No Mental Energy Required: How to Know If We Have Developed a Desired Habit

“Change might not be fast and it isn’t always easy. But with time and effort, almost any habit can be reshaped.” ― Charles Duhigg

Quora Question: When can we say that we have already developed a good reading habit?

I think a habit takes hold when you no longer must put mental effort into doing it. 

A habit starts off hard because we must put extra mental effort into planning and executing it. It’s like when we first learned how to drive a car.  We got in and ran through a mental checklist of everything we needed to do to get started.  Do we have to adjust our seat or mirrors?  Do I have my seatbelt on?  Once everything was ready, then we could drive off.

It’s the same mental energy we must use to establish a new habit whether it’s reading, exercise or eating healthy.

In establishing a reading habit, our mental effort goes into choosing a book, what time of day is best for reading your book, as well as staying focused in reading the book once you have sat down. 

As driving a car has become a “non-thinking” habit, reading, exercise and eating healthy also becomes a “non-thinking” habit.  We just do it.  When you can name off your favorite author or favorite books or grab a book anytime you have free time, that’s when you realize you have developed a reading habit.

Another indication of a developed habit is when you “crave” that activity.  There are sometimes when I turn on the television, surf the channels and nothing catches my attention.  I find myself turning of the television and grabbing a book instead.  Sometimes a can read a book for more than an hour and never realize how much time has passed.

I think the biggest thing to keep in mind about developing habits is your “why” behind it.  Awareness is key! Some habits take hold easier because of your passion in achieving a specific goal.  My reading habit developed when I wanted to learn how to change some of my undesirable behaviors.  The desire to change, was the first step in changing.  Along my change journey, I developed not only a reading habit but also an exercise habit and a journaling habit.

So here are some takeaways I would like to share:

1. Your “why” will help with the “how”.  It’s like putting your brain on notice to start looking for ways to help you achieve a desired outcome.
2. Keep in mind, change is never easy.  If it was, everyone would do it. 
3. There is no hack in developing a habit. It takes mental effort and desired outcome to keep you motivated.
4. Track your progress. Celebrate the little wins along the way.
5. Give yourself Grace. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a habit!

Thank you for taking time out to read this post. I would love to learn more about who you are and what you do. Feel free to connect with me through a Meetup group.

1. Confident Strides Women’s Empowerment Network https://bit.ly/CSWENMeetup
2. Confident Strides Personal Development Network Group https://bit.ly/CSPDNMeetup
3. Confident Strides Women’s Professional Network https://bit.ly/CSWPNMeetup
4. Confident Strides Entrepreneurs Network https://bit.ly/CSENMeetup

Quote Source: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/habits

To connect with me: https:///confidentstrides