1 01:00:00,500 --> 01:00:02,750 Good morning and 2 01:00:02,750 --> 01:00:04,666 welcome to Morning Syria. 3 01:00:08,833 --> 01:00:10,541 Okay, good morning and 4 01:00:10,541 --> 01:00:11,666 welcome to Wednesday. 5 01:00:12,083 --> 01:00:13,375 We have reached the 6 01:00:13,375 --> 01:00:14,458 middle of the week now. 7 01:00:14,708 --> 01:00:15,791 Monday is feeling like 8 01:00:15,791 --> 01:00:17,333 it's just ancient history 9 01:00:17,750 --> 01:00:18,666 and it seems like we can 10 01:00:18,666 --> 01:00:20,791 almost see Friday waving at us 11 01:00:20,791 --> 01:00:21,875 from just over the hill. 12 01:00:22,416 --> 01:00:24,000 So hang in there, 13 01:00:24,000 --> 01:00:25,333 we're almost over the hump. 14 01:00:26,000 --> 01:00:27,791 And speaking of getting over it, 15 01:00:28,208 --> 01:00:30,666 today is forgive mom and dad day, 16 01:00:31,000 --> 01:00:33,250 which is exactly what it sounds like. 17 01:00:33,583 --> 01:00:34,625 Our parents, well, they 18 01:00:34,625 --> 01:00:35,791 did the best they could 19 01:00:35,791 --> 01:00:38,000 with the information they had available 20 01:00:38,458 --> 01:00:39,541 in the Stone Age, right? 21 01:00:39,750 --> 01:00:41,750 Which if you're a Gen X or like me, 22 01:00:41,750 --> 01:00:43,083 it meant letting us ride in 23 01:00:43,083 --> 01:00:44,333 the back of a pickup truck. 24 01:00:44,500 --> 01:00:45,708 And we actually drank 25 01:00:45,708 --> 01:00:47,083 straight from the garden hose, 26 01:00:47,083 --> 01:00:48,625 some of the best water there is. 27 01:00:48,875 --> 01:00:50,458 That is crazy stuff. 28 01:00:50,875 --> 01:00:51,541 All right, well, it 29 01:00:51,541 --> 01:00:52,833 is time for the answer 30 01:00:52,833 --> 01:00:55,083 to yesterday's trivia question, DNA. 31 01:00:55,708 --> 01:00:56,833 The abbreviation for 32 01:00:56,833 --> 01:00:59,541 deoxyribonucleic acid is DNA. 33 01:01:00,375 --> 01:01:01,583 And now it's time for 34 01:01:01,583 --> 01:01:02,416 the essential vitamins 35 01:01:02,416 --> 01:01:04,791 in your morning cereal, today's quote. 36 01:01:05,125 --> 01:01:05,625 And it's from 37 01:01:05,625 --> 01:01:08,041 birthday girl, Queen Latifah. 38 01:01:08,041 --> 01:01:09,625 She's turning 56 today 39 01:01:09,625 --> 01:01:11,041 and she once said this, 40 01:01:11,416 --> 01:01:13,166 quote, "Be bold, be brave 41 01:01:13,166 --> 01:01:14,875 enough to be your true self. 42 01:01:15,291 --> 01:01:16,916 When you try to be someone else, 43 01:01:17,166 --> 01:01:19,666 the world misses out on who you are." 44 01:01:19,666 --> 01:01:20,125 End quote. 45 01:01:20,791 --> 01:01:21,916 Now you're a morning decode. 46 01:01:22,291 --> 01:01:24,000 Now first, I love this idea. 47 01:01:24,041 --> 01:01:26,708 And second, it emphasizes self-acceptance 48 01:01:26,708 --> 01:01:28,083 and authenticity, right? 49 01:01:28,583 --> 01:01:29,416 Embrace your own 50 01:01:29,416 --> 01:01:30,750 strengths rather than conforming 51 01:01:30,750 --> 01:01:32,291 to others' expectations. 52 01:01:33,250 --> 01:01:34,125 All right, well, let's 53 01:01:34,125 --> 01:01:35,708 hear from the experts now. 54 01:01:35,708 --> 01:01:37,000 It is time to pour in some 55 01:01:37,000 --> 01:01:39,708 atomic habits by James Clear. 56 01:01:40,333 --> 01:01:42,666 And today we are finishing up chapter one 57 01:01:43,125 --> 01:01:44,500 in the sub-chapter, a 58 01:01:44,500 --> 01:01:46,708 system of atomic habits. 59 01:01:47,250 --> 01:01:49,041 Now, Clear explains that 60 01:01:49,041 --> 01:01:51,500 habits are not random behaviors. 