Cues, Practice, Payoff

Some habits are hard to change.  They give the whole habit business a bad rap.   Actually, habits are mostly good for us.  They handle all the routine things automatically.  They let us focus attention on the new things that really take brainpower.

And habits give another convenient demonstration of the modular brain story.    Habits are obviously the work of brain modules that usually operate without attention.  No murky subconscious mind lurking around in this story.  More like automatic actions that handle boring jobs. 

RoboBrain

Occasionally you want to change a habit or get rid of it.   Then you notice the disadvantage of having a part of your brain you can’t talk to.  But you can send messages to it.  You just have to know its language. 

Like working with small children.

The language your mouth speaks is nouns and verbs.  The language your habit understands is cues, practice, and payoff. No wonder your mouth has a problem working with habits.  If you expect to get cooperation from your habit, you will have to be smart enough to speak to it in its language.   

If you need to find out what cues, practice, and payoff mean to one of your habits, go to the Habit Clipit.  If you want a little background see the sandwich model.

Manage your habits or your habits will manage you.