“Your habits are often a byproduct of convenience. Humans are wired to seek the path of least resistance, which means the most convenient option is often the one that wins. Make good choices more convenient and bad choices less so. Behavior will improve naturally.”
– James Clear
James Clear talks about this in great detail in his book “Atomic Habits” so we highly suggest you grab a copy of that HERE!
I wanted to go over some simple examples of making your good choices more convenient and making bad choices less convenient. It is all about how much friction we create with the habit.
You may not realize this, but you are literally the sum of your habits. Good or bad, your habits drive your behaviors and actions on a daily basis. How can we take advantage of this already automatic phenomenon?
By adding or removing “friction” within the habit.
Here’s how:
Want to create less friction where you are implementing a new action/habit/behavior?
Try these!
If getting to the gym/exercise is a chore…
- Place your gym clothes bedside, so you see them right when you wake up.
- Place everything you will need for the gym/exercise (clothes, shoes, protein, water bottle) in a “GO BAG” the night before and place it somewhere you can see and grab it when walking out the door.
- You can even wear your gym clothes as your “pajamas” the night before, so when you wake up, you will literally roll out of bed without a choice but to be ready to go to the gym!
If nutrition is a chore…
- Pre-slice all your vegetables for the week and but them in “grab & go” baggies or separate by meals so it’s easier/faster to access/cook
- Pre-cook your main proteins for the first few days of the week so all you need to do is reheat and top your salads!
Want to create more friction where you are removing an unhelpful action/habit/behavior?
Try these!
If your challenge is unhelpful snacks/food…
- Hide the “crap” or unhelpful food/snacks so that you don’t see them or it is a “chore” to access (ie. down in the basement, at a friend’s house, or have your family members hide them from you). Maybe you’ll forget about them? Exactly!
If your challenge is alcohol (or highly sweetened sugary beverages)…
- Place alcoholic beverages (or high-sugared beverages…different vices for different folks!) in a different area that is hard to access.
- Pro-tip – Once you move the alcohol out of those top cabinets, you still may want to replace that “trigger” of opening the cabinets and reaching in for a drink when you get home from work with another more positive habit.
One client we worked with placed her dog’s leash in the alcohol cabinet so every time she reached for a drink, she replaced this habit with taking her puppy for a walk! This has led her to be sober for more than 3 years now by doing that one thing!
These are just a couple examples of removing or adding friction to your life by making your habits easier or harder to access. There are so many more examples we could give (like one of my favorites – I always had trouble taking all my vitamins in the morning, but I always would drink my coffee. So I ended up placing my pill case right in front of my coffee carafe so I literally could not pull my coffee out until I grabbed my pill case – which forced me to take my pills with a nice tall glass of water prior to drinking my coffee. Win/Win!).
What is one habit or behavior where you can add or remove friction? I bet you can think of at least one!
Looking to improve your habits for the long term, and want a kickstart that will point you in the right direction? Check out our FREE WEEK here where we will be right there by your side coaching you along the way.