The Secret to Self-Control

If you don't destroy the negative habits or the environment, the habits will destroy you.

We used to think that due to a lack of self-control, we can't control our habits, we can't control us we try to think we are bad people and we will try to be the bad person, but the real thing is we are not focused on the environment and culture attached with habits.

it’s easier to practice self-restraint when you don’t have to use it very often. So, yes, perseverance, grit, and willpower are essential to success, but the way to improve these qualities is not by wishing you were a more disciplined person, but by creating a more disciplined environment.

It’s easier to practice self-restraint when you don’t have to use it very often. So, yes, perseverance, grit, and willpower are essential to success, but the way to improve these qualities is not by wishing you were a more disciplined person, but by creating a more disciplined environment

you can muster the willpower to override your desires every time. Instead of summoning a new dose of willpower whenever you want to do the right thing, your energy would be better spent optimizing your environment. This is the secret to self-control.

“cue-induced wanting”: an external trigger causes a compulsive craving to repeat a bad habit. Once you notice something, you begin to want it. This process is happening all the time—often without us realizing itScientists have found that showing addicts a picture of cocaine for just thirty-three milliseconds stimulates the reward pathway in the brain and sparks desire. This speed is too fast for the brain to consciously register—the addicts couldn’t even tell you.

One of the most practical ways to eliminate a bad habit is to reduce exposure to the cue that causes it.

If you can’t seem to get any work done, leave your phone in another room for a few hours.

If you’re continually feeling like you’re not enough, stop following social media accounts that trigger jealousy and envy.

If you’re wasting too much time watching television, move the TV out of the bedroom.

If you’re spending too much money on electronics, quit reading reviews of the latest tech gear.

If you’re playing too many video games, unplug the console and put it in a closet after each use.

The solution is to make the cue-triggering events invisible. Remove a single cue and the entire habit often fades away. Make the cues of your good habits obvious and the cues of your bad habits invisible.