Cue, Routine, Reward: How Habits Actually Work

What Every Habit Is Made Of

A habit is your mind on autopilot. It runs without willpower. That's why it's so powerful to shift things you currently do through sheer discipline and willpower into autopilot mode.

To do this, you need to understand that every habit consists of a trigger, a routine, and a reward.

• The trigger is something in your environment or inside you. Hunger pangs, a red traffic light, or your hand reaching for the light switch when you walk into a dark room.
• The routine — think of it as the program that runs. It's what you start doing the moment you encounter the trigger.
• And the reward. That feeling of fullness, satisfaction, and getting the result you wanted.

When it comes to checking off tasks, there are these little satisfying things that give your brain a serotonin hit. I'm sure you know exactly what I mean: tearing up a sticky note with a completed task or crossing it off your list. There's something especially satisfying about looking at a completely crossed-off to-do list.

Eventually, this reward becomes a craving. Something you want on a subconscious level.

That's why when you encounter a specific cue (trigger), you automatically run the program — because there's a built-in algorithm that's guaranteed to deliver satisfaction.

Now let's dig deeper into how habits actually form.