TRANSFORM YOUR HABITS

3rd Edition


NotefromJamesClear:

IwroteTransformYourHabitstocreateafreeguidethatwouldhelppeoplelikeyoumake
progressinhealth,business,andlife.Youarewelcometoshareitwithanyoneyouthinkit
wouldbenefit.ThelatestversionofTransformYourHabitscanalwaysbedownloadedat
jamesclear.com/habits

Formoreideasonhowtomasteryourhabits,improveyourperformance,andboostyourmental
andphysicalhealth,youcanvisitJamesClear.comorjoinmyfreenewsletterat
jamesclear.com/newsletter

Asalways,thanksforreading.

James

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10 Things This Guide Will Teach You

1. Howtoreverseyourbadhabitsandsticktogoodones.
2. Thescienceofhowyourbrainprocesseshabits.
3. Thecommonmistakesmostpeoplemake(andhowtoavoidthem).
4. Howtoovercomealackofmotivationandwillpower.
5. Howtodevelopastrongeridentityandbelieveinyourself.
6. Howtomaketimefornewhabits(evenwhenyourlifegetscrazy).
7. Howtodesignyourenvironmenttomakesuccesseasier.
8. Howtomakebigchangesinyourlifewithoutoverwhelmingyourself.
9. Howtogetbackontrackwhenyougetoffcoursewithyourgoals.
10. Andmostimportantly,howtoputtheseideasintopracticeinreallife.

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Table of Contents

WhyIsItsoHardtoSticktoGoodHabits? 4

TheCommonMistakeYouWanttoAvoid 5

TheScienceofHowYourHabitsWork 9

IdentityBasedHabits:HowtoActuallySticktoYourGoals 17

TheBestWaytoStartaNewHabit 23

HowtoFitNewHabitsintoYourLife 26

HowtoMakeBigChangesWithoutOverwhelmingYourself 31

HowtoGetBackonTrackAfterSlippingup 34

HowtoBreakaBadHabit(andReplaceItWithaGoodOne) 39

HowtoSlowlyEliminateBadHabits 45

TheNextStep:WheretoGoFromHere 48

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Why Is It So Hard to Stick to Good Habits?

Itseemstoberemarkablyeasytofallintounhealthyroutines.

Eatingjunkfood.
WatchingTVinsteadofgoingtothegym.
Showinguptoajobyouhateeveryday.
Bitingyournails.
Smoking.

Theresnoshortageofunhealthyandunproductivebehaviors.Andweallstrugglewiththem
fromtimetotime.

Butwhy?Youwanttoliveahealthy,fulfilling,andremarkablelife.Andeverynowandthenyou
probablygetreallymotivatedandinspiredtomakeachange.Sohowcomeitismorelikelythat
thistimenextyearyou'llbedoingthesamethingratherthansomethingbetter?Whyisitso
hardtosticktogoodhabits?

Ibelievethatitisbecauseweusuallytrytomakechangesinthewrongway.Andinthisguide,
I'mgoingtoshareablendofscienceandrealworldexperiencesthatshareabetterstrategyfor
makinglongtermchangesinyourlife.

Let'sgetstarted.

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The Common Mistake You Want to Avoid

Youraudaciouslifegoalsarefabulous.Wereproudofyouforhavingthem.Butits
possiblethatthosegoalsaredesignedtodistractyoufromthethingthatsreally
frighteningyoutheshiftindailyhabitsthatwouldmeanareinventionofhowyou
seeyourself.
SethGodin

Transformationsandovernightsuccessesgetalotofhype.(Forgoodreason,whowouldn'twant
tobemoresuccessfulinlesstime?)

Buthere'stheproblem:whenyouhearaboutadramatictransformation(likesomeonelosing
100pounds)oraincrediblesuccessstory(likesomeonebuildingamilliondollarbusinessin1
year),theonlythingyouknowistheeventthatpeoplearetalkingabout.Youdon'thear
anythingabouttheprocessthatcamebeforeitoraboutthehabitsthatledtotheeventualresult.

It'seasytolettheseincrediblestoriestrickyouintodoingtoomuch,toosoon.IknowI'vedone
it.Whenyougetmotivatedandinspiredtotakeyourlifetothenextlevel,it'ssoeasytoget
obsessedwiththeresult.Ineedtolose20pounds(or40or60or100).Ineedtosquat300
pounds(or400or500).Ineedtomeditate3daysperweek(or5or7).

Orthousandsofothervariationsofyourlifegoals.

It'snaturaltothinkthatweneedtheresult,thetransformation,theovernightsuccess.Butthat's
notwhatyouneed.Youneedbetterhabits.

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Itssoeasytooverestimatetheimportanceofonedefiningmomentandunderestimatethevalue
ofmakingbetterdecisionsonadailybasis.

