Habits<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hardy once mentored a successful businessman who wanted to boost his productivity. Hardy had him track his time for a week and found that the exec spent an inordinate amount of time absorbing news\u2014reading the newspaper, listening to news on his commute, checking websites throughout the day, and watching the news on TV at home. He spent almost four hours a day with news\u2014much more than he needed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hardy had the man cancel his newspaper and keep his TV and radio off, and set up an RSS feed so he could see only the most pertinent news. With his newfound time, he found himself exercising, listening to inspirational material, and spending more time with his family. Without the constant barrage of negative news, his mood and stress level were much better. A small habit change<\/a> yielded great results in productivity and an overall better life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To become aware of your bad habits, list your top three goals and write down the habits that are keeping you from achieving them. For example, if you want to get healthy but eat a bag of chips every night, that would be a habit you need to change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next step is to list positive habits you will need to help you reach your goal. By replacing your self-defeating habits with positive habits, you\u2019re on your way to reaching your goals<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5 Strategies to Get Rid of Bad Habits<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Since your habits are learned, they can be unlearned. These five strategies will help you overcome your urge for instant gratification<\/a> and eliminate bad habits<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n