Break the Habit Loop with the Enneagram

Image credit: Charles Duhigg, “The Power of Habit”

Habits create destiny. This is both good and bad. It depends, really, on what your habits are and whether you’re aware of them.

That’s why the discovery of the habit loop is such genius. I learned of it from Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit [I haven’t read the book but hope to]. This loop is comprised of a cue, a routine (action) and a reward. This is how our brains work, and it’s super helpful to know. The image above shows that loop.

Specifically, it shows one of Duhigg’s loops: his daily trip to the cafeteria to buy a cookie. After gaining eight pounds, he figured he needed to change that habit. So he put on his investigator hat and thought about different reasons underlying this habit. Was he just hungry? Did he need a work break? Was he bored?

Through trial and error, he discovered that the real reason for his cookie habit was a desire to socialize. So, he changed his habit from going to the cafeteria for a cookie, where he usually found someone to chat with, to seeking out a coworker in the afternoon to talk with for a few minutes.

It’s incredibly helpful to have this information on how habits work and how it’s possible to change them. Now, combine this with the Enneagram, and you’ve got even more insight into why you do what you do and how to change it if it’s not serving you or others – or if it’s merely serving your false self.

For instance, let’s think of a Type Three, Sally, in action. Sally has a habit of over-committing when she attends her son’s school Boosters meeting. She leaves each meeting with a long “to do” list that she will have to fit into her already crowded schedule. She wishes she wouldn’t volunteer for everything, but she feels compelled.

Now, Sally knows her Enneagram type, and she recently heard about the habit loop. So, in a rare spare moment, she makes her own habit diagram and thinks about what the cue could be. As she thinks back on the Booster meetings, she realizes that what she wants is not more to do but more recognition. Almost every meeting begins with other members thanking her for all she’s done and recognizing her excellence. That is what Threes live for, so Sally wants more of it. The logical routine or action, then, is to volunteer to do more so that she can receive the reward: recognition.

Understanding the habit cycle is only the first step. Sally is operating on a deeply held, usually unconscious belief that drives her behavior: “I am good or okay if people recognize and admire me for my achievements.” So, it’s going to take work to dismantle that false belief. Part of the struggle is actually accepting that the belief is false; it feels real and does usually produce the desired result, after all. Sally then must slow down and keep this in mind so that she can change the habitual behavior. She can go into the next meeting with a plan – only volunteer for one thing, or not volunteer for anything, for example.

This is harder than exchanging a cookie for a conversation, because we’re dealing with identity issues. Sally is not going to get the kudos she loves, and that’s going to feel terrible for a while. But the principle is the same, and we have the added asset of the Holy Spirit’s help.

Duhigg says, “Change might not be fast and it isn’t always easy. But with time and effort, almost any habit can be reshaped.” I can attest to this, as over the years I have overcome some of the default behaviors of my Type Seven personality. Knowledge and awareness, combined with the desire to change and the graciousness of God, can bring lasting transformation and freedom.

What habit might you apply this habit loop information to? How will you combine it with what you know about your Enneagram type? I’d love to hear!

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