There are four laws of behavior change
The four laws represent a set of simple rules used to create good habits and break bad ones.
All habits are broken down into four steps with two phases.
Problem phase
- Cue
- Craving
Solution phase
3. Response
4. Reward
THE CUE
The cue triggers your brain to initiate a behavior. It is a bit of information that predicts a reward. Your mind is continuously analyzing your internal and external environment for hints of where rewards are located. Because the cue is the first indication that we’re close to a reward, it naturally leads to a craving.
CRAVINGS
Cravings are the motivational force behind every habit. Without some level of motivation or desire—without craving a change—we have no reason to act. What you crave is not the habit itself but the change in state it delivers.
- You do not crave smoking a cigarette, you crave the feeling of relief it provides.
- You are not motivated by brushing your teeth but rather by the feeling of a clean mouth.
- You do not want to turn on the television, you want to be entertained.
Every craving is linked to a desire to change your internal state. This is an important point that we will discuss in detail later. Cravings differ from person to person.
In theory, any piece of information could trigger a craving, but in practice, people are not motivated by the same cues. For a gambler, the sound of slot machines can be a potent trigger that sparks an intense wave of desire. For someone who rarely gambles, the jingles and chimes of the casino are just background noise. Cues are meaningless until they are interpreted. The thoughts, feelings, and emotions of the observer are what transform a cue into a craving.
THE RESPONSE
The response is the actual habit you perform, which can take the form of a thought or an action. Whether a response occurs depends on how motivated you are and how much friction is associated with the behavior. If a particular action requires more physical or mental effort than you are willing to expend, then you won’t do it. Your response also depends on your ability. It sounds simple, but a habit can occur only if you are capable of doing it. If you want to dunk a basketball but can’t jump high enough to reach the hoop, well, you’re out of luck.
THE REWARD
Rewards are the end goal of every habit.
- The cue is about noticing the reward.
- The craving is about wanting the reward.
- The response is about obtaining the reward.
We chase rewards because they serve two purposes:
- they satisfy us and
- they teach us.
The first purpose of rewards is to satisfy your craving....rewards deliver contentment and relief from craving.
Second, rewards teach us which actions are worth remembering in the future. Your brain is a reward detector. As you go about your life, your sensory nervous system is continuously monitoring which actions satisfy your desires and deliver pleasure. Feelings of pleasure and disappointment are part of the feedback mechanism that helps your brain distinguish useful actions from useless ones. Rewards close the feedback loop and complete the habit cycle.
YOU NEED ALL FOUR
If a behavior is insufficient in any of the four stages, it will not become a habit.
- Eliminate the cue and your habit will never start.
- Reduce the craving and you won’t experience enough motivation to act.
- Make the behavior difficult and you won’t be able to do it.
- And if the reward fails to satisfy your desire, then you’ll have no reason to do it again in the future.
Without the first three steps, a behavior will not occur. Without all four, a behavior will not be repeated. All behavior is driven by the desire to solve a problem.
- Sometimes the problem is that you notice something good and you want to obtain it.
- Sometimes the problem is that you are experiencing pain and you want to relieve it.
Either way, the purpose of every habit is to solve the problems you face.
WHY IT MATTERS: You can think of each law as a lever that influences human behavior.
- When the levers are in the right positions, creating good habits is effortless.
- When they are in the wrong positions, it is nearly impossible.
GO DEEPER
How to Create a Good Habit
- The 1st law (Cue): Make it obvious.
- The 2nd law (Craving): Make it attractive.
- The 3rd law (Response): Make it easy.
- The 4th law (Reward): Make it satisfying.
We can invert these laws to learn how to break a bad habit.
How to Break a Bad Habit
- Inversion of the 1st law (Cue): Make it invisible.
- Inversion of the 2nd law (Craving): Make it unattractive.
- Inversion of the 3rd law (Response): Make it difficult.
- Inversion of the 4th law (Reward): Make it unsatisfying.
More tomorrow,
Hunter
PS: some examples below...
Problem Phase
- Cue: You hit a stumbling block on a project at work.
- Craving: You feel stuck and want to relieve your frustration.
Solution phase
- Response: You pull out your phone and check social media.
- Reward: You satisfy your craving to feel relieved.
Checking social media becomes associated with feeling stalled at work.
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Problem phase
- Cue: Your phone buzzes with a new text message.
- Craving: You want to learn the contents of the message.
Solution phase
- Response: You grab your phone and read the text.
- Reward: You satisfy your craving to read the message.
Grabbing your phone becomes associated with your phone buzzing.
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Problem phase
- Cue: You are answering emails.
- Craving: You begin to feel stressed and overwhelmed by work. You want to feel in control.
Solution phase
- Response: You bite your nails.
- Reward: You satisfy your craving to reduce stress.
Biting your nails becomes associated with answering email.
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Problem phase
Problem phase
- Cue: You wake up.
- Craving: You want to feel alert.
Solution phase
- Response: You drink a cup of coffee.
- Reward: You satisfy your craving to feel alert.
Drinking coffee becomes associated with waking up.
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Problem phase
- Cue: You smell a doughnut shop as you walk down the street near your office.
- Craving: You begin to crave a doughnut.
Solution phase
- Response: You buy a doughnut and eat it.
- Reward: You satisfy your craving to eat a doughnut.
Buying a doughnut becomes associated with walking down the street near your office.