Many people who want to create consistency in their daily actions try to do this using the “Habit Loop” formula that has been popularized by Charles Duhigg, James Clear, and others.
The habit loop is a 4-part process:
- Cue or Trigger: The catalyzing circumstance or event.
- Craving: The desire or anticipation of an outcome or reward.
- Action, Routine or Response: The behavior.
- Reward: The payoff of the craving, which reinforces the loop.
Despite the straightforwardness and simplicity, of this process, many people struggle when they try to apply this to behaviors like exercise, creative work, and healthy eating.
That’s because this model is based on underlying assumptions that don’t fit actual human behavior.
The Origins of the Habit Loop
The habit loop is a behaviorist model based on the famous experiments that Ivan Pavlov did with his dogs.
Initially, the dogs salivated only for food. Pavlov designed an experiment in which he would ring a bell, then provide a treat to the dogs. After repeating this conditioning, ringing the bell was enough to stimulate the production of saliva in the dogs.
The key finding of Pavlov’s experiment was that biological responses can become associated with neutral environmental cues through repeated pairings.
Where the Habit Loop Works
Pavlov’s experiments help explain involuntary, learned behavior in humans. Responses like saliva production, heart rate, arousal, stress levels, emotional states, and somatic experiences can be manipulated by different triggers.
It can also work for simple, low-risk behaviors with consistent outcomes, or mindless responses.
Hitting snooze in response to an alarm next to your bed is a classic “habit” loop:
- Trigger: alarm goes off
- Craving: quiet
- Response: hit the snooze button
- Reward: alarm stops
Where the Habit Loop Fails
Somewhere along the way, people decided we can apply the habit loop to all behavior change, including behaviors like eating healthy, working out, or other complex actions.
The problem is that these behaviors aren’t actually habits. They are not automatic, involuntary behaviors. Rather, they are choices we must make each time under changing circumstances, and often with variable reward.
The habit loop model breaks down in these intentional activities because it fails to account for the human dynamic in taking action.
Intentional, complex behaviors aren’t just a response to an external catalyst. They are also dependent on nervous system states, emotional regulation, and energetic bandwidth.
The Particulars of Human Beings
If you’re struggling to create a consistent habit with something like healthy eating or exercise, you’re not broken.
The problem is that you’re using the wrong tool for the job. A framework designed for involuntary, biological responses was never meant to apply to conscious, intentional choices.
You need a tool and framework that is better suited to the job.
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