Transformative Practices > Habits
Jason Hreha breaks it down for us
Have you ever read one of the many “habit hacking” books and wondered why you consistently fail to keystone habit your way into perfect health, your dream career, a spiritual awakening, or… honestly anything else of substance, despite the fact that apparently that’s what all the people profiled in these books have semi-magically been able to do?
If so, take heart! You are not alone, you are not crazy, and you are not failing at life.
Behavioral scientist Jason Hreha’s definition of habits is “reliable solutions to recurring problems in our environment.” Our brain prioritizes efficient solutions to these recurring problems, and habits are about as efficient as can be, They are essentially “automatic” and “effortless” from our conscious brain’s perspective.
But here’s the thing, as Jason points out in his book Real Change: Moving Beyond Habits to Achieve Lasting Transformation,
“Nothing worthwhile and meaningful is automatic and effortless.”
The major transformations many of us are interested in are not things we can habit hack our way through. They require mindful, thoughtful attention. They take physical and mental effort. They are complex and dynamic.
Ryder Carroll had also expressed this sentiment in the Bullet Journal Newsletter titled “Why good habits don’t exist”:
In practice, optimizing for automation collides with a far more important quality: presence.
Taking an honest look at my life, almost all of my automatic behaviors were/are destructive. Smoking, drinking, eating, snacking, binge watching, doomscrolling, etc. Most of these behaviors are fear or stress responses. They’re designed to take me away from the present moment. They rarely offer anything in return other than temporary distraction.
What if we've got it all backward? What if the behaviors that truly enrich our lives aren't the ones we can put on autopilot, but the ones that demand our full attention? For me, it's the moments of deep focus - whether I'm writing, having a heartfelt conversation, or even simply savoring a meal - that bring me the most satisfaction and growth.
Ryder’s ideas, many of which can be found in his book The Bullet Journal Method, jibe well with Jason’s concept of Transformative Practices.
Hreha’s book is a quick read, but provides a wealth of inspiration and insight into lasting behavior change via the “Transformative Practice Path,” which he outlines as follows:
The Transformative Practice Path:
1. Solve your energy issues.
2. Disrupt your bad habits.
3. Trade your bad habits for good habits.
4. Build Transformative Practices.
To carefully select your Transformative Practices, use the Behavioral Strategy process:
Step 1: Choose your goal.
Step 2: Be honest with yourself.
Step 3: Come up with Transformative Practice ideas.
Step 4: Rank the potential Transformative Practices.
Step 5: Choose a top-rated Transformative Practice and do it.
Don’t forget: A good Transformative Practice is exciting, easy, enjoyable, and effective. You will have a hard time being consistent with any behavior that is missing one of these four components. While there is no shortcut or hack to personal transformation, it is possible to set your life up for consistent growth and real change using the Transformative Practice Path. Remember, transformational change is a process that requires patience, commitment, and consistency. You may encounter setbacks and challenges along the way, but don’t give up. Keep pushing forward.
I highly recommend diving into the book if you’re looking to make major intentional changes in your life, and doubly so if you’ve been frustrated in the past by how the “power of habit” in your life seems to only manifest in less than ideal ways.