We are hardwired to be lazy. And we have our brains to thank for it.
The human brain is lazy. Or, looking at it another way, the brain finds ways of doing things that enable it to work less.
And that is exactly why we have habits.
Habits use less brain fuel (glucose or ketones), and that is why the brain likes habits and wants you to engage in habits.
Conversely, thinking, or any conscious act, expends a great deal of brain fuel. That is why the brain fights you when you need to study or do any mental activity.
If you regularly beat yourself up over how much you procrastinate, don’t. It’s not your fault – it’s your brain’s fault. It’s not you that’s lazy – it’s your brain that’s lazy.
Forging a new habit, also expends a great deal of brain fuel. That’s why hardly anyone every sticks to their New Year’s Resolutions. Every time you try to add a new habit or get rid of an old bad habit, the brain puts up a fight. That is why habit change is so hard.
Once again, if you beat yourself up because you are unable to stick to your New Year’s Resolutions, stop blaming yourself and start blaming your brain.
But, if you’re one of my readers or subscribers, you understand how the brain works and you understand how to easily change your habits.
My book Change Your Habits Change Your Life became a huge bestseller because I teach readers all of the shortcuts I discovered in my Rich Habits research.
But why do I need to change my habits? You might ask.
Well, in short, your habits dictate your life circumstances.
The reason you struggle financially is due to your habits.
The reason you are overweight, have heart disease or are struggling with Type II Diabetes, is due to your habits.
The reason you are unsuccessful at your job or in your business, is due to your habits.
Your current habits are responsible for the life you are currently living.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of the population has far more bad habits than good habits. That is why there are far more people struggling financially than there are millionaires.
Poor people have more Poor Money Habits than they have Rich Money Habits.
Rich people have more Rich Money Habits than they have Poor Money Habits.
Healthy people have more Rich Health Habits than they have Poor Health Habits.
Unhealthy people have more Poor Health Habits than they have Rich Health Habits.
Poor Habits drag you down. Rich Habits lift you up.
The CEO of of your habits is something called the basal ganglia.
The basal ganglia is tasked by the brain to create habits in order to reduce the amount of fuel the brain uses every day. The more habits, the merrier, as far as the brain is concerned.
The brain is quite frankly an energy hog.
It uses 20% of all of the glucose (or ketones) and 25% of the oxygen taken in by the body every day. Without habits, the brain’s fuel needs would not be met and brain activity would be forced to slow down. When the brain is running out of easily available brain fuel (called Willpower Depletion), it sends a message to the rest of the body that it’s time to sleep or rest.
Without habits we would literally need to take a siesta every hour. Habits make it possible for us to function for long stretches of time, without the need for rest.
So habits are wonderful things. The brain likes them so much that 40-60% (depending on the study) of all of your physical and mental activities are habits.
Think about that for a moment – 40-60% of what you do every day is dictated by your habits.
If those habits are good, then your life will be good.
Habits matter.
Great post, as always! Good reminder of the basics.
Thank You Sir. This is a life saver especially with the lockdowns due to the Covid-19. Every word here is for me.
Thank you