61 01:01:52,125 --> 01:01:53,375 They actually follow a 62 01:01:53,375 --> 01:01:55,500 predictable four-step loop 63 01:01:55,625 --> 01:01:57,916 that drives nearly everything we do, 64 01:01:58,416 --> 01:01:59,750 automatically throughout the day. 65 01:02:00,208 --> 01:02:02,833 Now those four steps are cue, craving, 66 01:02:03,333 --> 01:02:04,916 response, and reward. 67 01:02:05,458 --> 01:02:06,833 The cue is the trigger 68 01:02:06,833 --> 01:02:08,125 that tells your brain 69 01:02:08,125 --> 01:02:09,500 to start a behavior. 70 01:02:09,916 --> 01:02:11,708 It might be seeing your phone light up 71 01:02:11,708 --> 01:02:12,500 with a notification, 72 01:02:12,916 --> 01:02:14,416 smelling coffee in the morning, 73 01:02:14,416 --> 01:02:16,791 or walking past the fridge, okay? 74 01:02:16,791 --> 01:02:17,333 Those are the cues. 75 01:02:17,833 --> 01:02:19,500 Now, the craving is the 76 01:02:19,500 --> 01:02:21,875 motivation behind the behavior. 77 01:02:22,291 --> 01:02:23,625 It's not necessarily the 78 01:02:23,625 --> 01:02:25,541 habit itself that we want, 79 01:02:25,708 --> 01:02:28,083 it's the feeling that the habit provides. 80 01:02:28,458 --> 01:02:29,791 We don't crave brushing 81 01:02:29,791 --> 01:02:30,916 our teeth, for example. 82 01:02:31,375 --> 01:02:32,500 We crave the feeling 83 01:02:32,500 --> 01:02:34,333 of a clean mouth, okay? 84 01:02:34,333 --> 01:02:36,833 Number three, next comes the response, 85 01:02:37,125 --> 01:02:38,791 which is the habit itself. 86 01:02:39,291 --> 01:02:41,291 That's the action you actually take. 87 01:02:41,666 --> 01:02:43,375 Checking your phone, grabbing a snack, 88 01:02:43,375 --> 01:02:45,458 going for a run, or opening a book. 89 01:02:46,000 --> 01:02:47,083 And finally, number 90 01:02:47,083 --> 01:02:48,916 four, there's the reward, 91 01:02:49,166 --> 01:02:50,541 which is the payoff. 92 01:02:51,416 --> 01:02:52,250 Rewards satisfy the 93 01:02:52,250 --> 01:02:54,083 craving and teach the brain 94 01:02:54,083 --> 01:02:56,291 whether the habit is worth remembering. 95 01:02:57,000 --> 01:02:58,041 Clear writes this, quote, 96 01:02:58,166 --> 01:03:00,166 "The cue triggers a craving, 97 01:03:00,166 --> 01:03:01,250 "which motivates a 98 01:03:01,250 --> 01:03:03,625 response, which provides a reward," 99 01:03:03,916 --> 01:03:04,333 end quote. 100 01:03:05,000 --> 01:03:07,166 And once this cycle repeats, 101 01:03:07,208 --> 01:03:09,708 enough times it becomes automatic. 102 01:03:10,083 --> 01:03:11,125 And that's why habits 103 01:03:11,125 --> 01:03:12,291 can feel so powerful. 104 01:03:12,583 --> 01:03:14,083 They operate on autopilot. 105 01:03:14,625 --> 01:03:15,958 Clear also explains 106 01:03:15,958 --> 01:03:17,041 that this loop is rooted 107 01:03:17,041 --> 01:03:18,833 in how our brains evolved. 108 01:03:19,291 --> 01:03:21,416 For thousands of years, humans survived 109 01:03:21,625 --> 01:03:24,250 by identifying cues in the environment 110 01:03:24,500 --> 01:03:26,291 and responding quickly to them. 111 01:03:26,583 --> 01:03:27,708 The brain constantly 112 01:03:27,708 --> 01:03:29,291 asks one simple question, 113 01:03:29,916 --> 01:03:32,291 what action will give me the best reward? 114 01:03:32,916 --> 01:03:34,583 Another key insight here from Clear 115 01:03:34,583 --> 01:03:36,041 is that good habits form 116 01:03:36,041 --> 01:03:38,250 when the reward reinforces 117 01:03:38,250 --> 01:03:40,541 the behavior strongly enough 118 01:03:40,833 --> 01:03:41,291 that the brain 119 01:03:41,291 --> 01:03:42,666 remembers it for the future. 