The Idea: Phillippa Lally, a researcher at University College London, published a study in the European Journal of Social Psychology, analyzing how long it takes for people to form a new habit. On average, it takes 66 days before a new behavior becomes automatic. Habits are hard to start and even harder to kick.
Charles Duhigg’s research states habits make up 40 percent of our waking hours. These unconscious decisions direct our days and drive our lives. Duhigg wrote in The Power of Habit, “Willpower isn’t just a skill. It’s a muscle, like the muscles in your arms or legs, and it gets tired as it works harder, so there’s less power left over for other things.” We rely too much on self-control and not enough on the discipline of habits. Two troublesome habits plague our conversations.
“Fast-Thinking” Habit
We often answer questions way too quickly, and it comes at a personal cost. We need to break the habit of making quick decisions on matters that deserve reflection, nuance, and third-party advice.
Nobel prize winner, Daniel Kahneman shares in his pivotal book, Thinking Fast and Slow, that we utilize two sides of our brains to answer questions. Our reflex brain, which operates instinctually, encourages “fast-thinking” and operates on an unconscious level. The other side of the brain is more reflective and needs to be purposefully triggered. This “slow-thinking” side measures more abstract questions.
We prefer to answer questions quickly, moving on to things that hold more of our interest. This makes us prone to biases and errors. To best understand nuance and deeper insight, we need to activate our more reflective “slower-thinking” brain. We need to practice pausing more on complicated problems.
“Too Much Information” Habit
We often offer up way too much information to others when a synthesized answer would suffice. Too much detail often hinders your influence effectiveness.
NY Times writer Adam Bryant spoke with Greg Brenneman, chairman at CCMP Capital and shared the following truth about information over-kill. “Ask the question ‘What are the two or three levers that, if done right, if pulled correctly, will really turn this business?’ Then put that into a one-page plan.”
Brenneman shared “I learned back in the days when I was consulting at Bain and Company and before that when I was at Harvard Business School doing case studies, that they give you more information than you could possibly read, so you need to quickly step back and say ‘what are the two or three things that really matter?’” Are You buried in information and missing the plot?
Too much unnecessary information simply conveys you have not mastered the topic. Elite organizations stay focused on “the process” and personal habits. Goal setting alone does not drive outcomes. Habits matter more than skill, carrying you through your most tough times.
Stephen King writes 1000 words a day, 365 days a year, a habit he describes as “a sort of creative sleep.” Habits fuel the depth of his writing.
Writer Octavia Butler sums it up: “First, forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not.”
