The power of habit

So,  I have been reading the power of habit by Charles Duhigg. I have been against self help books all my life but I should say this book changed my perspective on the genre. After being dumped and doing an intensive survey on being dumped and having a bit more experience in the 'dump and get dumped' cycle, I came to the following conclusion. (Disclaimer:  It could change). Every experience that you have been through, every emotion you have felt,  every mistake you have made have all been experienced, felt and made before. Not once but many many times.  I guess that is obvious when you think rationally but I am sure we are the most irrational when rationality is what you need the most. I am not saying one should not experience life as it comes. All I am saying is when you do and something happens that you do not understand, these books could provide a good insight into what happened.

All habits have a pattern: cue -routine -reward. Changing habits is most effective when try to change the routine while keeping the cue and reward the same. To make the change long lasting,  you need belief, in yourself or a higher power. It helps if you have company.
Then comes the pivot habits. The one habit which could bring a change in a lot of other aspects.
In my opinion, the theory seems simple but what is essential is recognizing the cues and the rewards we are seeking. 

How do I seek to incorporate this into my life?

Simple things.
Make my bed as soon as I wake up.
Brush my teeth before I go to bed.
I have the habit of eating before going to bed, in bed and in between my sleep. The cue is me being ready to go to my bed and read or watch some television. The reward obviously being filling up my moderately full stomach. Having a cup of nice hot tea everyday. That is going to be my routine.
Write one reaction paper every day.

So that's my list:
  - make my bed.
  -  write one reaction paper every day of the week.
  - brush my teeth before going to bed.
  -  a hot cup of caffeine free tea before going to bed.

The reaction paper a day is a bit over ambitious but lets see how it goes for a week at least.