Encore - M.J. Ryan - Turning Negative Habits Into Positive Ones

Automatic Habits

MJ Ryan explains that much of our daily actions, up to 90%, are automatic, driven by the basal ganglia in our brain. This automaticity is beneficial for routine tasks but problematic for unwanted habits or missing positive ones. Patricia Karpas notes that Ryan's book offers 81 game-changing mantras to override these automatic systems, helping individuals break free from negative patterns 1.

So much of what we do in a day, in fact, their estimates are up to 90%, is automatic. It comes from a part of our brain called the basal ganglia, which is where habit lives.

--- MJ Ryan

Ryan shares a story of a client who was labeled the worst boss due to his automatic behaviors, highlighting the need for conscious practice to create new pathways 1.

   

Transforming Habits

Transforming negative habits into positive ones requires mindfulness and consistent effort. MJ Ryan emphasizes the importance of awareness in making better choices, which over time become automatic 2. Her book, "Habit Changers," provides 81 mantras as tools for this transformation, acting as a "secret sauce" for lasting change.

It starts with bringing awareness or mindfulness to a habit so that we can begin to make new and better choices.

--- Patricia Karpas

Ryan's journey from book publishing to executive coaching was driven by a desire to directly help people change, leading her to develop these effective techniques 3.

   

Focused Change

Achieving lasting change requires a strong motivation and focus on one improvement at a time. MJ Ryan advises selecting a single habit to change, emphasizing the importance of a compelling "why" behind the effort 4. She illustrates this with an example of choosing to be more optimistic by "reaching for the better thought," which requires conscious effort until it becomes habitual.

Pick the one that you care the most about changing.

--- MJ Ryan

This focused approach helps prevent overwhelm and increases the likelihood of success, as the brain can only handle so much change at once 4.