Skip to content
Call: 303-993-7910400 S. McCaslin Blvd, Suite 210, Louisville, Colorado 80027 | Get DirectionsFor Practitioners
Facebook page opens in new windowTwitter page opens in new windowPinterest page opens in new windowInstagram page opens in new windowYouTube page opens in new windowLinkedin page opens in new windowRss page opens in new window
Dr. Jill Carnahan, MD
Your Functional Medicine Expert!
Dr. Jill Carnahan, MDDr. Jill Carnahan, MD

Flatiron Functional Medicine Newsletter

Join Dr. Jills' health community today and receive health tips, recipes and recommended products for a healthier you!
Join today and get Dr. Jill's Paleo-licious Snack Ideas for free! We promise never to share your email with anyone.
  • HOME
  • MY STORY
  • ABOUT
    • About Us
    • What is Functional Medicine?
    • Mission Statement
    • Meet Dr. Jill C. Carnahan, MD, ABIHM, IFMCP
    • Meet Crystal Crowley, MS, PA-C, IFMCP
    • Meet The Team
    • Location
    • Fees
    • FAQs
    • Forms
    • Testimonials
    • For Practitioners
  • SERVICES
    • Services
    • Functional Medicine Consulting with Dr. Jill
    • Functional Medicine Consultation with Crystal Crowley, MS, PA-C, IFMCP
    • Naturopathic Consulting with Dr. Nicole
    • Massage Therapy with Rene
    • Nutritional Consulting with Judy
    • Nutritional Consulting with Megan
    • Chiropractic Care with Dr. JoEllen
    • Nutrition therapy and Private Yoga with Haley
    • Infrared Sauna Detox Therapy
    • IV Infusion Therapy
  • RECIPES
  • PRESS KIT
  • EVENTS
  • VIDEO/AUDIO
  • BLOG
    • Dr. Jill’s Blog
    • Dr. Jill’s Recipes
    • Dr. Jill’s Facebook
    • Dr. Jill’s Instagram
    • Dr. Jill on LinkedIn
    • Flatiron Functional Medicine on LinkedIn
  • ONLINE STORE
    • Online Store
    • Products We Love
  • CONTACT
  • HOME
  • MY STORY
  • ABOUT
    • About Us
    • What is Functional Medicine?
    • Mission Statement
    • Meet Dr. Jill C. Carnahan, MD, ABIHM, IFMCP
    • Meet Crystal Crowley, MS, PA-C, IFMCP
    • Meet The Team
    • Location
    • Fees
    • FAQs
    • Forms
    • Testimonials
    • For Practitioners
  • SERVICES
    • Services
    • Functional Medicine Consulting with Dr. Jill
    • Functional Medicine Consultation with Crystal Crowley, MS, PA-C, IFMCP
    • Naturopathic Consulting with Dr. Nicole
    • Massage Therapy with Rene
    • Nutritional Consulting with Judy
    • Nutritional Consulting with Megan
    • Chiropractic Care with Dr. JoEllen
    • Nutrition therapy and Private Yoga with Haley
    • Infrared Sauna Detox Therapy
    • IV Infusion Therapy
  • RECIPES
  • PRESS KIT
  • EVENTS
  • VIDEO/AUDIO
  • BLOG
    • Dr. Jill’s Blog
    • Dr. Jill’s Recipes
    • Dr. Jill’s Facebook
    • Dr. Jill’s Instagram
    • Dr. Jill on LinkedIn
    • Flatiron Functional Medicine on LinkedIn
  • ONLINE STORE
    • Online Store
    • Products We Love
  • CONTACT

Tired of Making Promises to Yourself That You Never Keep? Make Lifestyle Changes That Finally Stick!

You are here:
  1. Home
  2. Nutrition
  3. Tired of Making Promises to…
habits

When it comes to health, most people know what to do: eat a balanced, nutritious diet; exercise three to five times a week; get seven to nine hours of sleep every night; maintain a healthy weight; limit alcohol consumption; and keep up with annual physical exams. 

Simple enough, right?

