If you've been following along with the Spring Reboot, you'll know that we kicked things off by exploring the importance of discovering your values and setting intentions. The best place to start your Spring Reboot, knowing what matters most to you.
Now it’s time to take the next step: habits.
Because once you know where you're headed, it's the things you do every day, the small, regular actions that actually get you there.
In fact, if values are your compass and intentions are your map, habits are the steps you take, one after another, to move us either closer to or further away from our values. You can have the best map in the world, but if you never take a single step, you’re still standing still.
Why Habits Matter
We all have habits. Some we’re proud of (morning stretches, drinking enough water), and some… not so much (scrolling late into the night, skipping meals when busy).
Habits are the small routines that shape the bigger story of our lives. They’re powerful because they happen almost automatically, you don’t have to think hard every morning about brushing your teeth. You just do it.
When you set the right habits, practise them regularly, you make your desired behaviours automatic, saving your energy and willpower for the things that really need it. Research shows that about 40% of our actions each day are habits or so a study from Duke University found in 2006. Not decisions, habits.
If you want to make a change in your life, focusing on your habits is a good place to focus your energy.
The trouble is we often overestimate how easy it is to start a new habit and underestimate the requirements for successfully creating a new habit. That’s why Michael and I created a habit-tracking system in the My Weekly Habit Tracking journal to give you an easy, supportive way to create habits that really stick.
The Science Behind Habits
Habits are context-driven behaviours that become automatic through repetition.
Neuroscience shows that when we repeat a behaviour in a consistent context, such as brushing your teeth after breakfast or stretching before bed, our brain begins to associate that context (or cue) with the action.
Over time, this association strengthens and the action becomes more automatic.
What makes a habit "stick" is often the link between an action and a reward. Our brains are wired to seek satisfaction, so when a behaviour makes us feel good, even briefly, it creates a neurological imprint.
This is why we can fall into patterns that feel good in the moment but may not benefit us in the long term, like scrolling on your phone late at night or reaching for sugar during an afternoon slump.
Research suggests that, on average, it takes around 66 days to form a new habit, which is just under ten weeks. However, some people see consistent patterns forming in as little as 18 days, depending on the behaviour and the individual.
The Habit System: Cue, Desire, Action, Reward
Building habits doesn’t need to be complicated. We like to keep things simple and practical. So we created a four-step model to help explain how habits are built:
- Cue – Something triggers your brain. It could be a time of day (after lunch), a place (getting in your car), or even an emotion (feeling bored).
- Desire – The trigger sparks a want. You want to feel energised, calm, connected, entertained.
- Action – You respond to the desire with a behaviour. Hopefully, one that aligns with your values and intentions!
- Reward – You get a payoff that satisfies the desire, a feeling of calm, energy, satisfaction or joy.
If that loop feels good and solves the need, your brain remembers it and strengthens the connection. Before you know it, you’ve built a habit.
Putting this into action
When we last met Alex, they had spent time discovering their core values: Connection, Creativity, Well-being and Reflection. Now, they want to build habits that live out those values day to day.
Alex chooses just one small habit to start with: a daily gratitude practice, supporting their values of Reflection and Well-being. Using the Cue-Desire-Action-Reward system, Alex builds a simple habit loop:
- Cue: Sitting down with a morning cup of tea.
- Desire: Wanting to begin the day feeling grounded and appreciative.
- Action: Writing down three things they’re grateful for in their My Daily Gratitude Practice journal.
- Reward: A gentle boost in mood and perspective, starting the day with clarity and calm.
To stay consistent, Alex uses the My Weekly Habit Tracking journal to tick off the practice each morning. Seeing the streak build and reviewing how it feels week by week adds a sense of progress and purpose.
After just a few weeks, this habit becomes second nature, no stress, no guilt, just a simple, positive moment each day that’s aligned with Alex’s values. Encouraged by this, Alex begins thinking about other habits to layer in over time. But for now, this one small action is already making a big difference.
Over time, Alex notices big changes: less stress, more creative flow, stronger connections with friends and family, and a deeper sense of living authentically.
A Tool to Help: My Weekly Habit Tracking
Habits thrive when they are tracked, celebrated, and built intentionally.
The My Weekly Habit Tracking journal is designed to make it really easy:
- Set meaningful habits each week that actually matter to you (not just “run a marathon” because social media said you should).
- Track progress with simple tick boxes, so you can see your wins.
- Reflect weekly to celebrate progress and tweak anything that isn’t working.
It’s small enough to carry around, straightforward to use, and designed to fit into real life, it also encourages you off of your phone or laptop as no fancy apps or overwhelming spreadsheets are required.
Whether your goal is to exercise a little more, reconnect with friends, or simply pause for a mindful breath each day, tracking your habits helps you stay connected to your bigger purpose, one small step at a time.
Your Spring Reboot: Keep Moving Forward
As part of our Spring Reboot, focusing on habits is about creating real, sustainable change. Not by relying on willpower alone, but by building tiny, powerful routines that pull you towards the life you want.
Next, we'll be exploring the science of gratitude and how it can ‘rewire’ your brain for more joy, resilience and connection.
But for now, what’s one small habit you would love to build this spring?
Write it down, set up a cue, create a reward, and let’s start stepping forward, together.
Dr Gracie
