How to Use Reflexes for Success Without Overthinking
Have you ever noticed how some of your actions happen without thinking? You trip, and your hands shoot out to break the fall. Someone pretends to throw something at your face, and your eyes close in a flash. These are reflexes—built-in responses that protect you. But what if you could use these same reflexes, not just for survival, but for your own success?
Turning Reflexes Into Habits
Over the past three months, I realized that many of our reflexes can be redirected. They are not just about staying safe; they can become habits that push us forward. For example, imagine you’re told it’s 10 a.m., but you were supposed to be at work at 8 a.m. Instantly, you jump out of bed, heart racing, thinking you’re late for an important meeting. In reality, it’s only 6 a.m.—it was a trick. But that shock wakes you up immediately. Sure, this method might not work forever, but it creates a trigger. Over time, you start waking up earlier, almost automatically. Your body develops its own internal clock.
The Emotional Shortcut
Let’s talk about sugar. If someone tells you sugar is bad for your health, you might nod and agree, but it’s hard to see the long-term effects. Now, imagine you witness a loved one fall seriously ill after years of eating too much sugar. Suddenly, the risk feels real. Your body remembers the consequences, and you hesitate before reaching for that next sweet treat.
The same goes for sleep. Maybe you know someone who worked non-stop, barely slept, and then, right after retiring, fell seriously ill. You start to wonder if all that stress and lack of rest was worth it. Maybe it’s smarter to take it easy, but in a way that still makes sense for your goals.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
— Aristotle
Hacking Your Environment
Sometimes, you need to trick yourself to build better habits. I used to check the time on my computer constantly, especially when I was bored at work. The hours dragged on. I found a program on Linux that let me hide the clock, but when I couldn’t, I just set the clock to a random time. That way, I stopped obsessing over how much time was left. The day seemed to go by faster because I wasn’t watching the clock.
If you struggle to wake up early, ask your partner to tell you it’s later than it really is, or change the time on your phone (just make sure you don’t know about it). These little tricks can help you build new reflexes that work in your favor.
Make Reflexes Work For You
Think about your own life. What reflexes or automatic habits could you redirect? Maybe you want to start exercising, but it feels hard. What if you set up your environment so that putting on your workout clothes is the first thing you do in the morning? Or maybe you want to stop checking your phone so much—try putting it in another room.
Take a walk in your neighborhood or a nearby park and reflect: What reflex could you turn to your advantage? What habit could you tweak to make your life easier or more successful?
“First we make our habits, then our habits make us.”
— Charles C. Noble
Key Takeaways
- Reflexes aren’t just for survival—they can become powerful habits for success.
- Small environmental changes can help you build better habits.
- Emotional experiences make new habits stick more than logic alone.
- Ask yourself: Which reflexes or habits could you redirect to help you reach your goals?
Pierre-Henry Soria
#Automatic Reactions #Instincts #Personal Development #Reflexes #Success