How One Habit Can Trigger Another One

 Before you make a move towards developing new habits, you also need to take into account how one habit can trigger another. This technique will help you introduce multiple routines into many areas of your life effectively.

For example, I exercise at 5 AM every morning, and at the end of my exercise routine, I meditate. So the trigger for my meditation is the end of my exercise. Immediately following my meditation routine, I do a breathing exercise (a breathing exercise is also considered a mediation practice). The trigger for my breathing exercise is the end of my meditation.

So I introduced three habits into one sequence. This ensures that I actually succeed in practicing all three habits every day, at the exact same time and within that same environment.

TIME IN

Think of a habit you have that triggers another habit. How can you use such a process to your advantage? What sort of triggers can you create to introduce new habits?

 What Happens When a Trigger is Missing?

Knowing exactly what triggers a habit is a major key to success because the trigger is as important as defining the habit itself. Let me explain.

Every morning I carry out my Gratitude habit. In this routine, I express my gratitude out loud for people and things in my life. I perform this habit in the shower so it goes perfectly with another automatic habit (taking a shower).

My bathroom is painted yellow. The color is a trigger for my gratitude habit. When I am home, I perform this habit every day.

When I went on vacation, I realized I hadn’t done my gratitude exercise for a few days. I saw that the hotel bathroom did not have the same yellow wall as I have in my house. Therefore the trigger for this habit was missing. That was the reason I was skipping my routine.

I realized that my trigger was too specific, so I decided to make it more generic. Now, as soon as I turn the shower on I start my habit. Ever since introducing this generic trigger, I have not missed a day of my gratitude habit.

ACTION

Find a generic trigger for any new routine you try to develop. That will set your habit in motion regardless of the external environment.

Braco Pobric is an Internationally Recognized Positive Psychology Expert and Corporate Trainer. He is the bestselling author of Habits and Happiness: How to Become Happier and Improve Your Wellbeing by Changing Your Habits. Braco is a founding member and Chief Happiness Officer of the Life Success Academy Certified Positive Psychology Master Trainer and former globally Certified Trainer and Business Coach for Dale Carnegie Training. He trained over 60,000 Students in 172 countries.