{"id":59448,"date":"2024-06-04T05:52:11","date_gmt":"2024-06-04T09:52:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com\/?p=59448"},"modified":"2025-03-31T13:43:40","modified_gmt":"2025-03-31T17:43:40","slug":"keystone-habits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com\/keystone-habits\/","title":{"rendered":"Keystone Habits: What It Is + Why You Need To Have Them Now"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Imagine a dozen dominoes lined up in a row. Push the first domino and what happens? They all fall down.<\/p>\n

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Now take that same dozen and double it. No, triple it. No, wait \u2014 add 15,000 dominoes, branching off into a bunch of crazy shapes and designs. Now, push the first domino and what happens?<\/p>\n

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Here\u2019s a video to help you out:<\/p>\n

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Why are we talking about dominoes and cool YouTube videos? That\u2019s because today I’m talking about keystone habits. <\/em>These are the habits that \u2014 once implemented \u2014 have a positive impact on many other facets of your life.<\/p>\n

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Like the first domino pushed in a row of others, all you need to do is perform this one habit and you\u2019ll see the benefits ripple out.<\/p>\n

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Let\u2019s break down exactly what a keystone habit is, its origins, and give you three of the best keystone habits you can start today.<\/p>\n

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What are keystone habits?<\/h2>\n

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Charles Duhigg introduced the concept of keystone habits to millions in his book The Power of Habit<\/a><\/em>. <\/em>In it, he describes keystone habits as \u201cchain reactions that help other good habits take hold.\u201d<\/p>\n

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From Charles:<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe power of a keystone habit draws from its ability to change your self-image. Basically anything can become a keystone habit if it has this power to make you see yourself in a different way.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Let\u2019s take a look at a simple example: Dressing better. If you\u2019re normally seen as the person to whom jeans are \u201cdressing up,\u201d a suit and tie or a nice dress might be completely foreign to you.<\/p>\n

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Imagine taking the initiative and dressing up for a week though. How do you think that would impact you psychologically?<\/p>\n

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All of a sudden you\u2019re looking better. People are perceiving you in a new light \u2014 and therefore treating <\/em>you differently. Maybe the barista refers to you as \u201csir\u201d or \u201cma\u2019am.\u201d When that happens, you\u2019re likely to start carrying yourself differently. Maybe you\u2019re more confident and self-assured.<\/p>\n

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See what\u2019s happening? It\u2019s one seemingly small change today that has an outsized impact on other areas of your life.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s not just dressing better. It\u2019s feeling more confident. It\u2019s being treated better by the people around you.<\/p>\n

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That\u2019s the power of keystone habits.<\/p>\n

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3 keystone habits that\u2019ll change your life<\/h2>\n

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Not all keystone habits are necessarily positive. After all, if you pick up the habit of smoking a pack a day or drinking a sixer of Bud Light each night, you\u2019re going to see it impact other areas of your life negatively.<\/p>\n

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However, if you recognize good keystone habits and adopt them, you\u2019ll find that your life can drastically improve because of one simple change.<\/p>\n

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Here are three of the best ones you can implement to help get you started.<\/p>\n

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Keystone habit 1: More exercise<\/h3>\n

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Exercising regularly is perhaps the most impactful keystone habit you can implement.<\/p>\n

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And it makes sense. Once you start exercising, you\u2019re not only becoming more conscious about the way your body looks but also what you\u2019re putting into your body as well.<\/p>\n

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This consciousness starts to spread to other areas of your life. Maybe you\u2019re not eating takeout or going to bars as often, because it\u2019s unhealthy. That means you\u2019re saving money each month you\u2019d otherwise have spent going out.<\/p>\n

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And here\u2019s where\u00a0that ripple effect happens: once you see that you\u2019re saving more, you\u2019ll be able to spend money consciously<\/em> toward your Money Dial<\/a>. <\/em>That means using that money and spending it on things that you LOVE instead of crappy takeout.<\/p>\n

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Charles Duhigg even mentions it in his book as a big keystone habit:<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhen you start exercising habitually, according to studies, you start eating more healthfully. That makes sense. You start feeling good about your body. For many people, when they start exercising, they stop using their credit cards quite so often. They procrastinate less at work. They do their dishes earlier in the day. It seems to be evidence that for many people, exercise is a keystone habit. Once you start to change your exercise habits, it sets off a chain reaction that changes other habits as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

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When I started training for a marathon, I noticed the effects of regular running almost immediately. I knew I had to clean up my lifestyle if I wanted to finish running all 26.2 miles.<\/p>\n

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That meant giving up smoking, cutting back on after work beers, and getting good sleep. And it worked. That keystone habit gave me the mental willpower I needed to improve my lifestyle.<\/p>\n

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How you can get started: <\/strong><\/p>\n

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