Episode 878 {Rebroadcast} Episode 398 Building and Breaking Habits
[00:00:00] Scott Maderer: [00:00:00] Thanks for joining me on episode 878 of the inspired stewardship podcast, a special rebroadcast episode of episode three 98.
[00:00:10] Dow Tippett: [00:00:10] I'm Dow Tippett, author of seven daily choices. I challenge you to invest in yourself, invest in others, develop your influence and impact the world by using your time, your talent and your treasures to live out your colleagues.
[00:00:25] Having the ability to make the right choices every day is key. And one way to be inspired to do that is to listen to this. The inspired stewardship podcast with my friend, Scott Maderer.
[00:00:40] Scott Maderer: [00:00:40] tying it to another habit that has a really strong connection is a way of jump-starting the strength of that connection. Because remember over time, the habit connection will weaken, but it's always going to still be there at some level.
[00:00:59][00:01:00] welcome. And thank you for joining us on the inspired stewardship podcast. If you truly desire to become the person who God wants you to be. Then you must learn to use your time, your talent and your treasures for your true calling in the inspired stewardship podcast. We'll learn to invest in yourself, invest in others and develop your influence so that you can impact the world.
[00:01:25]Today's episode about investing in yourself by stewarding your time. I talk with you about the idea of habit stacking, how your brain actually builds habits and how to create something known as an implementation intention. This is actually a, an excerpt of a lesson that I give in my course productivity for your passion.
[00:01:50] And you can get more information and get on the waiting list for details about the relaunch of that class coming soon [00:02:00] over@inspiredstewardship.com slash launch.
[00:02:03]So let's talk a little bit about habit stacking. I referred to it a little bit in the last video. One of the things that's can be a trigger for a habit is a previous activity and that activity could be performing a habit. So if you look at this, you can connect a new habit to an existing habit because the proceeding action becomes the cue.
[00:02:27] And one thing to realize is that means that if you've got a bad habit, that currently is following another habit, you can swap it out with something that's a. Good habit. You can swap in a good habit with the previous habit being the cue, creating habits, actually, the way it works is in your brain. It begins to tighten up the neural connections.
[00:02:50] It begins to connect one neuron to another neuron, and the more you perform that habit, the tighter that connection gets, and it reduces other [00:03:00] connections. So if you want to take away a bad habit by replacing it with a good habit. Tying it to another habit that has a really strong connection is a way of jump-starting the strength of that connection, because remember, Over time, the habit connection will weaken, but it's always going to still be there at some level.
[00:03:25] So there's a specialized way to do this. You can create a very specific implementation intention. And by the way, I suggest you write these things down and base it on an existing habit that then you go perform the new habits. So it looks like this after or before. Whatever your current habit is. I will, whatever the new routine, the new habit is.
[00:03:50] So after I brush my teeth, I will make my bed. Maybe I don't ever make my bed, but I want to. But I always brush my teeth [00:04:00] or conversely, maybe you always make your bed, but you want to brush your teeth. Then after I make my bed, I will brush my teeth. And by setting these down as a new routine, Followed by following an old habit, you can begin to form a new habit, much quicker.
[00:04:20] So finding the right habits to build from here's what you want. You want to have it that you do naturally, already each and every day. So simply make a list. What are the habits that you do every single day without fail? By the way, I suggest you do this, even if you don't want to create new habits, because it might surprise you how many habits you'll write down that you already do each and every day.
[00:04:44] And it's going to come up in a minute. When we talk about the homework. Make a list of the things that happen to you every day without fail too. So these are habits. These are just events that always happen. For instance, the sun always get rises. The sun always [00:05:00] sets probably two. You always get a text message or at least most of us do, or you always get an email.
[00:05:06] So these sorts of habits or activities that always happen are good ones to connect a new habit to because they already exist each and every day. Keep it specific and keep it something that you can immediately do. As an example, don't say. When I eat lunch, because does that mean before you eat lunch?
[00:05:28] Does that mean after you eat lunch? Does that mean what instead tie it to? When I stand up from my desk to go get lunch, that's a very specific cue. I will, whatever it is, the action that you want to do, I will do 10 pushups. I don't know whatever that activity is, tie it to an existing habit in a very specific way.
[00:05:54]thanks so much for listening to the inspired stewardship podcast as a [00:06:00] subscriber and listener, we challenge you to not just sit back and passively listened, but act on what you've heard and find a way to live your calling. If you liked this episode on the stewardship of time, be sure to sign up for our stewardship of time tips series by going to inspired stewards.com/time or texting four, four, two, two, two time tips, and then that'll get you our best tips on stewarding your time.
[00:06:37] Until next time, invest your time, your talent and your treasures. Develop your influence and impact the world.