January 23, 2023

The Four Laws of Behaviour Change

Creating automatic habits depends on a neurological feedback loop – cue, cravings, response, reward. This is called the habit loop.

James Clear proposes four laws to create good habits and breaking bad habits. The good and bad habits form depending on how low or high the bar is to complete the habit loop.

Good Habits

To create good habits, each part of the habit loop should have a low bar or friction to achieve it.

Bad Habits

Bad habits can be broken by reversing the actions for each low. Introducing friction in each step would deter us from repeating the actions that lead to bad habits.

References:

  • Atomic Habits (James Clear), Chapter 3 – How to Build Better Habits in 4 Simple Steps