Almosteveryhabitthatyouhavegoodorbadistheresultofmanysmalldecisionsover
time.Andifthisistrue,iftheproblemsyourefacingnowaretheresultofthousandsofsmall
decisionsmadeoverthecourseofyears,thenwouldntitmakesensethatpathtosuccess,
health,strength,joy,fulfillment,meaning,andvitalitywouldalsobethroughthousandsofdaily
decisions?

Andyet,howeasilyweforgetthiswhenwewanttomakeachange.

Whenyoubecomeobsessedwithachievingaresultquickly,theonlythingyouthinkaboutis
howtogettoyourgoal,andyouforgettorealizethatourprocessforachievinggoalsisjustas
importantaswhetherornotyouachievethematall.Thedesiretoachieveresultsquicklyfools
youintothinkingthattheresultistheprize.

Buthere'sthetruth

Becomingthetypeofpersonyouwanttobecomesomeonewholivesbyastrongerstandard,
someonewhobelievesinthemselves,someonewhocanbecountedonbythepeoplethatmatter
tothemisaboutthedailyprocessyoufollowandnottheultimateproductyouachieve.

Whyisthistrue?Becauseyourlifetodayisessentiallythesumofyourhabits.

Howinshapeoroutofshapeyouare?Aresultofyourhabits.

Howhappyorunhappyyouare?Aresultofyourhabits.

Howsuccessfulorunsuccessfulyouare?Aresultofyourhabits.

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Whatyourepeatedlydo(i.e.whatyouspendtimethinkingaboutanddoingeachday)ultimately
formsthepersonyouare,thethingsyoubelieve,andthepersonalitythatyouportray.

Themostcommonmistakethatpeoplemakeissettingtheirsightsonanevent,a
transformation,anovernightsuccesstheywanttoachieveratherthanfocusingontheirhabits
androutines.

I'vebeenguiltyofthisjustlikeeveryoneelse.Andeventoday,I'mstilllearninghowtomaster
myhabitsjustlikeyou.

Butovertime,I'vediscoveredahelpfulblendofacademicresearchandrealworldexperiences
thathaveallowedmetomakeprogressinmanyareasoflife.Inthisguide,Iwanttosharethat
progresswithyousothatyoucanavoidchasinganotherovernightsuccessandactuallystickto
yourgoalsforthelongterm.

Let'sgetstartedbytalkingaboutthescienceofstickingtogoodhabits.

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The Science of How Your Habits Work (The

3 R's of Habit Change)

Thereisasimple3steppatternthateveryhabitfollows.Icallthispatternthe3R'sofHabit
Changeanditgoeslikethis...

1.Reminder(thetriggerthatinitiatesthebehavior)
2.Routine(thebehavioritselftheactionyoutake)
3.Reward(thebenefityougainfromdoingthebehavior)

Thissequencehasbeenprovenoverandoveragainbybehavioralpsychologyresearchers.I
originallylearnedofthiscyclefromStanfordprofessor,BJFogg.Andmorerecently,Iread
aboutitinCharlesDuhiggsbestsellingbook,ThePowerofHabit.

(Duhiggsbookreferstothethreestepsascue,routine,reward.Regardlessofhowit'sphrased,
thepointisthatthereisalotofsciencebehindtheprocessofhabitformation,andsowecanbe
relativelyconfidentthatyourhabitsfollowthesamecycle.)

Letmeshowyouwhatthe3R'slooklikeinreallifebyapplyingtheframeworktoatypicalhabit.
(Inthiscase,answeringaphonecall.)

StepOne:
Yourphonerings(reminder).Thisisthereminderthatinitiatesthebehavior.The
ringactsasatriggerorcuetotellyoutoanswerthephone.Itisthepromptthatstartsthe
behavior.

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StepTwo:
Youansweryourphone(routine).Thisistheactualbehavior.Whenyourphone
rings,youhaveahabitofansweringit.

StepThree:
Youfindoutwhoiscalling(reward).Therewardisthebenefitgainedfromdoing
thebehavior.Inthiscase,therewardforcompletingthehabitwassatisfyingyourcuriosityto
findoutwhytheotherpersonwascallingyou.

Result:
Iftherewardispositive,thenthecycleformsapositivefeedbackloopthattellsyour
brain,Nexttimethisreminderhappens,dothesamething.(i.e.Whenthephoneringsagain,
answerit.)

Followthissamecycleenoughtimesandyou'llstopthinkingaboutit.Yourbehaviorwilljust
becomeahabit.

All habits form by the same 3step process. (Graphic based on Charles Duhiggs Habit Loop in
The Power of Habit. Created by James Clear.)

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Howcanyouusethisstructuretocreatenewhabitsandactuallysticktothem?

Hereshow

Step 1: Use a Current Habit as the Reminder for Your New

One

Ifyoutalktoyourfriendsaboutstartinganewhabit,theymighttellyouthatyouneedto
exerciseselfcontrolorthatyouneedtofindanewdoseofwillpower.

