In a perfect world, the reward for a good habit is the habit itself.In the real world, good habits tend to feel worthwhile only after they have provided you with something.Early on, it’s all sacrifice.You’ve gone to the gym a few times, but you’re not stronger or fitter or faster—at least, not in any noticeable sense.It’s only months later, once you shed a few pounds or your arms gain some definition, that it becomes easier to exercise for its own sake.In the beginning, you need a reason to stay on track.This is why immediate rewards are essential.They keep you excited while the delayed rewards accumulate in the background.What we’re really talking about here—when we’re discussing immediate rewards—is the ending of a behavior.The ending of any experience is vital because we tend to remember it more than other phases.You want the ending of your habit to be satisfying.The best approach is to use reinforcement, which refers to the process of using an immediate reward to increase the rate of a behavior.Habit stacking, which we covered in Chapter 5, ties your habit to an immediate cue, which makes it obvious when to start.Reinforcement ties your habit to an immediate reward, which makes it satisfying when you finish.Immediate reinforcement can be especially helpful when dealing with habits of avoidance, which are behaviors you want to stop doing.It can be challenging to stick with habits like “no frivolous purchases” or “no alcohol this month” because nothing happens when you skip happy hour drinks or don’t buy that pair of shoes.It can be hard to feel satisfied when there is no action in the first place.All you’re doing is resisting temptation, and there isn’t much satisfying about that.
Ex: Habits of avoidance include not checking your phone at dinner.
例句翻译:避免型习惯包括晚餐时不看手机。 分析:habits of avoidance 指目标是停止做某事的习惯。
It can be challenging to stick with habits like “no frivolous purchases” or “no alcohol this month” because nothing happens when you skip happy hour drinks or don’t buy that pair of shoes.