3 Quick Thoughts: Habits, Starting and Understanding them.
January 13, 2026 – Caffeine Tuesdays. Inspired by James Clear
Happy New Year!
This could be your year...
Every Tuesday, I pour a shot of clarity into your day. I call them Caffeine Tuesdays. 3 ideas, 3 insights, 3 quick thoughts. And this is for you.
As this year begins to unfold, the old cliche of “New year, New me”, ones again becomes rampant. A lot of us would like to change, for the better of course, whether that is to eliminate bad habits or build good ones, this year calls for a better You instead of a new You.
When talking about habits remember these:
Cue / Trigger, (Time, Place, Emotions, People, Objects or Food)
This is what prompts your brain to begin your routine or habit.
Routine / Behavior, (Snacking, Binge watching, Smoking)
This is the act, or the thing you do in response to the cue.
Rewards / Payoff, (Satisfaction, Comfort, Relief or Social Media Fix)
The feeling or pleasure you experience by doing the routine, signaling your brain to remember it.
Cravings / Motivations is the anticipation to experience the reward yet again. This is what drives habits.
Starting good behavior is actually easy, especially if you cap it at one. What’s hard is to have it stick, eventually turning it into a habit, which will then create a lasting positive change.
Start Small. Rather than trying to overhaul your life, begin where you can be most flexible.
If you want to drink less coffee, buy a small sized portion instead of your usual large order.
If you’re addicted to soda and want to consume less sugar, opt for the zero or diet version.
Make it harder. Rather than completely eliminating the bad habit, make the Routine/ Behavior harder to perform. Making the Payoff/ Reward harder to achieve.
If you want to become less of a couch potato, remove the batteries of your remote controller, or sign off from your Netflix account, or unplug the TV. These create extra steps for you to finally do the Routine of binge watching, making you work a little bit harder.
Put the chips or candy in the highest cupboard, so you’ll need to grab the chair or ladder to finally satisfy your cravings.
Make it Easy. If you want to start a good behavior, making it easy and visible is a way to stimulate your senses into doing it.
If you want to eat more fruits and veggies, have them sit where you can immediately see them. Incorporate them into your favorite dishes.
If you want to read more books, have them sit on your work table or bedside table, put them in places where you spend most of the time, or carry a book with you.
The more you see the fruits and books, the easier it is for you to consume them.
These are just a few ways to begin a small shift. Real change should happen within you in the first place, but I will be here as you go through this year.
See you next Tuesday!
Great tips, brother! Personally, I find the ‘make it easy’ approach to be incredibly effective. I recently started a journaling habit, and I’ve made it a point to place my notebook on my desk, where I can easily see it every day. As a result, I haven’t missed a single day in filling it up.