Build systems, not willpower

If your change depends on having enough willpower or feeling motivated, it’s probably doomed since both run out when you need them most.

Make your change part of a system to make it stick. A great system is attaching something to an already formed habit.

I listen to podcasts in an app where I can save a snippet of the conversation with ease. But that snippet alone might not trigger the same idea when I read it back. So I’ve attached the habit of adding a small note that starts with “This is interesting to me because…” That way I can get back to the state I was in when listening.

Another example: whenever I want to exercise in the morning, I need to put my workout clothes out the evening before. It’s a small mental shift that makes it easier. I’m not relying on morning motivation to overcome the small barrier of finding workout clothes. I’m eliminating that decision point entirely.

When looking to create a new habit, find the micro habit to attach it to. Instead of fighting your human nature, you’re designing around it.