How to Change

1. Harness fresh starts to initiate change and boost motivation

"Fresh starts can jolt you into positive change, but they can also interrupt you when you're on a roll, reversing your progress, so beware."

Fresh starts are powerful. They provide a psychological clean slate, helping us relegate past failures to history and boosting optimism about the future. These moments can be calendar dates (like New Year's Day or birthdays), life events (such as moving to a new city), or even smaller resets (like the start of a new week).

Leverage fresh starts strategically:

• Use them to kick-start new habits or reinvigorate stalled goals
• Be mindful that they can disrupt positive momentum, so protect good habits during transitions
• Look for fresh start opportunities in your life, both big and small
• If you're a manager or leader, consider timing important initiatives around natural fresh start moments for your team or organization

2. Make good behaviors instantly gratifying to overcome impulsivity

"We just need to 'flip the script' so that instant gratification is working for us, not against us."

Present bias undermines long-term goals. We often choose immediate rewards over long-term benefits, even when we know better. This impulsivity is a major obstacle to behavior change.

Strategies to make good behaviors more rewarding:

• Temptation bundling: Pair a behavior you want to do more of with something you enjoy (e.g., only watching your favorite show while exercising)
• Gamification: Add game-like elements to tasks (points, levels, rewards) to increase engagement
• Find the fun: Look for ways to make necessary but unappealing tasks more enjoyable (e.g., listening to podcasts while doing chores)
• Focus on immediate positive feelings: Highlight the instant benefits of good behaviors, not just long-term outcomes

3. Use commitment devices to combat procrastination and stay on track

"Whenever you do something that reduces your own freedoms in the service of a greater goal, you're using a commitment device."

Commitment devices prevent future misbehavior. By creating obstacles or penalties for undesirable actions, we can "lock in" our current good intentions and overcome later temptations to procrastinate or give up.

Types of commitment devices:

• Hard commitments: Involve tangible costs or restrictions (e.g., locked savings accounts, cash penalties for missing goals)
• Soft commitments: Create psychological pressure (e.g., public pledges, accountability partners)
• Cash commitments: Put money on the line that you'll forfeit if you don't follow through
• Smaller, more frequent commitments are often more effective than larger, infrequent ones

Tips for using commitment devices:

• Choose a level of commitment that motivates you without feeling overly restrictive
• Consider involving others for added accountability
• Use them strategically for important goals where willpower alone has failed you in the past

4. Create cue-based plans to prevent forgetting and follow through

"Forming cue-based plans is as simple as filling in the blanks in the sentence 'When ___ happens, I'll do ___.'"

Forgetting is a major obstacle to change. Even when we have good intentions, we often simply forget to follow through on our plans. Cue-based planning is a powerful tool to combat this problem.

How to create effective cue-based plans:

• Be specific: Link your intended action to a clear, identifiable cue in your environment or routine
• Use vivid cues: The more distinctive the cue, the more likely it is to trigger your memory
• Make plans actionable: Ensure you can act on the plan immediately when you encounter the cue
• Limit the number of plans: Having too many can be overwhelming and reduce effectiveness
• For complex tasks, use checklists in addition to cue-based plans

Examples:

• "When I finish brushing my teeth, I'll floss."
• "When I see the coffee shop on my commute, I'll call to schedule that doctor's appointment."
• "Every time I get a paycheck, I'll transfer 10% to my savings account."

5. Turn laziness into an asset by setting smart defaults and building habits

"The beauty of good habits is that, like defaults that you can 'set and forget,' they take advantage of our inherent laziness."

Laziness can be harnessed for good. Our tendency to take the path of least resistance is often seen as a weakness, but it can be turned into a strength with the right approach.

Strategies to leverage laziness:

• Set smart defaults: Design your environment so that the easiest choice is the best one (e.g., keeping healthy snacks visible and junk food out of sight)
• Build robust habits: Create routines that put good behaviors on autopilot
• Allow for flexibility: Overly rigid habits are more likely to break down, so build in some adaptability
• Track your progress: Regular monitoring helps reinforce good habits and catch slips early
• Piggyback new habits onto existing ones: Link a desired new behavior to something you already do consistently

Tips for habit formation:

• Start small: Focus on one or two key habits at a time
• Be consistent: Repetition is key to making behaviors automatic
• Reward yourself: Celebrate successes to reinforce positive changes
• Be patient: It takes time for new habits to become second nature

6. Boost confidence through advice-giving and growth mindset

"Giving people unsolicited advice can undermine their confidence. But asking them to give advice builds confidence and helps them think through strategies for achieving their goals."

Confidence is crucial for change. Self-doubt can prevent us from even attempting to reach our goals. Building genuine confidence is key to sustained motivation and resilience in the face of setbacks.

Strategies to boost confidence:

• Give advice to others: Sharing your knowledge reinforces your own capabilities
• Adopt a growth mindset: Believe that abilities can be developed through effort and learning
• Allow for "emergency passes": Have a plan for occasional slips to avoid discouragement
• Practice self-affirmation: Focus on past successes and your core values
• Surround yourself with supportive people who believe in your potential

Tips for fostering confidence in others:

• Ask for their advice and insights instead of always offering your own
• Praise effort and improvement, not just innate talent
• Encourage a growth mindset by framing setbacks as learning opportunities
• Set high expectations while providing necessary support

7. Leverage social forces and peer influence to drive positive change

"The closer you are to someone, and the more their situation resembles your own, the more likely you are to be influenced by their behavior."

Social influence is a powerful force. Our behavior is heavily shaped by the people around us, often without us realizing it. Understanding and harnessing these social forces can significantly boost our efforts to change.

Ways to use social influence:

• Surround yourself with positive role models
• Join or create "advice clubs" with others pursuing similar goals
• Use the "copy and paste" strategy: Deliberately observe and emulate successful peers
• Leverage social accountability: Make commitments public or involve accountability partners
• Highlight positive social norms: Emphasize when desirable behaviors are common or growing in popularity

Cautions when using social influence:

• Be aware that comparing yourself to others who seem far ahead can be demotivating
• Use social pressure ethically and avoid coercion
• Remember that what works for others may not work exactly the same way for you – adapt strategies to your own circumstances

Last updated: January 23, 2025