By Katy Milkman – Buy It
Getting started:
- The best time to consider change pursuit is after a fresh start or milestone
- Changes like this can interrupt you if you’re on a roll, so be careful that you don’t disrupt positive habits
- This is especially all true for encouraging OTHER people undergoing fresh starts
Impulsivity:
- If a goal has small instant gratifications, it is more likely to fight the impulsivity of old habits
- Put something you don’t like with something you do (workouts with podcasts)
- Gamification only works if the players want to play
Procrastination
- Anticipate procrastination and create constraints that disrupt this, like locked savings accounts where you can’t get the money until you acheive your goal
- cash commitment can be very effective
- Public pledges are fairly effective because you worry about people seeing your “failure”
- Smaller, more frequent is better than large, less frequent
Forgetfulness:
- Timely reminders RIGHT before you need to do it
- When X, then Y will help you follow through
- Too many cue-based plans will make you fail, one or two at a time
- If plans are too complex, go for checklists
Laziness:
- Make the default NOT laziness. If you don’t don’t do Y, something negative happens
- Rigidity kills good habits
- Track behavior and you can feel the reward of consistency
- Piggy back: link whatever you want to do regularly (like, push ups) with something you already do (drink coffee in the morning)
Confidence:
- Don’t let self doubt win
- Unsolicited advice can undermine their confidence. Asking for advice builds it, and forces habits.
- Expectations shape reality
- Set ambitious goals but allow for emergency passes
Conformity:
- Look for people around you to show you what’s possible.
- Decisions are heavily influenced by norms in your groups – keep inspiring company
- Describing typical, desirable behavior can help you change
- The closer you are to someone, the more their situation resembles your own
- Give people a chance to earn public praise vs call outs
- If achievements of peers seem out of reach, this can demotivate you
- If you feel someone making you nervous, slow down and avoid them