Chapter 3: Behavioral Architecture

The Coach Within – by Suguna Devi Murugan

Dear reader, Coaching is not about insight—it is about implementation. And implementation lives in behavior.

Over the years, I have come to understand that sustainable growth is not fueled by motivation alone. Motivation may spark action, but it is fleeting. What truly sustains progress is the intentional design of our daily lives—the habits we cultivate, the systems we rely on, and the environments we create around us. These elements quietly shape who we become. When we align our routines with our values and our surroundings with our aspirations, we do not just chase growth—we embody it.

The Invisible Design

I was coaching a high-performing executive who was on the brink of burnout. Her workload was intense, but that was not the real issue.

Her calendar was. Back-to-back meetings. No space to think. No time to breathe. We did not need a mindset shift. We needed a redesign. We began by asking: “What does your calendar say about your values?” The answer was clear—her calendar did not reflect her priorities. It reflected her obligations. That moment reminded me: structure shapes behavior.

You Are What You Repeat , Behavioral architecture is the intentional design of habits, systems, and environments that support your goals.

It is not about willpower—it is about structure.

Every behavior lives in three layers:

1. Beliefs – What you think is possible.

2. Habits – What you do consistently

3. Environment – What surrounds and cues you.

We need to self-check: Which layer needs your attention right now?

For me, it was environment. I redesigned my workspace, my calendar, and even my digital notifications to support focus and flow.

The Habit Loop: Cue → Routine → Reward

This loop, popularized by Charles Duhigg and James Clear, helped me decode my own behaviors. Here is one I worked on:

• Cue: Slack notification

• Routine: Check immediately

• Reward: Sense of control

Let me explain with an example.

Imagine you are working on a report, deeply focused. Suddenly you see

• Cue: A Slack notification pops up

• Routine: You immediately stop what you are doing and check the message

• Reward: You feel a sense of control or urgency—like you are staying on top of things

This loop becomes automatic. But over time, it fragments your focus and increases stress.

Redesigning the Loop is necessary...Let us say you want to be more intentional with your attention. Here is how you might redesign it:

• Cue: Slack notification still appears

• New Routine: Instead of reacting instantly, you pause. You take a breath, finish your current task, and then check Slack.

• New Reward: You feel more focused, less reactive, and more in control of your time—not just your inbox.

Let me share a story of a Student : Reframing Responsiveness

I once worked with a university student who constantly felt overwhelmed during study hours. She shared that every time her phone buzzed—whether it was a message, notification, or update—she felt compelled to check it immediately.

She confessed, “If I don’t reply right away, I feel like I’m letting people down.”

We explored the belief behind that habit: “If I’m not instantly responsive, I’m not being a good friend or classmate.”

Together, we reframed it to: “Being present with my work helps me show up better for others later.”

The 3R Habit Builder is very effective, during a coaching session with a college student preparing for competitive exams, she shared a common struggle: “I keep procrastinating. I sit down to study, but somehow, I end up scrolling through my phone.”

We did not just talk about motivation—we looked at her behavioral architecture using the 3R Habit Builder:

The 3R Framework in Action

• Remind – What will cue the behavior? Her cue was making evening tea before study time.

• Routine – What is the new action? “After I make my tea, I’ll set a 25-minute timer and start with one focused topic.”

• Reward – What makes it satisfying? “After the timer ends, I’ll take a 5-minute break to stretch or listen to music.”

By stacking the new habit onto an existing one—evening tea—she created a ritual that felt natural and achievable. Over time, this micro-habit became her anchor for focused study sessions.

She later shared: “I do not dread study time anymore. That small routine helps me ease into it—and I look forward to the break!”

We need to sit with our own behavioral Audit, Not long ago, I found myself starting each day in a rush. The moment I opened my laptop, I would dive straight into emails—responding quickly, ticking things off, staying “on top” of everything.

It looked productive on the surface. But inside? I felt scattered. Reactive. Like I was chasing the day instead of leading it.

So, I decided to do a Behavioral Audit—a simple, honest check-in with myself.

So as step 1 I needed to Identify the Area, I chose productivity. My mornings felt like they were slipping through my fingers, and I wanted to understand why.

Now I had to Map the Current Routine as step 2,

• Routine: Open laptop → jump into emails

• What is working: Quick responses, inbox under control.

• What is not: No clarity, no intention, constant reactivity.

Even though I was “getting things done,” I was not starting my day with purpose. My inbox was setting the tone—not me.

The I started to Identify a Micro-Habit to Shift, I asked myself: What is one minor change that could help me feel more grounded? The answer came quickly: A 5-minute intention-setting ritual before touching my inbox.

So there I got my answer and now as step 4 I had to apply the 3R Habit Builder

• Remind: My cue became my morning coffee—a ritual I already loved

• Routine: While sipping, I would write down one intention for the day

• Reward: I felt clearer, calmer, and more in control. My day no longer started with noise—it started with me

The final step is always to share for Accountability, I shared this micro-habit with a peer. That small act of accountability helped me stay consistent—and reminded me of the power of small shifts.

This was not a massive overhaul. It was a gentle redesign. And it made all the difference.

I shall end with a Story that stayed with Me

One of the most memorable coaching journeys I have had was with a former teacher stepping into entrepreneurship. She was brilliant, passionate—but constantly overwhelmed.

Her belief was: “If I’m not busy, I’m not valuable.” We gently reframed it together: “Rest is part of performance.”

She began scheduling quiet time—what we called “white space”—into her calendar. And something beautiful happened. Her creativity returned. Her stress eased. Her confidence grew.

Sometimes, the most powerful redesign does not start with a planner. It starts with a belief.

Before You Leave This Chapter, Ask Yourself:

• What belief is driving my current behavior?

• What habit is no longer serving me?

• How can I redesign my environment to support change?

Final Thought

Behavioral architecture is not about productivity. It is about self-leadership.

Change does not happen in leaps. It happens in loops.

Let us build better ones—together.

Wait for Chapter 4