The Power of Habit – Worksheet

The Habit Loop

Cue. Routine. Reward. The loop runs your life.

"Every habit operates through the same three-part loop. Understanding the loop is the first step to changing it."

My reflection

In practice

Identify one habit you want to change. For one week, track the cue (time, place, emotional state, people around you, preceding action), the routine (what you do), and the reward (what you get). You need to understand the full loop before you can change any part of it.

I will try this this week

Reflect

Identify one habit you want to change. For one week, track the cue (time, place, emotional state, people around you, pre...

The Golden Rule of Habit Change

Keep the cue. Keep the reward. Change the routine.

"You can't eliminate a habit. You can only replace the routine while keeping the cue and reward the same."

My reflection

In practice

For the habit you identified, find a new routine that delivers the same reward in response to the same cue. Test it for two weeks. The new routine doesn't need to be perfect – it needs to satisfy the same craving that the original routine was serving.

I will try this this week

Reflect

For the habit you identified, find a new routine that delivers the same reward in response to the same cue. Test it for ...

Keystone Habits

One habit changes everything.

"Some habits have disproportionate power. Changing one keystone habit creates a ripple effect that transforms multiple areas of life."

My reflection

In practice

Identify one keystone habit you could start. Strong candidates: daily exercise, morning planning, cooking your own meals, journaling, meditation. Start with the smallest possible version – 10 minutes of walking, a one-sentence journal entry. Track only whether you did it at all.

I will try this this week

Reflect

Identify one keystone habit you could start. Strong candidates: daily exercise, morning planning, cooking your own meals...

Belief and Community

Habit change requires belief. Belief needs community.

"Long-term habit change almost always requires a group that shares the belief that change is possible."

My reflection

In practice

For a habit change you're working on, find one other person who is making the same change. Meet or check in weekly. The accountability and shared identity significantly increases the probability of success.

I will try this this week

Reflect

For a habit change you're working on, find one other person who is making the same change. Meet or check in weekly. The ...

Organisational Habits

Companies run on habits too. Most are invisible.

"Organisations have habits just as individuals do. Most are never examined – they just accumulated. And some are toxic."

My reflection

In practice

Identify one recurring pattern in your workplace or organisation that seems dysfunctional. Trace it back to the cue-routine-reward loop. What triggers it? What does it deliver? Who benefits from it? Understanding this often reveals why it persists – and how it could change.

I will try this this week

Reflect

Identify one recurring pattern in your workplace or organisation that seems dysfunctional. Trace it back to the cue-rout...

Social Habits

Movements start with habits, spread through weak ties.

"Social change follows the same loop as personal change – but it spreads through communities and weak social ties."

My reflection

In practice

Think of a community or social change you care about. Apply the habit framework: what is the cue for collective action? What routine could be adopted? What reward would sustain it? Social change is not just about values – it is about repeatable behaviours.

I will try this this week

Reflect

Think of a community or social change you care about. Apply the habit framework: what is the cue for collective action? ...

The Responsibility of Habits

Once you know a habit, you're responsible for it.

"Understanding how your habits work removes the excuse of automaticity. You are no longer just running the programme – you are choosing to."

My reflection

In practice

Identify one habit in your life that you have previously treated as automatic or beyond your control. Apply what you know about the habit loop to it. Map the cue, routine, and reward. Then ask honestly: now that I understand this, am I still choosing to run this loop?

I will try this this week

Reflect

Identify one habit in your life that you have previously treated as automatic or beyond your control. Apply what you kno...