Switch 09: Build Habits (Chip & Dan Heath)

Find interesting work to do – build habits that distract you from negativity and guide you towards your goals. Habits are important because they free up brain capacity so that we can apply our minds to more meaningful work or activities. As you build these habits, pay careful attention to the people you spend time with or change your environment altogether. When the environment changes, people’s behavior tends to change. Willpower is finite and depletes with use. That’s why we develop habits – to conserve willpower – so that we only use when we really have to.

The authors recommend that we create action triggers to help us create new habits. What are action triggers? An action trigger is when you decide in advance when and where you intend to do a particular action. For example, I will go to the gym straight after work. Or I will clean all my desk drawers on Friday one hour before I knock off. Specify when and where you’re going to put the plan into action.

Action triggers won’t get you to do something you truly don’t want to do. You set action triggers to create habits that are deeply meaningful to you – and the reward must be worth the effort.  

Setting action triggers is tantamount to scripting the critical moves.  They tame the rider. They take away your excuses. Action triggers deprive us of thinking room and possibly talking ourselves out of doing the things we know we need to do. They protect us from tempting distractions, bad habits and competing objectives.

To give yourself the best chance of success you need to simplify the moves. Don’t give your excuses breathing room. The habits you develop should serve the mission, therefore, you need to decide which habits you want to foster and which habits you want to eliminate.  How can you set up a situation that brings out the best in you? How do you create an environment in which you’re most likely to succeed?