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Many people think they lack motivation when what they really lack is clarity.
The simple way to apply this strategy to your habits is to fill out this sentence: I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION].
We often say yes to little requests because we are not clear enough about what we need to be doing instead.
Give your habits a time and a space to live in the world.
HABIT STACKING: A SIMPLE PLAN TO OVERHAUL YOUR HABITS
Diderot’s behavior is not uncommon. In fact, the tendency for one purchase to lead to another one has a name: the Diderot Effect.
No behavior happens in isolation. Each action becomes a cue that triggers the next behavior.
One of the best ways to build a new habit is to identify a current habit you already do each day and then stack your new behavior on top. This is called habit stacking.
Habit stacking is a special form of an implementation intention.
“After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].”
You can expand your habit stack and try something like: Wake up > Make my bed > Place a book on my pillow > Take a shower.
When I see a set of stairs, I will take them instead of using the elevator.
When I want to buy something over $100, I will wait twenty-four hours before purchasing.
When I serve myself a meal, I will always put veggies on my plate first.
When I buy a new item, I will give something away.
When the phone rings, I will take one deep breath and smile before answering.
When and where you choose to insert a habit into your daily routine can make a big difference.
Your cue should also have the same frequency as your desired habit.
Habit stacking works best when the cue is highly specific and immediately actionable.
Habits like “read more” or “eat better” are worthy causes, but these goals do not provide instruction on how and when to act.
The 1st Law of Behavior Change is to make it obvious.
The implementation intention formula is: I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION].
The habit stacking formula is: After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].
■ If you want to drink more water, fill up a few water bottles each morning and place them in common locations around the house.
If you want to make a habit a big part of your life, make the cue a big part of your environment.
The power of context also reveals an important strategy: habits can be easier to change in a new environment.
It is easier to associate a new habit with a new context than to build a new habit in the face of competing cues.
The mantra I find useful is “One space, one use.”
working. There was no clear division between the end of work time and the beginning of personal time.
Was the kitchen table my office or the space where I ate meals?
Was the couch...
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relaxed or where I sent emails? Everything happened i...
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Whenever possible, avoid mixing the context of one habit with another. When you start mixing contexts, you’ll start mixing habits—and the easier ones will usually win out.
But when you can use your phone to do nearly anything, it becomes hard to associate it with one task.
If your space is limited, divide your room into activity zones: a chair for reading, a desk for writing, a table for eating.
I know a writer who uses his computer only for writing, his tablet only for reading, and his phone only for social media and texting. Every habit should have a home.
A stable environment where everything has a place and a purpose is an environment where habits can easily form.
The people with the best self-control are typically the ones who need to use it the least.
So, yes, perseverance, grit, and willpower are essential to success, but the way to improve these qualities is not by wishing you were a more disciplined person, but by creating a more disciplined environment.
Bad habits are autocatalytic: the process feeds itself.
Worrying about your health makes you feel anxious, which causes you to smoke to ease your anxiety, which makes your health even worse and soon you’re feeling more anxious.
“cue-induced wanting”: an external trigger causes a compulsive craving to repeat a bad habit.
You can break a habit, but you’re unlikely to forget it.
If you can’t seem to get any work done, leave your phone in another room for a few hours.
If you’re spending too much money on electronics, quit reading reviews of the latest tech gear.