Idisagree.

Gettingmotivatedandtryingtoremembertodoanewbehavioristheexactwrongwaytogo
aboutit.Ifyouthinkaboutthis,itmakessense.Sometimesyoufeelmotivatedandsometimes
youdon't,right?Sowhywouldyouwanttorelyonmotivation(somethingthatchanges)to
createanewhabit(somethingthatyouwanttobeconsistent)?

Thisiswhythereminderthetriggerforyournewbehaviorissuchacriticalpartofforming
newhabits.Agoodremindermakesiteasierforyoutostartyourhabitbyencodingyournew
behaviorinsomethingthatyoualreadydo,ratherthanrelyingongettingmotivated.

Forexample,Icreatedanewhabitofflossingeachdaybyalwaysdoingitafterbrushingmy
teeth.TheactofbrushingmyteethwassomethingthatIalreadydidanditactedasthetrigger
orcuetodomynewbehavior.

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Tomakethingseveneasierandpreventmyselffromhavingtoremembertofloss,Iboughta
bowl,placeditnexttomytoothbrush,andputahandfulofpremadeflossersinit.NowIsee
theflosseverytimeIreachformytoothbrush.

Settingupavisiblereminderandlinkingmynewhabitwithacurrentbehaviormadeitmuch
easiertochange.Noneedtobemotivated.Noneedtoremember.

How to Choose Your Reminder

Itdoesntmatterifitsworkingoutoreatinghealthyorcreatingart,youcantexpectyourselfto
magicallysticktoanewhabitwithoutsettingupasystemthatmakesiteasiertostart.Andfor
thatreason,pickingthecorrectreminderforyournewhabitisthefirststeptomakingchange
easier.

Thereminderthatyouchoosetoinitiateyournewbehaviorisspecifictoyourlifeandthehabit
thatyou'retryingtocreate.

ThebestwayIknowtodiscoveragoodreminderforyournewhabitistowritedowntwolists.
Inthefirstlist,writedownthethingsthatyoudoeachdaywithoutfail.

Forexample

Getintheshower.
Putyourshoeson.
Brushyourteeth.
Flushthetoilet.
Sitdownfordinner.
Turnthelightsoff.

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Getintobed.

Youlloftenfindthatmanyoftheseitemsaredailyhealthhabitslikewashingyourface,drinking
morningtea,brushingyourteeth,andsoon.Thoseactionscanactasremindersfornewhealth
AfterIdrinkmy
habits.Forexample, morningtea,Imeditatefor60seconds.

Inthesecondlist,writedownthethingsthathappentoyoueachday...

Youstopataredlight.
Yougetatextmessage.
AcommercialcomesonTV.
Asongends.
Thesunsets.

Theseeventscanalsoactastriggersforyournewhabit.Forexample,ifyouwantedto
Whena
commercialcomesonTV,Idofivepushups.

Withthesetwolists,youllhaveawiderangeofthingsthatyoualreadydoandalreadyrespond
toeachday.Thosearetheperfectremindersfornewhabits.

Forexample,letssayyouwanttofeelhappier.Expressinggratitudeisoneprovenwaytoboost
happiness.Usingthelistabove,youcouldpicktheremindersitdownfordinneranduseitasa
cuetosayonethingthatyouregratefulfortoday.

WhenIsitdownfordinner,IsayonethingthatImgratefulfortoday.

Thatsthetypeofsmallbehaviorthatcouldblossomintoamoregratefuloutlookonlifein
general.

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Step 2: Make Your Habits Incredibly Easy to Start

Makeitsoeasyyoucantsayno.
LeoBabauta

AsImentionedinthebeginningofthisguide,itsincrediblyeasytogetcaughtupinthedesire
tomakemassivechangesinyourlife.Wewatchincredibleweightlosstransformationsand
thinkthatweneedtolose30poundsinthenext4weeks.WeseeeliteathletesonTVandwish
thatwecouldrunfasterandjumphighertomorrow.Wewanttoearnmore,domore,andbe
morerightnow.

Ivefeltthosethingstoo,soIgetit.Andingeneral,Iapplaudtheenthusiasm.Imgladthatyou
wantgreatthingsforyourlifeandIwanttodowhatIcantohelpyouachievethem.Butits
importanttorememberthatlastingchangeisaproductofdailyhabits,notonceinalifetime
transformations.

Ifyouwanttostartanewhabitandbeginlivinghealthierandhappier,thenIhaveone
suggestionthatIcannotemphasizeenough:startsmall.InthewordsofLeoBabauta,makeit
soeasythatyoucantsayno.

Howsmall?StanfordprofessorBJFoggsuggeststhatpeoplewhowanttostartflossingbeginby
flossingonlyonetooth.Justone.

Inthebeginning,performancedoesntmatter.Whatdoesmatterisbecomingthetypeofperson
whoalwaysstickstoyournewhabitnomatterhowsmallorinsignificantitseems.Youcan
builduptothelevelofperformancethatyouwantoncethebehaviorbecomesconsistent.

