EPisode #6 Changing our minds: how to shape habits
‘Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny’
Lao Tsu mapped the progress from habits of thought (and we would add habits of feeing) towards the truth of what we become.
In this episode, we map the core science of what makes our habits move from simply things we do once, to things that we do without thinking them… that then have a core impact on who we are and how we design our energy through the days, both as individuals and as a culture.
We look at the absolute basics of reinforcement (positive and negative) and how habits become enduring – by becoming easy, obvious, attainable and definable and having four distinct parts: a trigger/cue that tells us this behaviour needs to happen now; a desire; the behaviour; and the reinforcement or reward.
Taking a particular behaviour of listening to a 5 minute visualisation we look at how to anchor this as a habit within our existing behavioural sequence, with a deeper dive into the nature of intrinsic reinforcement. We look four of the main internal reinforcers: Dopamine, Serotonin Oxytocin and Endorphins.
We explore clean loops, backchaining and real world applications of habit-building.
The music that book-ends the podcasts is created by Caro C and is called ‘Sense Ability’ – you can find it here.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE THESE RECENT EPISODES
Dung Beetles, People and helping the Keystone Species with Claire Whittle, the Regenerative Vet
A moving and deeply authentic conversation with Claire Whittle about her journey from traditional large animal vet to advocate for the human capacity to engage with the natural world, for our ability to become a positive keystone species and for farming to become a lower stressed, lower input, far more wholistic experience than it generally is.
End State: 9 Ways Society is Broken and How we Fix it, with James Plunkett
This week, I spoke with James Plunkett, a man who has spent his career at the intersection of policy and social change. From the halls of Number Ten to the charity sector’s front lines, James’s unique perspective has birthed a book that critically examines what’s wrong with our society and offers tangible fixes. Together, we dissect our societal challenges, from outdated institutions to the technology of gods, and discuss structured ways to mend a fractured system.
Growing a Public Chorus for Change: reshaping democracy with Alex Lockwood of the Humanity Project
Democracy is broken. We keep electing the people least suited to governance when what we need is a way to empower those with the most wisdom and bring wisdom to those with power. So what can we do? The Humanity Project is exploring exciting, living, vibrant answers, right at the emergent edge of inter-becoming.
Dancing with the god within: Finding the Sovereign Feminine with Maggie Ostara
How does each of us find our sovereignty, our sense of what it is to have agency and be alive in the world, and align this with the part in all of us that is anchored in compassion, connection and empathy? How, in short, do we encounter and encourage our own sovereign feminine?
STAY IN TOUCH
For a regular supply of ideas about humanity's next evolutionary step, insights into the thinking behind some of the podcasts, early updates on the guests we'll be having on the show - AND a free Water visualisation that will guide you through a deep immersion in water connection...sign up here.
(NB: This is a free newsletter - it's not joining up to the Membership! That's a nice, subtle pink button on the 'Join Us' page...)