Habits for High Performance
Nov 11, 2023
Books referenced in this article:
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Why do we care so much about habits?
When we are young, we learn about the dangers of bad habits.
We are told to stop biting our fingernails, don’t interrupt others, and don’t tell little white lies.
But how early do we start learning about good habits?
Like eating well, exercising, and getting up early…
We tend to recognize that there are good habits and bad habits.
But sometimes it takes a book to make us aware of the power of habits and how much influence they have on our lives.
Habits are powerful.
Habits (and systems) dictate the direction of our lives.
They are routines that can be created intentionally or unintentionally.
And it’s the unintentional ones we have to be wary of.
In this article I’m going to teach you about habits, what they are, how to build them, and which ones to prioritize.
Habits can set you free or keep you trapped.
So let’s dig in.
Why we have habits
Our brains create habits because we cannot multitask.
Yeah… I said it… Come at me bro!
We CANNOT multitask.
We can only think about one thing at a time.
But if we can only think about one thing at a time, how can we chew gum and walk at the same time?
Well, it’s because we don’t need to think about chewing gum or walking.
We can walk automatically, and without thought.
This is exactly what habits are for.
They are like automatic subroutines that run in the background so we can do multiple things at once.
for example, when we first learn to walk, we have to put immense focus into how we move, how to balance, which muscles to fire, etc.
But eventually, we need to be able to outrun predators, and we don’t want to be thinking of which muscles to use while looking for a place to hide.
So we focus. We learn. We practice. And we build a motor pattern.
A motor pattern is a sequential activation of specific muscles.
When we walk, our brain tells this muscle to fire, then that one, then another.
Motor patterns become ingrained and reinforced in our mind.
This is the simplest form of a habit.
And it saves brain power.
But as we get older, we recognize that habits are more than just motor patterns.
They are behavioral patterns.
Behavioral Habits
Habits are more than just muscles firing, and they become a sequence of actions we take in certain situations.
in 2012, Charles Duhigg released a book that opened the door on habit research for the layperson.
It was called The Power of Habit.
Duhigg described the 3 key stages of a habit loop: The cue, the routine, and the reward.
All 3 are needed to create a habit.
A cue, also known as a trigger, could be anything from the time of day to an alarm clock to an emotion you feel.
Whatever it is, it triggers us (usually with an emotion) to take a specific action. Once we do that action, we then receive a reward.
This loop, and the reward more specifically, teaches the brain that the routine is an effective way to handle the trigger.
For example, imagine you feel stressed.
You feel you need a break from your stress so you grab your phone and start to scroll through Instagram or TikTok.
You get a dopamine hit while anticipating seeing awesome pictures and videos.
The reward is a feeling of decreased stress.
And voila! You have just anchored the behavior of scrolling as an effective solution for stress.
Now, let me diverge here a moment to talk about dopamine, because it is all the rage right now.
Dopamine does not give you the feeling of reward.
Dopamine is responsible for the positive feeling of anticipating a reward.
When you have the “I gotta have it” feeling, THAT is dopamine.
When you finally get that thing you have been seeking, serotonin is responsible for the feeling of satisfaction.
Anyways… I digress.
All habit loops are made of these three components.
To build a behavioral habit, we must have a trigger, then perform an action, and then experience a reward.
Why are habits so hard to break?
There is a saying in neuroscience: neurons that fire together wire together.
When we learn new motor skills, we practice moving in specific ways.
This repeated motion gets our neurons to fire together. This builds a motor pattern and a habit.
The more we use that motor pattern, the more it is strengthened.
For example, I am willing to bet you could tie your shoes with your eyes closed while you try to recite the ABCs in reverse.
Shoe tying is a well-established motor pattern.
But what if I asked you to tie your shoes starting the loop in the other hand, or doing it with one hand…
This would be a novel movement requiring a new motor pattern.
Those neurons have not ever fired together… so it is difficult.
It can actually feel frustrating, because it is so difficult.
Herein lies the challenge.
