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In episode 4 of the Maker/Mistaker Podcast, Jeff and George get into a great discussion on habits. We cover a lot of the psychology of habits and why we do the things we do. We get into how and why we get into bad habits in the first place and what we can do to break them.
We talked about what you can do to start new, positive habits and build your life around this idea. Becoming a habit-former. Becoming a person who has control over their life and is aware of outside influences.
We talk about being mindful of our triggers and tendencies and how we can identify where we have small little habits or addictions. Some of which are controlling our lives and we don’t even know it.
If anyone can find a way to talk for two hours about habits, we did it. And it never gets boring! Read on for the show notes.
Music for this episode: Evil Lives by Jeff Finley
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Show Notes
00:00:45 Introductions
00:02:45 Perfectionism, procrastination, holiday breaks
00:03:56 The basics of building habits, triggers, rewards, addictions
00:06:30 What’s more addicting Facebook or smoking?
00:09:15 Emotional triggers for bad habits
00:11:00 Easing anxiety in social situations, avoidance behaviors
00:14:00 Looking at your phone
00:16:00 You don’t actually WANT to do the bad habit
00:17:30 Being present: An altered state of consciousness
00:21:20 Talking to strangers instead of being preoccupied
00:24:30 Dopamine and the reward system in our brain
00:27:00 The manipulation of our reward system
00:28:30 Discipline: What you want now vs what you want most
00:31:00 The future you is a stranger to your present self
00:34:00 Synthetic motivation and our hijacked reward system
00:35:00 Fitting in: Picking up habits of people around us
00:38:10 How to breaking bad habits – change environment
00:42:40 Triggers in your environment, office, etc.
00:44:00 Mental bad habits and limiting beliefs
00:46:06 More psychological habits, approval seeking
00:48:00 Mindfulness of your emotions, triggers, staying alert
00:50:00 Get rid of distractions and hurdles
00:51:30 Making the habit “default” like brushing your teeth
00:52:00 Chaining to other habits, awesome technique
00:54:10 Replacing bad habits with something else
00:55:20 Small habits are the key
00:56:50 Keystone habits, morning routines
00:59:00 Feeling “weird” to not do your new habits
01:00:30 Making your bed, a surprisingly powerful habit
01:03:30 Tiny victories lead to self-esteem boosts
01:05:40 Using novelty to keep the flame lit
01:09:00 Getting past the need to be rewarded
01:10:30 Reducing your addiction to novelty
01:12:00 Taking a break from habits to obtain perspective
01:14:30 Reflecting on your success
01:18:00 Addiction to doing, achieving, and productivity
01:21:20 A longing for a deeper purpose
01:23:00 When playing makes you feel guilty
01:24:30 Pleasing the authority makes me feel productive
01:27:00 Anxiety around not making money with our actions
01:28:20 Addicted to self-improvement and learning
01:31:45 Productive consumption vs productive creation
01:34:00 Porn and exploitation of our primal urges, our lower brain
01:37:00 The Internet never ends, infinite novelty, overload
01:40:20 Unplugging from dopamine intake to reset your brain
01:42:00 Binging on information or inspiration
01:43:00 Addiction to not being addicted
01:44:18 Concrete steps to start building better habits today
01:50:30 Becoming a person who changes and creates their life
01:58:30 Bookend habits – make your bed, do the dishes
Links:
- ZenHabits
- Power of Habit Book
- Lifehacker – Lifestyle Design
- Gamifcation by Design
- Some people see their future-selves as strangers
- Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg
- Keystone Habits
- The War of Art
- Lift.do habit-building app
- The real reason for the 40-hour workweek
- Your Brain on Porn
- iProcrastinate podcast
- Jeff’s discussion about the anti-porn movement
- The Slight Edge book
- How to work less and increase productivity
Image credit: Modified from this image on Flickr Creative Commons by Jason Rogers
Leave us a comment about the show below! Tell us about your troubles or success with habits or what you might like to see us talk about next!
