
As entrepreneurs, you know that habits are essential for success. Whether it’s waking up early, hitting the gym, or dedicating time to work on your business every day, building good habits is crucial for achieving your goals. But have you ever wondered why habits are so powerful, and how you can make them stick? In this article, we’ll explore the science of habit formation, with insights from an unlikely source: cats in boxes.
The Puzzle Box Experiment
In 1898, a young psychologist named Edward Thorndike embarked on a mission to study the behavior of animals. However, he was not content with mere observation. Driven by his scientific curiosity, he devised an intriguing experiment. His subjects? A group of cats. His aim? To gain a deeper understanding of how habits are formed and the principles that govern behavior. Little did he know that this experiment would lay the foundation for our current understanding of habit formation!
So, what did Thorndike do exactly? Well, fueled by his insatiable curiosity, he designed a device known as a puzzle box. This unique contraption presented the cats with a seemingly simple task to perform in order to regain their freedom. Placed inside the puzzle box, the cats soon discovered that one of the boxes contained a lever. By pressing this lever, they could open a door on the side of the box, granting them access to a delectable bowl of food.
As you can imagine, the cats were filled with eagerness to escape their confinement and savor the tasty treat. However, they quickly realized that the path to freedom was not as straightforward as they had initially hoped. Inside the box, they were faced with the challenge of figuring out how to reach the bowl of food. Their ultimate objective? Escape.

The challenge that made cats become determined to succeed
Initially, the cats moved around the box at random, desperately searching for an exit. They explored the corners, pawed at loose objects, and attempted various strategies. The boxes were deliberately designed to challenge them, forcing them to find a solution on their own. But the cats did not give up.
After a few minutes of persistent exploration, the cats began to grasp the task at hand. Each time they pressed the lever and successfully escaped, the process of learning began. They quickly associated the action of pressing the lever with the rewarding outcome of freedom and food. With each triumph, they gained confidence and their speed in solving the puzzle increased.
After about twenty to thirty trials, the cats had truly become masters of the puzzle box, escaping within seconds. During the first three trials, the cat escaped in an average of 1.5 minutes. During the last three trials, it escaped in an average of 6.3 seconds. So, instead of repeating the same mistakes, they found the most efficient path to freedom. Their success revealed an important insight: behaviors followed by satisfying consequences tend to be repeated.
The power of habits and how it can help you achieve success
What was most interesting about this experiment was not just that the cats learned to escape their confinement. It was the fact that they had formed a habit! The action of pressing the lever had become automatic, and they didn’t even have to think about it anymore.
From this experiment, Edward Thorndike discovered something amazing. He observed that behaviors followed by satisfying consequences tend to be repeated. On the other hand behaviors followed by unpleasant consequences are less likely to be repeated.
This simple observation, made over a century ago, still holds true today. It forms the foundation of our understanding of how habits are formed. In addition, they can help us achieve our goals.
Using the power of habits to make to thrive
This story is a powerful reminder that habits are key to success. Habits allow us to perform tasks automatically, without thinking too much about them. This leaves us with more mental bandwidth to focus on more important things. But not only that.
We can also learn a lot from the puzzle box experiment:
Building good habits is all about creating a positive feedback loop, where a behavior is followed by a satisfying consequence.
Here is an example: Imagine you want to wake up early. You could reward yourself with a delicious breakfast or a relaxing morning routine. Alternatively, if you want to work on your business every day, you could reward yourself with a fun activity.
Conclusion
he story of Edward Thorndike and the determined cats serves as a powerful reminder of the remarkable potential that habits hold in helping us achieve success. Through Thorndike's innovative experiment, we witnessed firsthand the transformative power of habit formation and its profound impact on our lives and endeavors.
From the cats in the puzzle boxes, we learned that building good habits requires embracing challenges and actively finding solutions. The cats' unwavering determination and adaptability propelled them towards greater efficiency in navigating the puzzle box, ultimately leading to their freedom.
As entrepreneurs, we can draw inspiration from these feline adventurers. By cultivating positive habits and actively embracing the challenges we encounter, we too can learn, grow, and achieve greatness. Let us harness the power of habits to our advantage, creating a positive feedback loop that propels us forward, step by step, towards our goals.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hi, I’m Caydee Schwarz and I write about personal development, success and happiness.
Let’s be honest: all of us want to live a happy life and fulfilled life. And every day, a lot of us fail in our attempt to get there. Our thoughts, the right inner attitude and the right knowledge empower us to create our life according to our wishes. Knowing what our mission is and what makes us truly happy is the foundation to a happy and fulfilled life. I’ll help you lay that foundation – so you can live the life you want.