Maybe. But we all know it’s much easier said than done. That’s why so many people give up on their New Year’s resolutions by mid-February. The truth is, goals aren’t your problem — your habits are. Our understanding of habits and their development have come a long way, and in this article, we’ll discuss how you can develop good habits to create a healthy lifestyle. 

 

What are Habits?

For better or worse, humans are creatures of habit. Most people follow the same routine every day. From the route you take to work to the snacks you grab at the cafeteria checkout register, it’s unlikely that you have to think much about them — your body just seems to know what to do. In fact, habits account for approximately 40 percent of your daily activities.1

Think about it this way: Since your brain is continuously analyzing your situation and is learning the most effective course of action, when you come across an unexpected reward, your brain makes a note of the events and actions that resulted in that reward. Then, when you face similar problems repeatedly, your brain simply follows the same scripts: if this, then that. 

Habits, then, as author James Clear writes in his book, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones, are “mental shortcuts learned from experience. In a sense, a habit is just a memory of the steps you previously followed to solve a problem in the past.” 

In other words, habits put your mind on autopilot.

But if this is true, then why is it so hard to build good habits? Why are so many people struggling with chronic illnesses when many of them can be prevented by adopting a healthier lifestyle?2,3

It’s because we often think of change in the wrong way. Many people believe that great success, such as losing weight or building a business, requires massive action. It can be difficult to appreciate small improvements. But success can’t be achieved by motivation alone. While motivation alone might give you a temporary boost, it’s hardly sustainable long-term. On the other hand, once a new pattern of behavior becomes routine, your brain activity level decreases, freeing it up for more important things as you stop having to analyze every aspect of a situation. 

Clear writes that habits should be thought of as “the compound interest of self-improvement.” Just as the way money invested today grows through compounding interest, the impact of your habits (good and bad) multiply as you repeat them. This means that while the effects of your bad habits may not be apparent now, they could have a tremendous impact in five to 10 years. 

 

The Process of Building a Habit

The process of building a habit can be broken down into four fundamental steps: cue, craving, response, and reward. Let’s look into each step and how they work.

  1. The cue is something that triggers your brain to initiate a behavior. Because a cue is the first sign that we are close to a reward, it leads naturally to step two, craving.
  2. Cravings are the reason or motivational force behind the habit. Note that you are not craving the habit itself; instead, you’re craving the change in internal state that the habit delivers. Most cravings are hiding in plain sight — they’re just hard to see when we are under their influence.
  3. The response is the actual habit, which can be in the form of a thought or an action. This step can only occur if you are capable of doing it and if it is easy for you to do it. In other words, the less mental or physical energy an action or thought requires, the more likely you are to do it — as long as you are able to. 
  4. The reward is the end goal of the habit. It satisfies our cravings and teaches our brains if a particular loop is worth remembering for the future. 

A behavior lacking in any one of these four stages will not become a habit. The key here is to make the reward so desirable so that your brain connects the cue to the reward. If the sight of an empty dishwasher doesn’t provide you with enough satisfaction, consider a more desirable reward, like getting to watch your favorite show. 

 

The Four Laws of Behavior Change

Clear identified a framework to transform the four steps into a framework you can use to build good habits and break bad ones. Think of each law as a lever. That is, when the lever is in the right place, good habits are easy to develop; when the lever is in the wrong place, it becomes much more difficult. 

 

Law How to Create a Good Habit How to Break a Bad Habit
1st law (cue) Make it obvious. Make it invisible.
2nd law (craving) Make it attractive. Make it unattractive.
3rd law (response) Make it easy. Make it difficult.
4th law (reward) Make it satisfying. Make it unsatisfying.

 

The Four Laws of Behavior Change can be applied to nearly every field, no matter what challenge you’re facing. 

 

How to Build a New Habit in Six Steps

 

1. Change Your Identity

Whenever you commit to starting a new habit, it’s important to set yourself up for success. This means that before you do anything, you need to commit to an identity. Research studies have found that people have difficulty adhering to a behavior if it’s not concordant with the self.4 As Clear writes in his book: “The first step is not what or how, but who. You need to know who you want to be…You have the power to change your beliefs about yourself. Your identity is not set in stone…Habits are…not about having something. They are about becoming someone.” 

