Why we Do what we do in Life & at Work?

habit loop
Most of the choices we make each day may are not the products of well-considered decision making. They’re habits. At the core of every habitual pattern is a habit loop.
 
We can break the habit loop down into three basic steps.
 
First, there is a cue, a trigger that tells your brain to go into automatic mode. It can be:
  •  internal, such as a feeling or thought, or
  • external, such as a time of day or the company of certain people
 
The second part of the habit loop is the routine,  the behaviour that leads to the reward. It can be:
  • physical (eating a donut),
  • cognitive (“remember for the test”), or
  • emotional (“I always feel anxious in math class”).
 
The third part is the reward.  It can also be:
  • physical (sugar!),
  • cognitive (“that’s interesting”), or
  • emotional (“I always feel relaxed in front of the TV.”). The reward determines if a particular habit loop is worth remembering.