Every habit runs on a three-part loop: a cue that starts it, a response you do, and a reward you get.
Example
You feel bored (cue). You open social media (response). You feel a small lift from new posts (reward). Tomorrow at the same time, the loop runs again, even when you decided last night to read instead.
How it fits in
Trying to break a habit with willpower fights all three parts at once, which is why it rarely sticks. The change that works is usually keeping the cue and the reward but swapping the response in between. Most weeks contain dozens of these loops, running quietly in the background. Naming a few of yours is the first useful step.
Where this is taught
Entrepreneurs who exemplify this
Related terms
The way you tend to react first when something surprising or stressful happens.
Four common ways people handle a surprising moment. None of them is always the right one.
The energy you get from doing the thing itself is different from the energy you get from people clapping for it.
