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TOPUCU Standard Workbook Lesson 1: Part 1
LESSON 1: PART 1
Now think about what happens after you’ve How many of us have started out the
WHY DO I KEEP DOING THAT? driven the same route 15 or 20 times – like New Year with a resolution for change or
self-improvement? Unfortunately, these
your drive to work. For one thing, you no
longer need your GPS. And when you arrive resolutions aren’t as simple to keep as they
at the destination, often you don’t even were to make! If they were really that simple,
remember the details of your drive. You say none of us would have to recommit to our
Today we are going to talk about habits. not have to engage in self-analysis when to yourself, “Did I stop at that traffic light New Year’s Resolutions every 2 weeks.
Why? Because habits are a prime principle undertaking routine tasks. today? You don’t remember that right turn Often, a critical failure in any resolution
of life. The famous English poet/playwright at the gas station or the left turn at the is a lack of understanding of how one’s
John Dryden once said, “We first make our These routine tasks – habits – are stored in 7-Eleven. Each little step along the journey, habits are involved, and how to SKILLFULLY
habits, then our habits make us.” your basal ganglia. If you imagine your brain the braking, the turns, the gentle pauses in MASTER the TRANSITION from one habit
as an onion, your basal ganglia would be at the congestion, have become so routine, that to a better one.
Now, if you’re like most people, you never the core—surrounded by the outer layers the entire drive has become habitual.
really paid much attention to your habits. which are more responsible for thought The good news for everyone is that you
Habits are actions performed without a and consciousness. It’s widely accepted Now, in the character of a man or woman, get to CHOOSE the habits you want to
great deal of thought—once a habit has throughout the medical and psychological habits are formed in a manner similar have and those you wish to eliminate! This
been formed, you tend to do it naturally, fields of study that when habits are being to one’s drive to work, each small habit is such a simple and powerful principle of
effortlessly. Habits become part of our formed there is increased activity in the becoming so perfected, so effortless, self-improvement, but one that is often
character, we do them over, and over, and basal ganglia, which manifests itself as a eventually blending together so efficiently overlooked even by those that want to
over– and hardly ever think about why we pronounced discomfort in the brain. After that they are seemingly difficult to tear change the most.
choose to do them or how they contribute all, habit formation is literally the process apart. Eventually, the character of the Dryden spoke poetically when he wrote
to the quality of our life. of rewiring your neural pathways. As a task individual is defined largely by the “We first make our habits, then our habits
is repeated over and over again and the habits they have formed.
For example good habits are like our habit is formed, activity in the basal ganglia make us.” But for the man or woman
fingers: we use them all the time without decreases and that discomfort becomes less In fact, this principle is so important, that one committed to a life of improvement, it is far
thought, and we almost never realize how pronounced and eventually non-existent. of America’s greatest founding fathers wrote better to say: “We first re-make our habits,
valuable they are until one of them is hurt. an entire book on the topic. In Benjamin then our habits re-make us!”
Fingers like good habits benefit us in ways A great example of this is when you drive
we rarely consider. somewhere for the first time. Let’s say "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then,
your destination is about thirty minutes
But, bad habits are not so easily identified! away. About halfway into the trip you is not an act, but a habit." — Aristotle
A bad habit is like an infected finger that begin looking at your GPS impatiently and
we ignore. We just live with this bad habit inevitably wondering “am I ever going to get Franklin’s book, “The Pursuit of Moral This is a statement of transformation! Like
even though it’s causing us pain and there?” The unfamiliarity of the roads you’re Perfection,” he explains how he applied the Ben Franklin, we need to choose our habits
eventually harm.
traveling literally creates discomfort in your power of habits to his life that consequently wisely. Your choice will make a tremendous
A habit is defined as a behavior pattern brain. Once you arrive at your destination resulted in his success and fame. difference in the quality of your life! And,
developed by frequent repetition that is that discomfort dissipates. Now think about At TOPUCU, our goal is to help people don’t be fooled, NOT choosing IS choosing;
thereafter performed without conscious your return trip. Somehow, it’s always shorter, develop better habits, with a particular focus it is CHOOSING to keep all the habits you’ve
thought. The brain does it automatically, right? We end up saying things like, “Wow, on finishing. What are the possibilities if we already developed, to embrace the good
like brushing your teeth, eating, or perhaps, the drive home was so much quicker” and, develop a habit of transforming our minds ones AND the bad ones.
even driving to work. Clinical research has “I made great time on the way back.” Well so that finishing what we start is as natural If we are going to change our habits, what
shown that about 40 percent of the things unless you were speeding, the drive home as brushing our teeth or driving to a familiar knowledge do we need to succeed? A key
we do every day are done through habitual was no different at all. What happened is place we visit all the time? What if finishing to the formation of good habits and the
behavior, the conscious process of which the route that you took is now stored in well became a habit in our lives? elimination of poor habits is to understand
often goes unnoticed because we do your basal ganglia and therefore you didn’t the 3 components of habitual behavior.
experience the same discomfort.
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