Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: Are there any systematic and scientific ways to develop a habit?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 136 posts

Re: Ask HN: Are there any systematic and scientific ways to develop a habit?

#91

Post by dpandey »

nickjj wrote: post #79
dpandey wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I agree with the part that you need to really enjoy an activity for it to sustain long term, the claim that you need to enjoy it when you're starting out doesn't sound right. I love running. Yet, I struggle massively when I try getting back to it after a break. I love math. But it can be really painful to learn (most) of the math stuff the first time. I have to make a genuine effort and enforce discipline and t…

Why do you love math? I don't walk only because of enjoyment. I want to do serious long term travel, and I know being able to walk long periods of time is going to be part of that life style. If I REALLY want to spend years traveling the world (which I do), then I need to do things that help move the meter towards that goal. It should be exciting to do these things every day because it's one step closer to where you…

Love for X (math/running/anything else) is hard to explain. It intrinsically appeals to me and I enjoy it once I have mastered it a bit.

Re: Ask HN: Are there any systematic and scientific ways to develop a habit?

#92

Post by shock »

SomeStupidPoint wrote: post #81
shock wrote: post #80

I've read the book The Power of Habit and found it enlightening, but the bits I'm having most trouble with are choosing rewards and getting started. The part about choosing rewards is, by far, the most difficult for me. Everybody keeps saying "make sure to reward yourself after doing the thing you want to make habitual" but nobody provides actual examples of rewards that work and are not harmful (no, I don't want to…

From personal experience, starting with a cookie (I used a piece of chocolate, because small individually wrapped units) is really the most effective way. However, I always congratulated myself (outloud, by name) when giving myself the treat, and pretty soon, the congratulating myself was conditioned as a reward for the activity, letting me drop (most of) the usage of actual treats. Just treat yourself like a particu…

How did you choose your initial rewards? Did you just start experimenting with things that popped in your mint or did you find a list of suggested rewards? I'm trying to limit my sugar intake otherwise I would've gladly used the sweet treat reward.

Re: Ask HN: Are there any systematic and scientific ways to develop a habit?

#93

Post by quesera »

kstenerud wrote: post #86
MaxfordAndSons wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with most of your list, but also strongly disagree with this point. Or rather, while I agree that you should try your hardest to keep your routine, I detest the part about making yourself feel bad. There are lots of reasons you might have to break a routine, it's not like every habit one might try to build is going to be the single most important thing in your life. And some people just don't respond well to…

It only makes a difference when you finally face real adversity. I'm a serial entrepreneur. I've had 8 companies, 6 of which have failed. Twice I've been literally reduced to the clothes on my back (actually the second time was even worse: 30 grand in debt, to the government). When shit goes REALLY bad, your ability to deal with the nastiness of reality is put to the test. I fought for a month and a half with a broke…

Not everyone approaches life with that individualistic intensity and absolutism, but I'm glad it works for you.

Re: Ask HN: Are there any systematic and scientific ways to develop a habit?

#94

Post by joseph »

kstenerud wrote: post #86
MaxfordAndSons wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with most of your list, but also strongly disagree with this point. Or rather, while I agree that you should try your hardest to keep your routine, I detest the part about making yourself feel bad. There are lots of reasons you might have to break a routine, it's not like every habit one might try to build is going to be the single most important thing in your life. And some people just don't respond well to…

It only makes a difference when you finally face real adversity. I'm a serial entrepreneur. I've had 8 companies, 6 of which have failed. Twice I've been literally reduced to the clothes on my back (actually the second time was even worse: 30 grand in debt, to the government). When shit goes REALLY bad, your ability to deal with the nastiness of reality is put to the test. I fought for a month and a half with a broke…

It's your responsibility, but nothing says you should punish yourself. Say you're on a diet and you go off of it, just get back on without hand wringing over it. If you've ever tried to lose weight and succeeded long term, you'll know that breaks from the diet are in fact part of the diet. No need to make yourself feel bad. Speaking from experience here.

Re: Ask HN: Are there any systematic and scientific ways to develop a habit?

#95

Post by DenisM »

goblin89 wrote: post #76
nickjj wrote: post #67

I think you need a complete change in mindset, because you're just setting yourself up for failure. You shouldn't need to develop a habit like reading or exercise. If you don't truly want to do these things then you'll stick to your systematic habit for a few days and it'll fizzle out, then it's back to the drawing board. I've been walking/jogging a few miles a day for the last 5 years or so. Now it's part of my life…

> If you find that too difficult, then your goal is not really something you care about, so think harder. From personal experience, agreed that you shouldn’t have to make yourself, and instead realizing that you want it. Disagreed with ‘think harder’, though. When mind is foggy, thinking harder doesn’t seem to help; and when mind is clear, things tend to be obvious without thinking. When you woke up to a spinning roo…

> regularly practicing different ways of inducing bouts of mindfulness (how? I wish I knew)

Talk to a shrink. Having paid for it does wonders for your ability to focus the conversation on your goals.

Re: Ask HN: Are there any systematic and scientific ways to develop a habit?

#96

Post by MaxfordAndSons »

kstenerud wrote: post #86
MaxfordAndSons wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with most of your list, but also strongly disagree with this point. Or rather, while I agree that you should try your hardest to keep your routine, I detest the part about making yourself feel bad. There are lots of reasons you might have to break a routine, it's not like every habit one might try to build is going to be the single most important thing in your life. And some people just don't respond well to…

It only makes a difference when you finally face real adversity. I'm a serial entrepreneur. I've had 8 companies, 6 of which have failed. Twice I've been literally reduced to the clothes on my back (actually the second time was even worse: 30 grand in debt, to the government). When shit goes REALLY bad, your ability to deal with the nastiness of reality is put to the test. I fought for a month and a half with a broke…

That's all well and good, just saying the topic is about systematically building habits, not dealing with life adversity generally. I agree that one shouldn't blame others and take self responsibility, but again, crossing the line into self-guilting and blame can be very harmful, and I wouldn't recommend it to most anyone.

Re: Ask HN: Are there any systematic and scientific ways to develop a habit?

#98

Post by DenisM »

Couple of life-hacks to help you along:

- Pay for things. I'm been paying $400/month for fitness classes and rest assured I never missed one. Haven't even been late.

- Develop a single meta-habit: check your checklist. I have a morning checklist of things that I need to check off before I feel my morning is complete and my day is off to a good start. I don't forget my vitamins anymore.

- Talk things through with someone who listens. As you're talking out loud you will get a better perspective and ideas on how to make new habits stick will pop out of nowhere.

Re: Ask HN: Are there any systematic and scientific ways to develop a habit?

#100

Post by dizrupt »

If, your habit involves your computer. I use SlimerJS to automatically remind me to fill in a time sheet I use at work. After a month or so this resulted in me remembering before it popped up to remind me. Sort of habit forming. I think what was key was that it popped up with an actual window that I could perform an action on, plus the visual aspect.
Post reply on HN