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Yourhomework:
Pickanewhabityouwanttostart.Nowaskyourself,HowcanImakethis
newbehaviorsoeasytodothatIcantsayno?

Step 3: Always Reward Yourself

Itsimportanttocelebrate.(Ithinkthatsjustastrueinlifeasitiswithhabits.)

Whenitcomestostickingtobetterhabits,thereisanimportantreasontoalwaysreward
yourself:wewanttocontinuedoingthingsthatmakeusfeelgood.

Andthatiswhyitsespeciallyimportantthatyourewardyourselfeachtimeyoupracticeyour
newhabit.

Forexample,ifImworkingtowardsanewfitnessgoal,thenIlloftentellmyselfattheendofa
workout,Thatwasagoodday.Or,Goodjob.Youmadeprogresstoday.

Ifyoufeellikeit,youcouldeventellyourselfVictory!orSuccess!eachtimeyoudoyournew
habit.

Ihaventdonethismyself,butsomepeopleswearbyit.

Flossonetooth.Victory!
Eatahealthymeal.Success!
Dofivepushups.Goodwork!

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Rewardingyourselfwithpositiveselftalkcantakesomegettingusedtoifyourenotsomeone
whotypicallydoesthat.Butevenifitsoundssilly,researchhasproventhattherewardisan
importantpartofthehabitprocess.Giveyourselfsomecreditandenjoyeachsmallsuccess.

Relatednote:Makesurethatthehabitsyouaretryingtobuildareactuallyimportanttoyou.
Itstoughtofindarewardinsomethingwhenyoureonlydoingitbecauseyouthinkother
peopleexpectitorwouldapproveofit.It'syourlife,somakesureyou'respendingyourtime
onthingsthatareimportanttoyou.

Nowthatwe'vecoveredthescienceofhabitformation,let'stalkabouthowtouseitinreallife.

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Identity-Based Habits: How to Actually

Stick to Your Goals For the Long-Term

We'vecoveredthescienceofhabitformation.Butintherealworld,thereisoftenadifference
betweentheoryandpractice.

WheneverIwrite,Idomybesttonotmerelyshareideasbackedbyscience,butalsotohighlight
realworldlessonsthatmakeiteasierforyoutoputthoseideasintopractice.

Thisisespeciallyimportantwhenitcomestobuildingbetterhabits.Weallwanttobecome
betterpeoplestrongerandhealthier,morecreativeandmoreskilled,abetterfriendorfamily
member.Butevenifwegetreallyinspiredandstartdoingthingsbetter,itstoughtoactually
sticktonewbehaviors.Itsmorelikelythatthistimenextyearyoullbedoingthesamething
thanperforminganewhabitwithease.

Luckily,youcanuseastrategythatIcallidentitybasedhabitstomakechangeeasierandstick
toyourgoalsoverthelongterm.

Here'showitworks...

What Remembering Names Can Teach You About Habits

Mygirlfriendisgreatatrememberingpeoplesnames.

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Recently,shetoldmeastorythathappenedwhenshewasinhighschool.Shewenttoalarge
highschoolanditwasthefirstdayofclass.Manyofthestudentshadnevermetbeforethatday.
Theteacherwentaroundtheroomandaskedeachpersontointroducethemselves.Attheend,
theteacheraskedifanyonecouldremembereveryonesname.

Mygirlfriendraisedherhandandproceededtogoaroundtheroomandaccuratelynameall30
orsopeople.Therestoftheroomwasstunned.Theguynexttoherlookedoverandsaid,I
couldntevenrememberyourname.

Shesaidthatmomentwasanaffirmingexperienceforher.Afterthathappenedshefeltlike,Im
thetypeofpersonwhoisgoodatrememberingpeoplesnames.

Eventoday,sheisgreatatrememberingthenamesofanyonewecomeacross.

HereswhatIlearnedfromthatstory:Inordertobelieveinanewidentity,wehavetoproveitto
ourselves.

Identity-Based Habits: How to Build Lasting Habits

Thekeytobuildinglastinghabitsisfocusingoncreatinganewidentityfirst.Yourcurrent
behaviorsaresimplyareflectionofyourcurrentidentity.Whatyoudonowisamirrorimageof
thetypeofpersonyoubelievethatyouare(eitherconsciouslyorsubconsciously).

Tochangeyourbehaviorforgood,youneedtostartbelievingnewthingsaboutyourself.

Imaginehowwetypicallysetgoals.WemightstartbysayingIwanttoloseweightorIwant
togetstronger.Ifyourelucky,someonemightsay,Thatsgreat,butyoushouldbemore
specific.Sothenyousay,Iwanttolose20poundsorIwanttosquat300pounds.

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Thesegoalsarecenteredaroundourperformanceorourappearance.