Changing out behavior can cause anxiety because the new patterns are awkward and unfamiliar.
We don’t like unfamiliarity.
Also, once neurons wire together, they create a path of least resistance.
The brain messaging becomes very efficient.
These brain connections always remain.
But through effort and repetitions we can build pathways between new neurons, so their connections are just as efficient, or even more efficient, than the previous habit.
If we want to create a new habit to exercise more or to eat better, we will have a ton of new routines and motor patterns we have to build.
Changing our habits will make us feel anxious and require time.
This is where we can leverage the advice from another great author: James Clear.
Creating new habits
The book Atomic Habits has been on the best seller list forever.
And for good reason.
Clear summarizes Duhigg’s book very well and adds in a layer we don’t often think of when it comes to behavior change: taking small steps.
I mean tiny steps. Atomic steps.
We tend to think that habit changes are big efforts.
If we want to get healthy we need to start exercising an hour a day and overhaul our diet.
Clear recommends a different path.
Instead of an overhaul, he recommends making a baby step by taking a small action in the right direction.
If you want to exercise more, start by simply putting on your running shoes and stepping outside.
Over time, you can build upon this small habit and start walking a little bit.
Then running.
Then you might as well add in some strength training.
By starting small and simply putting on your running shoes, we begin to see ourselves as a healthier person.
Now… this change in self-perception can lead to larger changes.
Clear leans in here, and flips the script from focusing on outcome-based habits, to identity-based habits.
Instead of thinking:
“OK, I want this outcome, so I am going to do these things, and that will make me a new person.”
We should think:
“I am going to start being this person and do these little things. As I continue to do those things, the outcomes will naturally follow.”
Once we shift our identity, we then take different actions (routines) which lead to different outcomes.
This method of habit change is very effective.
We know from other books like Psycho-Cybernetics that our self-image determines our behavior.
Our actions naturally follow what we believe about ourselves.
If we change our self-image, we change our lives.
But even then, our motivation to change can ebb and flow.
What can we do to build habits even when we are not motivated?
This is where another book helps us out.
Motivation vs. discipline
In 2019, a behavior design researcher named BJ Fogg released a book called Tiny Habits.
Fogg acknowledges a key finding: When our motivation is high we are willing to put in a lot of effort.
When it is low, we are not.
Therefore, to create a habit, we need to find the smallest action possible that will still keep up moving toward our goal.
He advises us to find prompts that meet our level of motivation.
Especially when we have low motivation, we need triggers that get us to take small actions.
Going back to health goals, this might include doing 10 pushups before we get into the shower.
After busting out 10 pushups, stand up and smile saying, “I’m awesome and strong.”
The shower is the cue, the pushups are the action, and the celebration is the reward.
When you are feeling more motivated, maybe the cue is waking up, the action is busting out a garage workout for an hour, and the reward is how you feel after you are done exercising.
You can make progress toward a goal by taking massive action or by taking repeated small actions.
Identifying the smallest actions you can take is what I call the minimum viable approach.
What is the minimum action we can take, regardless of our motivation level, to make progress toward building a habit?
We should have a minimum viable approach for all our goals, whether it be exercise, eating better, or even performing better at work.
So now we know about habits and self-image. But what habits do you need to build to be a high performer?
High performance habits
Now that we understand what habits are and how to build them, let’s talk about 3 habits that will level up your performance.
I have worked with dozens of high performers. They have achieved success in their careers, have great relationships at home, and still make time to take care of themselves.
How do they do it?
There are 3 habits all of them employ.
Exercise
The first is exercise.
Our ability to perform is directly correlated with the energy we bring.
Energy is not just something we have.
We create it.
Our bodies are like batteries.
We eat food to create energy, we spend that energy to stay alive, and we go to sleep to recharge.
But when we exercise, we build up our body’s capacity for energy storage AND we are able to spend that energy for longer and more intense durations through the day.
High performers exercise and most whom I work with exercise in the morning.