For example, if you want to quit smoking, it’s not enough to say, “I’m trying to quit.” Instead, someone who says, “I don’t smoke,” is a person who has embraced an identity as a non-smoker. And the more pride you have in an aspect of your identity, the more motivated you will be to maintain habits associated with it. 

Once you’ve identified a desired identity, here are some additional tips for building good habits.

 

2. Be Clear About Your Intentions

Most people don’t give up on their New Year’s resolutions because they don’t have the motivation. What they lack is clarity. While committing to a new identity certainly appears to have an influence on behavior, research findings show that it’s often not enough to encourage adherence. People either forget to perform the behavior or may temporarily stop the behavior because another competing behavior gained priority. 

To combat this issue, it’s important to have an implementation intention, a plan you write down beforehand about when, where, and/or how you will pursue your behavioral goals. Following Law #1, identify an obvious cue, extrinsic or intrinsic, that will trigger you to perform a behavior. Your implementation intention could be something like, “When situation X occurs, I will respond with Y.”

 

3. Stack Your Habits

No behavior is isolated. Just like how going to the bathroom is followed by washing your hands, which is then followed by drying your hands, one action can be a cue that triggers another behavior. You may be surprised at how many of your habits are bundled together so that they simply become an extension of one another. 

This coupling of habits — widely known as “habit stacking” — can be used to your advantage by using an existing habit as a cue to trigger a new habit. This works best when the cue is extremely specific so that there’s no room for ambiguity. Here’s an example: “As soon as I get up in the morning, I will make my bed.”

 

4. Think Incredibly Small

We’re all taught to think big in order to achieve big success. But when it comes to building new habits, think small — so small and easy that it would be ridiculous for you to not do it. Clear suggests using the Two Minute Rule: when starting a new habit, force yourself to do it for only two minutes. This circumvents the “willpower” problem and is an incredibly powerful strategy. 

For example: Rather than starting off with a vague goal of getting healthier, take probiotics right after you get up in the morning. 

 

5. Make Small Increases in Your Habit

As stated earlier, habits behave like compounded interest. Although it’s highly unlikely that you’ll notice one percent improvements, they can add up surprisingly fast. When you do the math, a one percent daily gain means you’ll be about 37 times better at the end of the year. Conversely, if you get one percent worse at something every day, you’ll decline to nearly zero. 

Over time, as you start noticing improvements, your motivation and willpower will increase, making it easier to stick to your habits.

 

6. Make Rewards Immediate

You won’t gain ten pounds after eating just one meal of fast food, but you’ll feel full and you’ll get to avoid cooking. And this is the problem with bad habits: while their effects are delayed, their rewards are immediate. 

As the 4th law of behavior change states, to build good habits, you need to make your rewards satisfying. But you also need to make rewards immediate. Once a habit is firmly established, you can train yourself to delay gratification. 

 

The Problem Isn’t You, It’s Your System

This discussion of habits certainly does not mean you shouldn’t set goals. Think of goals as the results you want to achieve. In order to achieve those results, you will need a good system (i.e., habits) that will help you make meaningful progress. This is an important distinction: successful and unsuccessful people have the same goals. The difference is in their commitment to the process. As Clear writes, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

Now it’s time to hear from you. What are your good and bad habits? What have you tried doing to break your bad habits? What steps will you take to build good habits? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

 

References:

  1. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0146167211419863
  2. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.117.032047
  3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4841510/
  4. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/2e72/8a6e9d346aa52d93527824b5ba54003d56d2.pdf

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The product mentioned in this article are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.   The information in this article is not intended to replace any recommendations or relationship with your physician.  Please review references sited at end of article for scientific support of any claims made.

