Whenever we want to make a change, we tend to think in terms of goals and outcomes, hopes and dreams. It’s good to know the results we want. But how do we get there? It starts with building good habits that add up over time to create success as you define it.
A habit starts with a conscious decision and becomes automatic through a 3-step loop (cue, behavior, reward). Building good habits allows you to make changes without relying on willpower and motivation.
In this episode of The Incrementalist podcast, I discuss how motivation, ability and prompts drive behavior, using Professor BJ Fogg’s B=MAP formula. I also cover the ABC (Anchor, Behavior, Celebration) method to create new habits and sustain momentum. Make the new behavior tiny with the starter step and by scaling back.
Excellence comes from the actions you do habitually, consistently, repeatedly – not from once-in-a-while acts. Being the best version of yourself and having self-mastery stem from your habits.
Resources Cited:
- Charles Duhigg – The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
- BJ Fogg – Tiny Habits: The Small Changes that Change Everything
- David T. Neal, Wendy Wood, and Jeffrey M. Quinn, Duke University, Habits – A Repeat Performance, Current Directions in Psychological Science, Volume 15, Issue 4, August 1, 2006
- Magic Weighted Blanket
Music by:
- Sebastian Brian Mehr
Happy habit-building,
Dyan Williams
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Dyan Williams is a solo lawyer who practices U.S. immigration law and legal ethics at Dyan Williams Law PLLC. She is also a productivity coach who helps working parents, lawyers, small business owners and other busy people turn their ideas into action, reduce overwhelm, and focus on what truly matters. She is the author of The Incrementalist: A Simple Productivity System to Create Big Results in Small Steps.