Their habit cycle looks like this:
Cue: Wake up
Action: Get to the gym and start exercising
Reward: Feeling awesome afterwards
If you are just starting an exercise routine, and are looking for a minimum viable approach, you can use the same cue, but swap the workout for walking.
Go on a walk for 10-20 minutes every day.
This is a small commitment, a minimal commitment, which will put you on the path to your goals.
Now, obviously, if you take more action you will get more results.
But any movement with the intent of building health and energy is a minimum requirement.
Once you create the energy to spend, you have to choose where to spend it. This is where the second habit is important.
Intentionality
High performers are intentional (I know I write about this often, but it’s worth repeating).
They are not passive.
They do not meander from one task to another.
They know what they need to achieve, they know what they want, so they set out to accomplish it.
Successful people tend to be intentional with at least one area of focus.
It might be building a career, being an awesome parent, or mastering an instrument.
They are intentional with efforts related to one goal but put all their time and focus into ONLY that area.
What makes a successful person a high performer is being intentional and bringing energy across all other areas of their life AND doing it over time.
So how do we make intentionality a habit?
We use transitions as our cue.
Transitions are periods when we move from one task or event to another.
Have you ever had the experience where you are working and you are on a phone call? Then you get off a phone call and jump right to dinner with your family?
Where was your mind at?
Personally, I used to find it very difficult to turn off work and focus on my family.
I’d sit at the table while my kids are telling stories only to be distracted by what was just covered in the last meeting.
I was NOT being intentional.
The transition from work to family dinner can be a cue to take the action of intentionality.
Here is how it works.
You stop working and get ready to be with your family.
This is the cue.
The action to take is to pause, take few deep breaths, and move your work thoughts to a different part of your mind. Maybe you need to write down some to-do. Or maybe you just need to let your mind relax.
The point is to set an intension about how you want to show up in the next moment. Are you going to walk into the house and be spouse of the year? Or will you walk in all flustered with what just happened at the office?
To anchor this pattern we need a reward, and a few come to mind.
You might receive a positive greeting from your spouse or your kids.
You might pay attention to the lack of stress you feel because you left your work concerns behind you.
Focus on the positive way you feel because you showed up as an intentional and best version of yourself.
So now we know how to build energy and then channel that energy, but how do we know exactly where to channel that energy?
And how will we know if our habits are working?
Enter the third habit of high performers.
Reflection
We can be intentional and bring energy all day.
But if we are doing the wrong things, our efforts will not lead to the outcomes we want.
A simple yet impactful habit to address this is a weekly reflection.
It is always a good idea to start your day with a clear list of priority items.
Successful people do this.
High performers take an additional step to reflect upon their past week and plan out the week ahead.
During a reflection, they ask questions like:
“What did I accomplish?”
“What went well?”
“What did I not achieve?”
“What do I need to do differently?”
There is an assumption here that you already have your goals written down AND you have clear action steps to achieve those goals.
I’ll do an article in the future breaking down effective ways to do this.
If you are not doing this now, consider adding a 30-minute reflection time to your Friday or Sunday evening.
Just make it at the end of the week, before you start the new week.
Here is what the habit look could look like:
The cue is a time of day (Notice how often “time” is a cue? This is intentional).
The action is reflecting upon the list of goals and actions you took over the last week.
Also think about what you need to do over the next week.
- What is new?
- What should you do differently?
- Where are you falling short?
- Where do you need to level up?
When you are done reflecting, anchor this habit by visualizing the future outcome you are striving for.
If you want stronger relationships, visualize the interactions and how you will feel in those situations.
If you are getting into better shape, visualize what you will feel like in a stronger body with more energy.
Feel the positive feelings you expect after achieving those goals.
Creating a reflection habit is a great way to keep tabs on yourself and your progress.
The Wrap Up
Habits are important parts of our lives. They are responsible for so many of the actions we take.
If we build good habits, we take more positive actions, and we are more likely to achieve our goals and crush it in life and at work.
So, build habits.
In particular:
- Exercise
- Set intentions
- Do a weekly reflection
Thanks for reading!
Keep crushing it.
Clark