Let's Review the 4 Laws of Atomic Habits.
The 4 laws of atomic habits are derived from the four stages of habit formation. These stages are the cue, the craving, the response, and the reward. Every habit you have is linked to these four stages.
The cue is the element that triggers the brain to notice an opportunity for a reward, or pleasure. A cue can be a smell, a sound, an event, an interaction, or anything else that triggers a desire. This desire is known as the craving.
The craving is the emotional relevance attached to a certain cue. When you notice the cue, the brain anticipates an opportunity for a change in your physical or emotional state. You crave the satisfaction that change will elicit, and this craving is what prompts you to act.
The response is the actual behavior, or habit, performed to elicit the change you desire. Your brain prompts you to take a certain action it believes will create the feeling of satisfaction you want.
The reward is the satisfaction gained from the action taken. You have successfully satisfied your craving and changed your physical or emotional state. The brain builds a pathway from the cue to this state of pleasure. Every time you experience the same cue, the brain will be triggered to desire that pleasure again. You will be prompted to perform the same action, thereby creating a habit.
Habit Process
The process works like this:
Cue: You walk past a coffee shop on the way to work and smell fresh roasted coffee.
Craving: Coffee gives you energy, and you want to feel energized.
Response: You buy a cup of coffee.
Reward: By the time you reach work, you are raring to go. Buying a cup of coffee becomes associated with your walk to work.
If one of these stages fails, the habit will not be formed.
If you remove the cue, your brain is not activated.
If you remove the craving, you have no need to act.
If the response is too hard, you won’t be able to do it or won’t try.
If the reward is not satisfying, you have no reason to want to attain it again.