120 01:03:43,250 --> 01:03:44,208 He writes this, quote, 121 01:03:44,583 --> 01:03:45,916 "Habits are the brain's way 122 01:03:45,916 --> 01:03:47,916 "of saving effort," end quote. 123 01:03:48,375 --> 01:03:49,791 So instead of consciously 124 01:03:49,791 --> 01:03:51,625 deciding everything we do, 125 01:03:52,166 --> 01:03:52,875 habits allow our 126 01:03:52,875 --> 01:03:54,500 minds to conserve energy. 127 01:03:54,833 --> 01:03:56,125 That's why so many daily 128 01:03:56,125 --> 01:03:57,208 behaviors that you have 129 01:03:57,208 --> 01:03:58,750 from brushing your teeth 130 01:03:58,750 --> 01:04:00,208 to driving familiar routes, 131 01:04:00,500 --> 01:04:01,791 they require very 132 01:04:01,791 --> 01:04:03,291 little mental effort, right? 133 01:04:03,666 --> 01:04:05,833 Now, understanding this four-step loop 134 01:04:05,833 --> 01:04:07,291 gives us a powerful advantage. 135 01:04:07,750 --> 01:04:09,083 If we want to change our 136 01:04:09,083 --> 01:04:11,250 habits, we can adjust the cue. 137 01:04:11,333 --> 01:04:12,500 We can adjust the craving, 138 01:04:12,708 --> 01:04:14,125 the response, or the reward. 139 01:04:14,833 --> 01:04:16,500 So for example, making 140 01:04:16,500 --> 01:04:18,333 a habit easier to start 141 01:04:18,625 --> 01:04:19,791 can dramatically increase 142 01:04:19,791 --> 01:04:21,375 the chances that it sticks. 143 01:04:22,458 --> 01:04:23,500 And Clear's point is 144 01:04:23,500 --> 01:04:25,458 simple, but it's profound here. 145 01:04:26,041 --> 01:04:28,208 Habits are not mysterious forces. 146 01:04:28,583 --> 01:04:29,541 They're systems that 147 01:04:29,541 --> 01:04:31,375 follow predictable patterns. 148 01:04:31,916 --> 01:04:34,458 All right, your hump day takeaway is, 149 01:04:34,708 --> 01:04:36,666 once you understand how habits work, 150 01:04:36,958 --> 01:04:38,666 you can begin designing them 151 01:04:38,666 --> 01:04:40,458 instead of just reacting to them. 152 01:04:41,291 --> 01:04:41,916 All right, friends, 153 01:04:42,583 --> 01:04:43,958 forgive your parents today. 154 01:04:44,416 --> 01:04:46,541 Build a better habit for tomorrow. 155 01:04:46,541 --> 01:04:47,875 And remember, most of 156 01:04:47,875 --> 01:04:49,166 life runs on autopilot, 157 01:04:49,166 --> 01:04:50,083 so make sure the 158 01:04:50,083 --> 01:04:51,375 habits in the driver's seat 159 01:04:51,958 --> 01:04:52,500 are the good ones. 160 01:04:52,958 --> 01:04:53,708 All right, now it's the 161 01:04:53,708 --> 01:04:55,000 prize from the bottom of the box, 162 01:04:55,500 --> 01:04:56,500 the morning cereal 163 01:04:56,500 --> 01:04:58,000 trivia question of the day. 164 01:04:58,708 --> 01:05:01,458 Who built the Chichin Itza Pyramid? 165 01:05:02,416 --> 01:05:03,541 All right, well, thanks for 166 01:05:03,541 --> 01:05:04,666 listening to morning cereal. 167 01:05:04,666 --> 01:05:06,000 We will see you back here tomorrow 168 01:05:06,000 --> 01:05:07,500 for the answer to the trivia question 169 01:05:08,041 --> 01:05:10,083 and more sugar for the soul. 170 01:05:36,041 --> 01:05:39,166 And until then, have a fantastic day. 171 01:05:40,083 --> 01:05:41,416 And welcome, special guests, too. 172 01:05:41,833 --> 01:05:42,541 So join us. 173 01:05:42,541 --> 01:05:43,833 It will be a good time, I promise. 174 01:05:44,583 --> 01:05:45,625 Thanks again for listening. 175 01:05:45,625 --> 01:05:46,750 Have a fantastic day. 176 01:05:47,166 --> 01:05:47,750 We'll see you tomorrow.