Habit Formation Recap

The Habit Formation workshop facilitated by Bethelhem Yimer on 27 July 2024 started off in the cozy AWiB office with each person introducing themselves and naming one habit. Among the habits mentioned were reading, hiking, shopping, waking up early, praying, phone use, organizing as well as overthinking. Bethelhem noted her inspiration for the workshop was a book titled The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy.

Bethelhem guided the participants in finding clarity in the definition of a habit, separating it from routines and hobbies. A habit, she helped the participants define, is a learned pattern of behavior that we practice repeatedly with minimal mental effort. With enough practice and repetition any behavior, good and bad, becomes automatic over time. The good news, Bethelhem shared, was that you can learn new good habits and unlearn bad ones. The important factor is becoming aware of your habits, triggers and behaviors.

During the workshop, participants undertook three exercises on identifying their positive and negative habits, how to break negative habits, and how to build a positive habit. The participants left the workshop feeling equipped with awareness of what their habits were, and how to make a change in their habits in order to improve their lives.

Major Takeaways

• Your habits will eventually shape your behavior. Bethelhem shared this equation. Choice + Behavior + Habit + compounded -> You
• The habit loop involves a trigger then a behavior in response to the trigger then a result of that behavior, which could be a reward or a cost
• Bad habits could cost you your job, relationships and a lot of things you value and set you up for failure
• Good habits can help you find opportunities, make meaningful connections and set you up for success
• You can break a habit loop by identifying and preventing your trigger, like changing your environment
• You can also break a habit loop by changing your response to your trigger or choosing an alternative behavior
• It’s important to weigh the short term vs long term benefits of a habit and evaluate how a specific habit positively or negatively contributes to your goals
• Baby steps! You can’t change or form a habit at once but by small and consistent milestones
• YOU are more than a specific behavior, which means you have control over your forming positive habits and breaking negative ones.

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