Performanceandappearancegoalsaregreat,buttheyarentthesameashabits.Ifyourealready
doingabehavior,thenthesetypesofgoalscanhelpdriveyouforward.
Butifyouretryingto
startanewbehavior,thenIthinkitwouldbefarbettertostartwithan
identitybasedgoal.

Theimagebelowshowsthedifferencebetweenidentitybasedgoalsandperformanceand
appearancebasedgoals.

Graphic by James Clear.

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Theinteriorofbehaviorchangeandbuildingbetterhabitsisyouridentity.Eachactionyou
performisdrivenbythefundamentalbeliefthatitispossible.Soifyouchangeyouridentity(the
typeofpersonthatyoubelievethatyouare),thenitseasiertochangeyouractions.

Thereasonwhyitssohardtosticktonewhabitsisthatweoftentrytoachieveaperformanceor
appearancebasedgoalwithoutchangingouridentity.Mostofthetimewetrytoachieveresults
beforeprovingtoourselvesthatwehavetheidentityofthetypeofpersonwewanttobecome.

Itshouldbetheotherwayaround.

The Recipe for Sustained Success

Changingyourbeliefsisntnearlyashardasyoumightthink.Therearetwosteps.

1.Decidethetypeofpersonyouwanttobe.
2.Proveittoyourselfwithsmallwins.

Note:
Icannotemphasizeenoughhowimportantitistostartwithincrediblysmallsteps.The
goalisnottoachieveresultsatfirst,thegoalistobecomethetypeofpersonwhocanachieve
thosethings.

Forexample,apersonwhoworksoutconsistentlyisthetypeofpersonwhocanbecomestrong.
Developtheidentityofsomeonewhoworksoutfirst,andthenmoveontoperformanceand
appearancelater.Startsmallandtrustthattheresultswillcomeasyoudevelopanewidentity.

Onthenextpage,you'llfindfiveexamplesofhowyoucanuseidentitybasedhabitsinreallife.

Example1:Wanttoloseweight?

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Identity:Becomethetypeofpersonwhomovesmoreeveryday.

Smallwin:Buyapedometer.Walk50stepswhenyougethomefromwork.Tomorrow,walk100
steps.Thedayafterthat,150steps.Ifyoudothis5daysperweekandadd50stepseachday,
thenbytheendoftheyear,youllbewalkingover10,000stepsperday.

Example2:Wanttobecomeabetterwriter?

Identity:Becomethetypeofpersonwhowrites1,000wordseveryday.

Smallwin:Writeoneparagrapheachdaythisweek.

Example3:Wanttobecomestrong?

Identity:Becomethetypeofpersonwhonevermissesaworkout.

Smallwin:DopushupseveryMonday,Wednesday,andFriday.

Example4:Wanttobeabetterfriend?

Identity:Becomethetypeofpersonwhoalwaysstaysintouch.

Smallwin:CallonefriendeverySaturday.Ifyourepeatthesamepeopleevery3months,youll
stayclosewith12oldfriendsthroughouttheyear.

Example5:Wanttobetakenseriouslyatwork?

Identity:becomethetypeofpersonwhoisalwaysontime.

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Smallwin:Schedulemeetingswithanadditional15minutegapbetweenthemsothatyoucan
gofrommeetingtomeetingandalwaysshowupearly.

What is Your Identity?

Inmyexperience,whenyouwanttobecomebetteratsomething,provingyouridentityto
yourselfisfarmoreimportantthangettingamazingresults.Thisisespeciallytrueatfirst.

Ifyouwanttogetmotivatedandinspired,thenfeelfreetowatchaYouTubevideo,listentoyour
favoritesong,ortryP90X.Butdontbesurprisedifyouburnoutafteraweek.Youcantrelyon
beingmotivatedtomakelastingchangesinyourlife.Youhavetobecomethetypeofpersonyou
wanttobe,andthatstartswithprovingyournewidentitytoyourself.

Ifyourelookingtomakeachange,thenIsaystopworryingaboutresultsandstartworrying
aboutyouridentity.Becomethetypeofpersonwhocanachievethethingsyouwanttoachieve.
Buildthehabitnow.Theresultscancomelater.

Combining Strategies for Maximum Success

Identitybasedhabitsofferaframeworkthroughwhichtoviewyourgoals.The3R'sofhabit
changeprovideaplanforachievingyournewidentity.Combiningbothoftheseideascanmake
changeeasierforyouoverall.

Inotherwords,identitybasedhabitskeepyoufocusedontherightthings:likestartingsmall,
buildingyouridentity,andnotworryingaboutresults.Meanwhile,the3R'sofhabitchange

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makesurethatyoudothingsintherightway:likelinkingyournewhabittoacurrentbehavior
andrewardingyourselfforajobwelldone.

