Why do some behaviours start happening almost automatically while others still take effort, planning and conscious thought?

This week Jodi unpacks the difference between habits and routines, how cues help automaticity develop, and why something complex like going to the gym can contain habits without the whole thing becoming one. She looks at the difference between starting a behaviour and doing it, why the exact same routine can feel completely different depending on your available capacity, and how to tell the difference between a capacity problem and a badly designed routine.

Plus, where did the 21-day habit rule actually come from? Is 90 days any better? And what does the research really say about how long habits take to form? If you're trying to become more consistent without turning your entire life into one giant routine, this one's for you.

Chapters

00:00 The Spark

00:45 What Are Habits?

03:15 Why Cues Are Important

04:21 Starting vs Doing

05:42 Complex Behaviour Still Needs You

06:47 Two Wednesdays

08:27 How Long Does It Take to Form a Habit?

12:02 How to Form a Habit

13:15 Today's Takeaways

Quick links

🔗 The Glow-Up Gazette: Your weekly dose of inspiration and momentum. Plus a monthly Glow Getter prize draw. You in? https://minddrophq.com/glowupgazette

🔗 Free Nervous System Emergency Kit: a circuit breaker for the moment your nervous system feels overwhelmed or hijacked. Emotional regulation tools → grab your free kit: https://minddrophq.com/emergencykithttps://minddrophq.com/emergencykit

🔗 Inner Spark: the coaching membership that helps you build capacity, regulate and rewire, so your past stops dictating your future: https://minddrophq.com/innerspark

🔗 Full show notes, references and transcript: https://minddrophq.com/post/he-ep20-how-to-be-consistent-habits-routines-and-the-21-day-myth

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