Your subconscious brain loves efficiency; this is why we have habits.When you repeat a behavior
over time,your brain learns to automate the process. It's more energy efficient to automatically
do something than to manually weigh your options and decide to act the same way every time.
When you make a decision very quickly, it is probably from habit, even if you think you're
actively deciding. In a way, you made the decision a while ago. Choosing your favorite ice
cream flavor is one example.
2.1 Slow-Changing, Stable Brains
The human brain is slow-changing and stable; it has routines and a framework that allow it to
respond consistently to the world. Having a slow-changing brain is frustrating at times, but
overall, it's highly beneficial. Imagine if your personality and life could transform
overnight-you would go crazy!
Once you successfully develop new healthy habits, everything becomes easier. You can get up,
eat your healthy breakfast, and go to the gym every morning automatically instead of conducting a
drawn-out battle with your brain. You can do the right things with little effort. For many, this
feels like a daydream. They only know the dark side of stability: how the brain compels them to
eat junk food, watch TV, smoke, and bite their nails. But good habits are as amazing as bad
habits are dreadful.
I know exercise is a habit for me because my identity has changed with it.It would feel odd and
unsatisfying in a that's not me kind of way if I didn't go to the gym a few times per week.
Last year, however, my identity was as a person who did just enough to stay in average shape.
Both scenarios emerge from habit. Since 45% of our behavior is automatic regardless of what we do,
we might as well make it beneficial to our lives and goals. In order to do that expertly, we
need to understand the two primary players in the brain.
2.2 A Stupid Repeater & A Smart Manager
Most of your brain is stupid. Well, not yours specifically-a certain part of every human brain
is stupid, in the sense that it doesn't consider lung cancer while you smoke or the perks of
great abs before you exercise. Worse, this is the strong part of your brain that usually gets
its way long term. It recognizes and repeats patterns until told otherwise. It's called the
basal ganglia.
There is another section of your brain,however, that is really smart. It's called the
prefrontal cortex and it's located behind your forehead. It's the "manager" that understands
long-term benefits and consequences, and thankfully, it has the ability to override the basal
ganglia. It handles short-term thinking and decision-making too.