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The Best Way to Start Your New Habit

Ifyoureseriousaboutdoingthingsbetterthanyouarenowinotherwords,ifyou'reserious
aboutstickingtogoodhabitsthenyouhavetostartsmall.

Imaginethetypicalhabits,goodorbad:Brushingyourteeth.Puttingyourseatbelton.Biting
yournails.

Theseactionsaresmallenoughthatyoudonteventhinkaboutthem.Yousimplydothem
automatically.Theyaretinyactionsthatbecomeconsistentpatterns.

Wouldntitmakesensethatifwewantedtoformnewhabits,thebestwaytostartwouldbeto
maketinychangesthatourbraincouldquicklylearnandautomaticallyrepeat?

Whatifyoustartedthinkingofyourlifegoals,notasbig,audaciousthingsthatyoucanonly
achievewhenthetimeisrightorwhenyouhavebetterresourcesorwhenyoufinallycatchyour
bigbreakbutinsteadastiny,dailybehaviorsthatarerepeateduntilsuccessbecomes
inevitable?

Whatiflosing50poundswasntdependentonaresearcherdiscoveringtheperfectdietoryou
findingasuperhumandoseofwillpower,buthingedonaseriesoftinyhabitsthatyoucould
alwayscontrol?Habitslikewalkingfor20minutesperday,drinking8glassesofwaterperday,
eatingtwomealsinsteadofthree.

Toooftenwegetobsessedwithmakinglifechangingtransformations.Ibelieveyouwouldmake
moreprogressbyfocusingonlifestylebehaviors.

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Losing50poundswouldbelifechanging,drinking8glassesofwaterperdayisanew
typeoflifestyle.
Publishingyourfirstbookwouldbelifechanging,emailinganewbookagenteachdayis
anewtypeoflifestyle.
Runningamarathonwouldbelifechanging,running3daysperweekisanewtypeof
lifestyle.
Earninganextra$20,000eachyearwouldbelifechanging,workinganextra5hours
perweekasafreelancerisanewtypeoflifestyle.
Squatting100morepoundswouldbelifechanging,squatting3daysperweekisanew
typeoflifestyle.

Doyouseethedifference?

IthinkthefollowingquotefromBJFogg,aprofessoratStanfordUniversity,sumsthisideaup
nicely.

Ifyouplanttherightseedintherightspot,itwillgrowwithoutfurthercoaxing.I
believethisisthebestmetaphorforcreatinghabits.

Therightseedisthetinybehaviorthatyouchoose.Therightspotisthesequencing
whatitcomesafter.Thecoaxingpartisampingupmotivation,whichIthinkhas
nothingtodowithcreatinghabits.Infact,focusingonmotivationasthekeytohabits
isexactlywrong.

Letmebemoreexplicit:Ifyoupicktherightsmallbehaviorandsequenceitright,then
youwonthavetomotivateyourselftohaveitgrow.Itwilljusthappennaturally,likea
goodseedplantedinagoodspot.

BJFogg

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Howgreatisthat?

Thetypicalapproachistodiveintothedeependassoonasyougetadoseofmotivation,onlyto
failquicklyandwishyouhadmorewillpowerasyournewhabitdrowns.Thenewapproachisto
wadeintotheshallowwater,slowlygoingdeeperuntilyoureachthepointwhereyoucanswim
whetheryouremotivatedornot.

Dailyhabitstinyroutinesthatarerepeatablearewhatmakebigdreamsareality.Dream
big,butstartsmall.

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How to Fit New Habits Into Your Life

Knowinghowtomakechangesisonething,butfittingnewgoalsintoyourlifeis
somethingelseentirely.

Makingchangesistough.Wheneveryourschedulegetscrazy,theinertiaoflifecanpullyou
awayfromyourgoalsandrightbackintoyouroldhabits.

Howcanyouovercomethistendencytofalloffcourseandmaketimefornewgoalsinyour
schedule?

Usingthestrategiesalreadymentionedinthisguidelikethe3R'sofhabitchangeand
identitybasedhabitswillhelpkeepyouontrack.

Butthosestrategiesaren'ttheonlytoolsatyourdisposal.Inthissection,I'llshareanotherway
tosticktogoodhabitsthatdoesn'trequireincredibledosesofwillpowerorremarkable
motivation.I'llalsosharetwoexamplesofhowI'veusedthisstrategysuccessfullyinmyown
life.

The Problem With How We Usually Set Goals

Ifyoureanythinglikethetypicalhuman,thenyouhavedreamsandgoalsinyourlife.Infact,
thereareprobablymanythingslargeandsmallthatyouwouldliketoaccomplish.

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Thatsgreat,butthereisonecommonmistakeweoftenmakewhenitcomesto
settinggoals.(IknowIvecommittedthiserrormanytimesmyself.)

Theproblemisthis:wesetadeadline,butnotaschedule.

