Changing up your routines

Routines are developed within a ‘loop’ or as Charles Duhigg explains in his book The Power of Habit, “...with a cue, routing and a reward” (Charles Duhigg, The Power of Habit). So how do we start thinking about ways to change our financial situation with regards to developing more positive routines?

To start, by identifying both the ‘cue’ and the ‘reward’, we can change the ‘routine’ to meet the same expectations that the previous routine provided. For example, as an avid lover of chocolate, I often will leave my desk due to boredom (cue). Because this boredom creeps in, it leads me to the kitchen where there are a bountiful amount of tasty snacks to consume (routine). My reward is the feeling I get when I consume these tasty snacks.

In attempting to get the same satisfaction from the reward of eating tasty snacks, I can simply change the routine; instead of walking to the kitchen to obtain snacks, I can swap that out for exercising. A 30 minute workout can provide the same endorphin release into the brain as eating a snack filled with sugar. Swap out the routine for something that is more beneficial and feel the same way with added benefits.

A quick tip for applying this concept to your finances would be within the context of obtaining a paycheck. Once the money is deposited into your account, it would be wise to put a percentage of that towards your savings first, and then pay for necessities afterwards. Changing the routine from ‘spending’ to ‘saving’ is where you can begin to transition from negative to positive financial behavior habits. Swap out the routine to ultimately create and maintain more positive habits.

Works Cited:

-Duhigg, C. (2023). The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do in life and business. Random House.