Fragile Habits = Strong Habits 💪🏻
In February 2020, I learned about the technique of habit stacking and applied it to my meditation practice. I went from being inconsistent to a streak of 131 days.
Impressive, right? Yet, I would still characterize my meditation habit as fragile.
Fragile habits are easy to stop and need ongoing attention.
Unlike sticky habits which rely on low energy. Fragile habits need high energy. Strong effort is involved but they get easier with repetition.
My brain is like "oh yeah, we meditate each morning, let’s just do it". The frequency lowers the cognitive load. The negotiation process is gone. As a result, processing speed increases.
Still, no matter what you do, fragile habits need attention. Most of the time, these are the "good" habits we are all striving for. The best way to sustain them is by having a supporting cast.
What else happened in 2020? Yup, that thing. Before it happened, I made a decision. Meditation was getting done first thing in the morning or it would not happen. I was on a 3-week streak before WFH became permanent. Not feeling rushed getting ready for work supports my morning meditation.
I also rely on the environment to trigger an automatic response to meditate. That also means, if you pull the rug out under me, I am going to slip.
I have slipped 26 days. All can be attributed to changes to the environment. In particular, staying in a hotel room or at my girlfriend’s place. In those instances, I figured either downsize (3 minutes from my standard 10 minutes) or give myself a break.
Streaks are exciting though. They prove discipline. Each rep gets us closer to having harmony between intention and action.
Those actions inch us closer to a goal, but more importantly shape an identity. Identity is crucial for a habit to endure. Once baked into who you are, you will feel off when you don't do it. That is how I feel these days with my meditation practice. Fragile, yet strong.
⏱️ The 5-Minute Rule
In the last issue, I mentioned how I try to focus on a single task at a time using the app Session.
But another problem is just starting. If it’s a habit, you want to start tiny. When it comes to tasks, I find a similar psychological trick can also work.
I stumbled upon the 5-minute rule before, but finally started using it. Here is how it works.
Feeling scared to start a project or task due to feelings of discomfort?
Say to yourself “I’m just going to spend 5 minutes on it”. After 5 minutes, if nothing clicks, quit. 80% of the time, I end up spending 30 minutes or more on it.
Why does this work? Momentum. Motivation comes AFTER, not BEFORE, you start. Little pieces of feedback tell us progress is happening. The problem is being solved. The product is being produced. The writing is being written.
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Thanks for reading. Be well.
Irfan
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