Wefocusontheendgoalthatwewanttoachieveandthedeadlinewewanttodoitby.Wesay
thingslike,Iwanttolose20poundsbythesummerorIwanttoadd50poundstomybench
pressinthenext12weeks.

Theproblemwiththisstrategyisthatifwedontachievethearbitrarytimelinethatwesetinthe
beginning,thenwefeellikeafailureevenifwearebetteroffthanwewereatthestart.The
endresult,sadly,isthatweoftengiveupifwedontreachourgoalbytheinitialdeadline.

Heresthegoodnews:theresabetterwayanditssimple.

The Power of Setting a Schedule, Not a Deadline

Inmyexperience,abetterwaytoapproachyourgoalsandbuildgoodhabitsistosetaschedule
tooperatebyratherthanadeadlinetoperformby.

Insteadofgivingyourselfadeadlinetoaccomplishaparticulargoalby(andthenfeelinglikea
failureifyoudontachieveit),youshouldchooseagoalthatisimportanttoyouandthenseta
scheduletoworktowardsitconsistently.

Thatmightnotsoundlikeabigshift,butitis.

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The Idea in Practice

Mostofthetime,Itrytobeapractitionerofmyideasandnotjustsomeonewhosharestheir

opinion,soallowmetoexplainthisstrategybyusingtworealexamplesfrommyownlife.

Example 1: Writing

IpublishanewarticleeveryMondayandThursday.SincemyfirstarticleonNovember12,2012,
Ivebeendeliveringtwoarticlesperweek,everyweek.Sometimesthearticleisshorterthan
expected,sometimesitsnotascompellingasIhadhoped,andsometimesitsnotasusefulasit
couldbebutitgetsouttotheworldnonetheless.

Ofcourse,Ididn'talwaysoperateonaMondayThursdayschedule.Infact,Icameupwith
reasonsforactivelyavoidingaschedule.Itoldmyself,IdomybestwritingwhenI'minspired,
soI'lljustwaituntilIgettheurgetowrite.

IassumedthatifIwasn'tdoingmybestwork,thenIshouldn'tbedoingitatall.Theproblem
withthatstrategyisthatmyoutputwaserraticatbest.

Ittookmeawhiletorealizeit,butit'snotaboutalwaysdoingyourbestwork,it'saboutdoingthe
bestyoucanonaconsistentbasis.

OnceIstoppedfocusingonresultsandsimplyheldmyselftoaconsistentschedule,mywork
andmyoutputimproved.Inthefirst6monthsafterIstartedwritingtwotimesperweek,I
wrotemoreinquantityandbetterinqualitythanintheprevioustwoyears.

JamesClear.com 28

Itdoesn'tmatterwhatyou'redoing,ifyouonlyworkwhenyoufeelmotivated,thenyou'llnever
beconsistentenoughtomakesignificantimpactonyourlife.

Example 2: Exercise

InAugust2012,IdecidedthatIwantedtodo100pushupsinarowwithstrictform.WhenI
trieditthefirsttime,Ionlygot36.

Inthepast,Imighthavesetadeadlineformyself:Do100pushupsbyDecember31st.

Thistime,Idecidedtosetascheduleformyworkouts.Istarteddoingpushupworkoutsevery
Monday,Wednesday,andFriday.Therewasnototalpushupgoalforanysingleworkout.The
goalissimplytodotheworkout.(JustlikethereisnosinglegoalforanyonearticleIwrite.The
goalissimplytowritethearticle.)

I'mstillonmywayto100consecutivepushups(mycurrentbestis80inarow),butinthe9
monthsthathavefollowedsinceIbegan,IhavekeptmyMonday,Wednesday,Fridayschedule
andcompletedover100pushupworkouts.

Focus on the Practice, Not the Performance

Doyouseehowthetwoexamplesabovearedifferentthanmostgoalswesetforourselves?

Inbothcases(writingandexercise),Imadeconsistentprogresstowardsmygoalsnotbysetting
adeadlineformyperformance,butbystickingtoaschedule.Thefocusisondoingtheaction,
notonachievingXgoalbyacertaindate.

JamesClear.com 29

Ifyouwanttobethetypeofpersonwhoaccomplishesthingsonaconsistentbasis,thengive
yourselfascheduletofollow,notadeadlinetoracetowards.

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How to Make Big Changes Without

Overwhelming Yourself

I'mabigproponentofdoingonethingatatime.Thereisamountainofscientificresearch
showingthatmultitaskinganddividingyourattentionislessproductivethanstayingfocused
onasinglegoal.

Butwhatifyouwanttochangemultiplethingsinyourlife?Whatifyouwanttogetbetterat
morethanonethingandyouwanttodoitrightnow?

Well,I'vegotgoodnews.Thankstokeystonehabitsyoucanactuallyfocusonasinglething
andimproveyourlifeinmultipleareasatthesametime.

Let'stalkaboutwhatkeystonehabitsareandhowyoucanusetheminyourlife.

