Podcast: Play in new window
Your habits can either make or break you. Habits, of course, are all the things you do so routinely every day that you don’t even have to think about them—they just happen. At their worst, bad or unproductive habits (e.g., mindlessly surfing social media) can lead to days, months, and even years of wasted time. Our bad or unproductive habits cause us to fail to do what we wish to accomplish consistently. Good practices (e.g. spending half an hour reading the Bible and praying every morning) can gradually change the trajectory of our lives for the better and ensure that we accomplish far more of what we plan.I learned about Dr. Art Markman while taking a class that he taught about habits on the platform CreativeLive. You might have heard him on NPR or seen him on Dr. Phil. Dr. Art Markman is a psychologist, professor, and author whose work focuses on helping people understand how their brain works so that they can remember and create the changes they want to see in their lives.
When we are trying to accomplish a goal (like writing a book or losing weight), Dr. Markman encourages us to look at two things: Our motivations and habits.
Motivations can, of course, be positive or negative. You want to start going to the gym, and you want to stop eating so much unhealthy food. Accordingly, our brains’ motivation centers are made up of a “go” system and a “stop” system. The “go” system (“do x”) has a lot of energy behind it and is effective at driving your brain to action. Unfortunately, the “stop” system (“don’t do x”) is much more fallible. It takes a lot more effort for this system to come to work, and something as simple as stress can quickly shut it down. When you get stressed, you will do the most natural thing: continuing the bad habit. It’s clear that when you’re trying to change your behavior, your goal cannot be to lean on your “stop” system. That means that the key to stop doing the wrong thing is not to try to will yourself to stop, but to instead focus on starting to do the right thing.
What about habits? What are they? Dr. Markman defines habits as a set of memories. To form sets of memories, you have to repeat what you’re doing again and again. Consistency is the only way to create a habit. So if you are trying to write a book or exercise, the way to accomplish it is by doing. And then doing it again. And again. That’s common knowledge. The secret that Dr. Markman shares that to create good habits, you have to enjoy them. If you do not find enjoyment in what you’re doing, you won’t keep doing it. It’s as simple as that.
Dr. Markman also focuses on the dangers of perfectionism, which destroys progress. He reminds us that when we see successful people, we are rarely aware of how often they failed. So don’t lose heart, and don’t lose sight of what you’re trying to achieve. Keep track of your progress, and watch yourself growing and getting closer and closer to your goals.
Highlights from Today’s Episode:
- Why habits are important
- Stopping systematic failure
- How motivation works
- Why we focus on the negative
- Developing a habit of continual learning
Resources from today’s show
- Connect with Art Markman on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or on his website.
- Purchase Art’s most recent book, Bring Your Brain to Work: Using Cognitive Science to Get a Job, Do it Well, and Advance Your Career
- Consider reading other books Art has written:
- Brain Briefs – with Dr. Bob Duke. Answers all your questions about how the brain works and why we behave the way we do
- Smart Change – explores the psychological mechanisms that form and maintain habits in individuals and groups. Offers real, accessible, and actionable advice for changing habits
- Smart Thinking – shows how memory works, how to learn effectively, and how to use knowledge when you need to get things done
- Consider reading other books Art has written:
- If you want to get better at changing their behavior, you can click here to download a free copy of Dr. Art’s Smart Change journal.
Click to Tweet
- “If you’re trying to accomplish some big goal and you’re not sure what the first thing to do is, find someone who knows how to do it and ask.” ~Art Markman
- “Make sure you treat yourself at least as well as you treat your friends.” ~Art Markman
- “It’s not about perfection, it’s about progress.” ~Art Markman
- “If you don’t keep track of what you’re doing, you won’t notice your improvement.” ~Art Markman
Other Stuff to Check Out
- Did you catch my last episode with Shaunti? Listen here.
- Download my summer activities idea guide
- Check out my new book! The 28-Day Prayer Journey
- Need to encourage your soul? Try listening to the playlist I put together for my mom, Lady Lois’ Worship
- Interested in supporting the content I create and enjoying bonus content? Learn about joining my Inner Circle!
- My book, Be sure and also check out my other books She’s Still There, Show Up For Your Life, Kingdom Woman!
Let’s Talk!
After you’ve listened to the podcast, I’d love to continue the conversation. Be sure and leave a comment!
- What healthy habits do you plan on beginning? Do you have a positive motivation to begin them?
- In what areas of your life can you offer yourself more grace?
- In what concrete way will you track your progress toward a specific goal?
- Who are some people that are already doing some of the things that you desire to do? What can you learn from them?
- What is something that, later in life, you will regret not learning? How can you start learning it today?
Connect with me…
How to Listen to The Podcast
If you’re new to podcasts, think of them like little radio shows that you can listen to at your convenience. They are perfect to listen to and learn from as you workout, fold laundry, wash dishes or conquer the world.
1. Listen right here on the blog. Click the little play button at the beginning of this post.
2. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play! – Be sure and subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Also, if you would be so kind as to leave a rating on iTunes and/or write a 2-3 sentence review there or on Stitcher? Your commentary or rating helps make the podcast more “findable” by others who might not know it exists!
3. Share today’s show – Email the link to a friend or share on social media. Just click on the sharing buttons at the bottom of this post!
You have been so great to join me on the journey here on the blog, I hope you jump right in and do the same on the podcast!
This podcast definitely awakened a regret that I have and have had for a long time. I always wanted to play the piano. When I was young we had an old piano in the basement that was left by the previous owner. My mom being a single parent couldn’t afford for me to take lessons so I kept that desire lodged in the back of my mind. When I had children I tried to get them to learn, they took a few lessons but it wasn’t their passion it was mine. Later while working for my church, I expressed my desire to the minister of music, who had begun a school teaching different types of music to students. He agreed that he could teach me at work when time permitted. We tried for a while but there were always interruptions to thwart progress. So again I gave up. This podcast has awakened my desire and at the age of 64 (65th birthday in 3 months) I’m going to try again in the midst of this pandemic. The music teacher and school is still going strong and I’m going to contact him and inquire about lessons. To do this would be a dream come true and an awesome legacy for me. Pray for me on this journey. I think I’ll incorporate this in the top three of my Now.
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My regret is not finishing college. At this stage in life, retired age 68, getting ready to move my 88 year old mom in with us, the money required is not doable. However, I can pick up French again from high school. Another Inner Circle member told me about duo lingo, so that is what I am doing.
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This is soooo good. I just started learning another instrument. It’s frustrating the amount of time it takes – it was easier than when I was a child … but that didn’t come overnight either. I just lost my rhythm, but we start again. Becuase it’s important to me. This podcast shall be listened to again – to work on creating the habit of speaking well to myself!! Thanks!!!