Science Of Success

The Science of Habits as a Function of Success

Some of the most pressing questions in today’s society revolve around how to become successful or, more simply, how to avoid failure. To answer these questions, one must understand that behavioral habits are functions of individuals that can lead to either success or failure. Thus, one may define success as achieving a goal, being held in reverence, holding a job, or contributing to society. A person’s habits and the behaviors that stem from those habits together determine an individual’s success. Therefore, the scientific understanding of how habits are formed, broken, and contribute to undesirable mental disorders is most valuable in order to work towards one’s self-success.

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First, self-made change is necessary in order to break an old habit. Maude Muse, a professor at a graduate school of education, health, and psychology in New York, emphasized to her students, “It takes time and numerous repetitions with a well defined goal, to fix a desirable habit” (Muse). Before one can take action to change a habit, he or she must set a specific, realistic goal and be willing to work towards that goal persistently. Once the goal is created and a pledge of commitment is formed, one must alter their environment to successfully alter their habits. Specifically, in an NPR interview with Charles Duhigg’s, Duhigg recommends, "If you want to quit smoking, you should stop smoking while you're on a vacation--because all your old cues and all your old rewards aren't there anymore. So you have this ability to form a new pattern and hopefully be able to carry it over into your life" (Duhigg). To relate the simplicity of the actions needed to discontinue a standard addiction, Duhigg illustrates a behavioral habit common to an “estimated 36.5 million adults in the United States” (“Current Cigarette Smoking”). Due to this example, it is easy to see how environment directly causes the repetition of habits in one’s life and how a change of environment allows for a smoother alteration of unconscious behavioral habits. Additionally, habit reversal therapy, a form of therapeutic habit reversal “helps people become more aware of the cues that set their habits in motion and develop competing responses” (Glasofer and Steinglass). With this approach, individuals can identify the trigger and change their routine, exemplifying that recognition and alteration of bad habits results in obtainable success. Whether a neurological, individual, or therapeutic method is employed, bad habits can successfully be broken and altered to