Category: NutritionBy Dr. Jill C. Carnahan, MD, ABIHM, IFMCPNovember 7, 20193 Comments
Tags: healthy lifestyle changelifestyle changeNew Habit in Six StepsThe Four Laws of Behavior ChangeThe Process of Building a Habit
Share this post
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook TweetShare on Twitter Pin itShare on Pinterest Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

Author: Dr. Jill C. Carnahan, MD, ABIHM, IFMCP

https://www.jillcarnahan.com/

Dr. Jill is Your Functional Medicine Expert! She uses functional medicine to help you find answers to the cause of your illness and addresses the biochemical imbalances that may be making you feel ill. She'll help you search for underlying triggers contributing to your illness through cutting edge lab testing and tailor the intervention to your specific needs as an individual. She may use diet, supplements, lifestyle changes or medication to treat your illness but will seek the most gentle way to help your body restore balance along with the least invasive treatment possible. Dr. Jill is a functional medicine expert consultant and treats environmental and mold-related illness as well

Post navigation

PreviousPrevious post:Is IV Vitamin Therapy Simply a Fad? Or is It Here to Stay?NextNext post:Traveling Across the Country? Here are 6 Ways to Hack Jet Lag

Related posts

coffee
Can Coffee Help You Live Longer? The Remarkable Health Benefits of Coffee
May 12, 2022
Superfood Aronia Berries
The Incredible Benefits of Aronia Berries (Chokeberries) – One of the Best Kept Secret Superfoods
November 9, 2021
Antiviral Effects of Honey
Honey: A Look at the Impressive Antiviral Effects of This Sweet Treat
July 19, 2021
eating-plastic-microplastics
Are You Eating Plastic? How Microplastics Might be Hiding Out on Your Dinner Plate
June 30, 2021
eggplant-benefits
Eggplant: The Impressive Health-Boosting Benefits of This Versatile Vegetable
June 16, 2021
sugar vs artificial sweeteners
The Sweet (and Not-So-Sweet) Truth About Sugar Substitutes
January 25, 2021

3 Comments

  1. Rebecca says:
    November 13, 2019 at 7:15 am

    I really liked the book “Atomic Habit” and have been working to implement those strategies for building and breaking habits. Your concise summary in your post is perfect and so helpful as a reference. Thank you! My new identity is “I am an athlete“ and more specifically “I am a surfer”. Still working on finding the right trigger/habit stacking to consistently work out. But I am getting there. 🙂

    Reply
    • Jill Carnahan, MD says:
      November 14, 2019 at 1:05 pm

      thanks for sharing, Rebecca! I loved the book as well…

      Reply
  2. Pingback: 8 Practical Ways to Manage Stress In the New Year! - Jill Carnahan, MD

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Post comment

Search
Dr. Jill
Dr. Jill will help you search for underlying triggers contributing to your illness through cutting edge lab testing and tailor the intervention to your specific needs as an individual.
  • Address:
    400 S. McCaslin Blvd, Suite 210, Louisville, Colorado 80027
  • Get Directions
  • Phone:
    (303) 993-7910
  • Fax:
    (303) 993-4674
  • Specialty
    Functional Medicine Expert Trained in Family Medicine Board Certified Trained in Integrative Holistic Medicine

Find us on:

Facebook page opens in new windowTwitter page opens in new windowYouTube page opens in new windowRss page opens in new windowLinkedin page opens in new windowPinterest page opens in new windowInstagram page opens in new window
Testimonials

I certainly understand how Dr. Jill got so popular! Love watching her very interesting videos on the site and have signed up for the newsletter. She exudes such an air of competence, authenticity, intelligence and humility!

Karin
Karin

Good day Jill, you Motivated me very much. In the Last years, I prepared to become a registered German Naturopath (Heilpraktiker). The webinars of Functional Medicine Practitioners I attended as often as I could. Best wishes from Europe.

Norbert
Norbert

In my many years and many experiences with doctors… you guys have them beat, hands down. You guys are great.

