BJ Fogg is a behavior scientist and the founder and director of the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford University. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller “Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything” and Forbes 21 Books to Read In 2021 selection.
Dr. Fogg may be known to some of you for his research in persuasive technology where he works with organizations to help them make changes in the way people work and shift culture. In the last decade he changed his focus to studying how human behavior really works. He freely admits that as a scientist he is skeptical by nature and training; therefore, not quick to jump on a radical change in basic tenets in his field of psychology. His research unveiled how habits are formed and how people can embrace or leave a habit behind was contrary to the beliefs of many of his colleagues.
We have all made resolutions to either start doing something or stop it. Fogg says, “There is a painful gap between what people want and what they actually do.” Because this conflict leads to failure and failure leads to blaming oneself, the new behavior is destined to be dropped or avoided.
According to Dr. Fogg, our new habits have miserable outcomes not because of the person trying to make a change but because of a design flaw. He suggests “untangling” the behavior and looking for the easiest first step to getting what you want. “Commit to something very small” and make sure it is easy and low risk.
He really means tiny and simple. For example, enter the bathroom at bedtime and floss one tooth (if flossing your teeth daily is your goal). Or, after lunch, but before returning to your desk, do two pushups. Or, before beginning a one-on-one meeting with a direct report ask a specific question as to how the person is doing.
What is happening is the use of a “prompt” of time, or place, or situation. It encourages success because it is not only a reminder, and it is not simply relying on motivation or willpower, both of which have been proven not to work when used exclusively.
Though motivation alone is never enough, it is an important element for starting and succeeding with a tiny habit. Add to that the ability to perform the behavior. Many of us start with a goal that is unreachable or at least would take considerable time and effort — not tiny or easy. If you think about young children learning to walk, you will get a sense of how smart the one-step-at-a-time system works — tons of motivation, limited ability often prompted by a person or place.
Three questions to mapping a successful tiny habit:
Motivation: Do you want to do it?
Ability: Are you able to do it?
Prompt: What will get it consistent?
Keep in mind all three must be incorporated to create a tiny habit.
Another highly recommended behavior in the “Tiny Habits” method is what Dr. Fogg calls the “Maui Habit” (he lives, part time, in Hawaii). Again, it is simple and easy. Get up in the morning, put your feet on the floor and say, “It’s going to be a great day!” It is your mind setter. He admits there are times when he can only muster ending the sentence with “somehow,” but he never fails to start his day with this simple bit of encouragement. Try it, it works.
We are often told to “think big.” I am an advocate of that when setting long-term goals or approaching a creativity dilemma. But, when it comes to everyday behavior, it is often the small annoyance or missteps that distract us, cause unnecessary repetition, and breed self-doubt and blaming.
Here’s what I am suggesting:
- Pick a behavior you are motivated to start, do more of, or stop.
- Assess your ability to succeed. Measure the ease, size, and risks before going forward.
- Find a prompt to remind you it is time to practice the new habit.
- Start each morning with an affirmation.
Tiny habits just might be your big change.
Leave a Reply