Reprogramming ones brain

 

This book deals with failure, and it is about self-improvement in life. It is a well organised and structured book with a beautiful layout and many simple graphs and tables to clarify the points it is making. At the end of every chapter, it summarises the points of the chapter and runs over the crucial aspects. Then at the end of the book, it has additional notes with practical advice. It took me such a long time to write the summary as I also felt I never did it justice enough, and I had to read and reread it to find the book's core story. I felt that some most important advice would be left out and be a total injustice to the complete story. This also prevented me from starting another book, although it seemed they were crying out to me from my bookshelves. However, I believe that I did give it my best shot considering the circumstances and had to delete or overlook a substantial amount to make sure it did not come across as being too dull. But I hope that this will push anyone to buy a copy or listen to it on YouTube after wetting their appetites. The book gives a lot of advice on starting, improving upon and sustaining life-improving and changing habits permanently and persistently. The book was written by James Clear, who gives instances from his personal life as examples. The book will help you live a better life due to the choices or decisions you have set in place. A lot of the stories give the actual life application of its philosophy. For example, it starts with the British Cycling team and how its behaviour changes stopped 100 years of mediocrity and led to them winning the Olympic Games and the Tour de France, and any other cycling game they took part in. Minor changes here and there, the "aggregation of minimal gains", which, when added up, proved significant. From the position of the seats, the nature of the fabrics, type of typers, massage gels, cold prevention, type of mattresses they slept on, etc., when all these slight differences accumulated, they eventually began to win at almost every game due to these slight improvements. 

One can quickly get their head around the fact that multiple slight minor improvements lead to a more remarkable substantial change after a while when done frequently and regularly. Habits are the compound interest of minor regular self-improvements. We are the sum of our habits, and slight changes in our habits can either improve or destroy our lives. The author states that it is better to focus on your current trajectory than your current results, especially if your current results are disheartening and nothing to write home about. That we do not need to reinvent ourselves or have a significant upheaval to make significant changes in our lives or have a Hallelujah moment, but small constant changes can do miracles. For example, a minor 1% change, when done regularly and frequently, can give significant results over time. However, the effects of minor habits multiplied over time produces significant change. "Success is the product of daily habits—not once-in-a-lifetime transformations." So you are a product of what you repeat. For example, if you spend more than you earn, you will always be in debt. If you are not a regular reader and are not interested in self-educating either watching documentaries or do your on internet research (by reading articles and research documents by establish authorities on the topic), you will always be ignorant on various current issues. Also, if you spend most of your time watching pornography, you will have abnormal sexual fantasies. If you are trying to lose weight, you will never lose weight if your calorie intake is always more than your calorie output. The author has made it his goal to be an expert in habit-forming and habit-breaking. He makes us believe it has less to do with motivation or willpower but more with knowing how to alter your environment and those around you to make you the "best version of yourself". You can change your attitude by placing books, food, television, etc., within reach or outside your reach, both physically or psychologically. The tiny 1% improvement over time will produce immense success.

The problem with habits is that it takes time to develop, and like all things, it is the final result that eventually matters. Hence, when an individual finally becomes successful, the statement is that they were lucky or talented, and the years of studying, good habit formation and hard work are forgotten or overlooked. The desired results will not be visible in a "latent period" for any habit formation. Instead, this period is described as a "valley of disappointment" (on the graph). It will be like you are walking backwards and your result does not match your input and you will be disappointed. The earthquake results from millions of years of gradual build-up of pressure or pulling apart over the years of tectonic plates. A final minor extra build-up, not different from the numerous build-up or tearing away before, releases all that huge pressure explosively. The proverbial "final straw that broke the camel's back" is genuine. The diagnosis of cancer results from the gradual multiplication of the abnormal cells, which now have formed a growth lump, blocked an artery, vein, alimentary canal, etc. or eroded into a blood vessel, causing symptoms associated with cancer. Cancer usually spends 80% of its time undetected, growing and spreading, but being undetected. Most of the hardwork of any habit is undetected, and the effect is what it seems. Because any required change needs to be done repeatedly. The body saves time and energy if it is taken by the autonomic systems, and you do it essentially subconsciously, meaning you do it without realising it, almost. In neurological terms, it moves from the conscious, which uses a lot of time, energy and processing power, to the subconscious, which uses far more minor. The beauty of it is that the more you do, you are training your body to remember, and you cut corners and become more effective and faster at it, moving more to the subconscious and hence being automatic.

Good or bad habits can be broken down into four stages, all based on rewards or the desire for the rewards.

1. Que - this triggers to get your attention (notice the reward)
2. Craving - your brain is always looking for ques (wanting the reward)
3. Response - Is the action for the craving (obtaining the reward)
4. Reward - end goal (relief from craving)

These stages are self-perpetuating and lead to a continuous feedback loop (displayed below). That is why bad habits seem to stick easily and can be challenging and difficult to break. Your brain is always looking for shortcuts in any process because it expends much energy to operate. Although the brain is about 2% of the body weight, it accounts for about 20% of the daily energy use. The brain is always looking for links and connections in your daily life to cut energy output or cost to work effectively. Hence by the time you repeat something, your brain spends less and less time thinking about it until it becomes part and parcel of you, and you may not that you are doing it.

There is a silent feedback loop that rewards specific behaviour. Behaviours that produce satisfying consequences tend to be repeated until they become automatic. By pushing these activities from the higher functioning conscious brain, it is pushed to be down subconsciously. We would push a lot of these positive "habits" into the subconscious hence you exercise, read, clean your room, etc., without fully recognising it, and you will develop a healthier and better you. You have to get over the initial inertia. The author claims that setting a goal is self-defeating or could lead to later frustration. What will happen if you have achieved your goal. All your energy will fizzle out as you now have nothing to work towards. Instead of setting goals, we should teach ourselves to develop systems that will always be there, these are the processes to achieve the desired results. As we know the stages of habit formation, we can work with or "trick" the body into creating or destroying a habit. 

The book's goal is not to make one habit but thousands of them. Then, eventually, you could change your life around. By default, people are lazy, or the brain is. It will like to save energy and time. But the trick is to reward the brain in the short term for long term gain. Like every 10 books read, you will spend something on yourself or go to a place you really like or enjoy. The goal of this summary is not to teach you but to wet your desire to read the book. The above table is just a brief example but it is more since it is more technical and requires you looking at it in the form of processes it will take more than a brief summary. It actually breaks down into stages and how it is simple to change a habit. It is a book I will always have on my bookshelf and I will be reading it constantly as to update myself and desire to "build good habits and break bad ones".