Jessica Hull
Jessica Hull

I just wanted to thank Dr. Carnahan and all the staff for a wonderful visit. What a great experience from start to finish. Of course, Dr. Carnahan is the icing on the cake! (Hmmm …need a healthier analogy) Anyway, I’m feeling excited optimistic, and hopeful after all these years of being sick. Again my thanks and blessings to you all. Warmly, Roberta

Roberta
Roberta

I just wanted to send a quick thank you for your time and advice today. I am so appreciative and I feel hopeful that the plan we have can really help me. I’ve been sick for a long time and recently I’ve been rather discouraged with where I’m at with my health. I believe that God has allowed our paths to cross and that He is going to use you help restore my body to health. Thank you for giving me hope. Blessings, Kara

Kara
Kara

I wanted to let you know you did an outstanding job at this past weekend at the IFM {Reversing Cognitive Decline} conference. I appreciate you sharing your personal health journey. You are a true inspiration!

Ronald Grisanti
Dr. Ronald GrisantiBoard Certified Chiropractic Orthopedist
Facebook
Jill Carnahan, MD
Functional Medicine Newsletter
Join Dr. Jills' health community today and receive health tips, recipes and recommended products for a healthier you!
Join today and get Dr. Jill's Paleo-licious Snack Ideas for free! We promise never to share your email with anyone.
Dr. Jill
Dr. Jill will help you search for underlying triggers contributing to your illness through cutting edge lab testing and tailor the intervention to your specific needs as an individual.
  • Address:
    400 S. McCaslin Blvd, Suite 210, Louisville, Colorado 80027
  • Phone:
    (303) 993-7910
  • Fax:
    (303) 993-4674

Find us on:

Facebook page opens in new windowTwitter page opens in new windowYouTube page opens in new windowRss page opens in new windowLinkedin page opens in new windowPinterest page opens in new windowInstagram page opens in new window
Latest Tweets
  • Jim LaValle : Dr. Jill LIVE! Interview https://t.co/6FlSnwwKiD via @FacebookWatch10 days ago
  • Erin Pheil: Dr. Jill LIVE! Interview https://t.co/tIh4qer14V via @FacebookWatch10 days ago
  • Hope for MOLD: Dr. Jill LIVE! Interview https://t.co/2mvyZeC0o4 via @FacebookWatch15 days ago
Facebook
Jill Carnahan, MD
Dr. Jill Carnahan, MD

© 2022 Jill Carnahan. All Rights Reserved | Site by Yakadanda  | FAQS | Disclaimer | Financial Policy | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions

| Dr. Jill works as a functional medicine consultant in conjunction with your current health care team and is not considered a replacement for your primary care physician. She requires all new patients to have a primary care physician to cover emergencies and routine care and screening.

Flatiron Functional Medicine Newsletter
Join Dr. Jills' health community today and receive health tips, recipes and recommended products for a healthier you!
Join today and get Dr. Jill's Paleo-licious Snack Ideas for free! We promise never to share your email with anyone.
Flatiron Functional Medicine Newsletter
Thanks for Joining Me in the Microbiome Summit. Get Your Free Download Here
Join new and get your free copy of Paleolicious Snack Ideas. We promise never to share your email with anyone.
Flatiron Functional Medicine Newsletter
Join Dr. Jills' health community today and get SEVEN FREE health downloads
Join today and get Dr. Jill's Paleo-licious Snack Ideas for free! We promise never to share your email with anyone.
Functional Medicine Newsletter
Join Dr. Jills' health community today and receive health tips, recipes and recommended products for a healthier you!
Join today and get Dr. Jill's Paleo-licious Snack Ideas for free! We promise never to share your email with anyone.
Flatiron Functional Medicine Newsletter
Join Dr. Jills' health community today and receive health tips, recipes and recommended products for a healthier you!
Join today and get Dr. Jill's Paleo-licious Snack Ideas for free! We promise never to share your email with anyone.
Flatiron Functional Medicine Holiday Giveaway
Enter now to win your free Berkey Water Filtration Sysyem (my personal favorite).
We promise never to share your email with anyone.
RESOLVE YOUR MOLD EXPOSURE SYMPTOMS
Dr. Jill's long-awaited Miracle Mold Detox Box is finally here. This handcrafted and researched bundle includes all of the crucial pieces you need to release and flush out toxins in 30 days.
SHOP NOW