1/ Make it Obvious - Cue
The first obstacle to overcome when building a new habit is to make sure you don’t forget and be able to act on it.<p>Cues can come in different forms:<p>Physical environment cue:<p>- Leave my journal with pen open next to my bed<p>Behavioral cue:<p>- Do my 10 minutes of meditation right after I have my morning coffee (using an existing habit as a cue is called ‘habit stacking’)<p>Social cue:<p>- Make my friend an accountability partner so we check-in on each other on our new habits.<p>2/ Make it Desirable - Craving
Dopamine, the neurochemical associated with motivation, is activated before an anticipated event.<p>In other words, the desirability of your action drives your motivation.<p>How do we make habits more desirable?<p>Add delight:<p>- Put on your favorite cologne/perfume when you workout.<p>- Do it at the right time<p>- Do your workout when you are most motivated (don't overestimate yourself)<p>- Think opportunistically<p>Add 'I get to..' to any difficult habit.<p>'I get to workout because I'm not sick.'<p>3/ Make it Easy - Response
Simply taking action is more valuable than optimizing for the best method or strategy.<p>And for habit building— simply putting in more reps is more valuable and increase likelihood of success than less reps—even if with more intensity.<p>Here’s how to make habits easier:<p>- Just start doing it for 2 minutes<p>- Make the first step within reach<p>- Make the first step simple and quick to do<p>4/ Make it Satisfying - Reward
Rewards—especially immediate and unpredictable ones—are key for habit building. They release dopamine and wire us with increased motivation.<p>Delayed rewards and the same boring ones also aren’t motivating which is why it’s best when the rewards are variable/random and immediate.<p>Attach rewards to your habit efforts:<p>- Pick a reward with unpredictability<p>- Chat with a friend about their day on the way back from the gym.<p>- Share your progress<p>- Tell a friend, share on social, accountability partner/group..etc about how you did.<p>- Track visually<p>Use a habit tracker or check list to feel good every time you check off what you've done