The Best Way to Start a New Habit
This chapter explains the best ways to start a new habit by making it obvious through implementation intentions and habit stacking. Implementation intentions involve creating specific plans for when and where a new habit will occur. Habit stacking involves linking a new habit to an existing one. Both strategies increase the likelihood of successfully forming new habits by creating clear cues and reducing ambiguity.
Key Stories & Examples
Exercise Study
A study in Great Britain divided participants into three groups to build better exercise habits. The first group tracked exercise, the second group received motivational material, and the third group created implementation intentions. The third group, which made specific plans for when and where they would exercise, had a significantly higher success rate (91%) than the other groups (35-38%).
Creating a specific plan for when and where you will perform a new habit significantly increases the likelihood of following through.
Diderot Effect
Denis Diderot, after acquiring a scarlet robe, felt the need to upgrade his other possessions to match its elegance. This illustrates how one new purchase can lead to a chain reaction of additional purchases.
Behaviors are interconnected, and one action often triggers the next. This connectedness can be leveraged to build new habits by stacking them onto existing ones.