The Power of Keystone Habits

Akeystonehabitisabehaviororroutinethatnaturallypullstherestofyourlifeinorder.

IfirstheardaboutthisideainCharlesDuhiggsbook,ThePowerofHabit.WhenIstarted
lookingatmyownlife,Ibegantonoticeafewroutinesthatledtobetterbehaviorselsewhere.

Forexample,afunnythinghappenswhenIliftweights...

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WhenIworkout,Iwanttoeatbetter.EventhoughIcouldrewardmyselfwithchocolatebars
andicecream,Ifeellikeeatinghealthy,unprocessedfoods.

WhenIstartworkingafterexercising,Iseemtobemoreproductive.Mymindisclearerandmy
writingiscrisper.Thoughtsfloweasily.

Andattheendoftheday,Ifallasleepquickly.ItendtosleepmoreandfeelfreshwhenIwake
up.

AndwhenIdon'texercise,Iseetheoppositeeffect.I'mmorepronetoeatingjunkfood.Istayup
later,getdistractedmoreeasily,andIwastetimeonunimportanttasks.StressbuildsandIstart
tofeeltensioninmyback.

Inotherwords,fitnessisthekeystonehabitthatputstherestofmylifeinplace.Idonthaveto
thinkabouteatingbetter.Idonthavetoforcemyselftofocusongettingthingsdone.

Imnotalwaysontopofmygame,butonthedaysItraineverythingseemstocomealittlebit
easier.Exercisenaturallypushesmetowardsmybestself.

What Are Your Keystone Habits?

Improvingyourlifestyleandbecomingthetypeofpersonwhohastheiracttogetherisnt
nearlyashardasyoumightthink.Infact,youmightneedjustonekeystonehabitbeforethe
dominoesstartfallingeverywhere.

JamesClear.com 32

Ifyouhavemultiplethingsthatyouwouldliketoimprove,imaginehowmucheasieritwouldbe
foryoutodoifyoudiscoveredoneortwokeystonehabitsthatnaturallyputyouonthepathto
success.

Thegoodnews?Youprobablyalreadyknowwhatthesebehaviorsareforyou.

Whatistheonethingthatwhenyoudoityourdayseemstogomoresmoothly?

Forme,itisworkingout.Meanwhile,otherpeopleswearbyamorningrun.Andyou'llfind
dozensofCEOswhoclaimtheirdailymeditationhabitisthekeytotheirsuccess.

Nomatterwhatyourkeystonehabitis,itisworthyourtimetofocusonitanddomoreofit.The
.
righthabit,whendoneconsistently,canimpactyourlifeinmanyways

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How to Get Back on Track After Slipping Up

Habitformationhingesonyourabilitytobounceback.Therewillalwaysbeinstanceswhen
followingyourregularroutineisbasicallyimpossible.

Butsmallhiccupsdontmakeyouafailure,theymakeyouhuman.Themostsuccessfulpeople
intheworldslipupontheirhabitstoo.Whatseparatesthemisnttheirabilitytoavoidmistakes,
itstheirabilitytogetbackontrackquickly.

Theimportantthingtorealizeisthatthebeststrategyisn'ttoavoidfailure,it'stoplanforit.
Usingthe4strategiesbelow,youcanplanforchaosanddevelopastrategyforgettingbackon
trackbeforeyougetoffcourse.

1. Put your habits on your calendar.

Iwanttoeathealthier
Claimingthatyouwanttoaccomplishvaguegoals(i.e. )doesn'tgive
yourmindaclearscheduletooperateby.

Yourhabitsneedatimeandplacetoliveinyourlife.

Wanttogetbackontrackwithyourwritingschedule?9amonMondaymorning.Buttinchair.
Handsonkeyboard.Thatswhenthisishappening.

Wanttoexercise?Giveyourselfatimeandplacethatitneedstohappen.6pmeveryMonday,
Wednesday,andFriday.Illseeyouinthegym.

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Thebottomlineisthis:itmightbenicetotellyourselfthatyouregoingtochange,butgetting
specificmakesitrealandgivesyouareasonandaremindertogetbackontrackwheneveryou
slipup.

Soonisnotatimeandsomeisnotanumber.Whenandwhere,exactly,areyougoingtodothis?
Doyouhaveasysteminplacetoautomaticallyremindyoutodoyournewhabit?

Note:Anotherwaytoautomaticallyremindyourselfisbytyingyournewhabittoacurrent
behavior.Formoreonthis,gobackandreadChapter2.

2. Stick to your schedule, even in small ways.

Itsnottheindividualimpactofslippingupthatisabigdeal.Itsthecumulativeimpactofnever
gettingbackontrack.(i.e.Ifyoumissoneworkout,youwon'tsuddenlybeoutofshape,but
missing3weekswillmakeadifference.)

Forthatreason,itscriticaltosticktoyourschedule,evenifitsonlyinaverysmallway.

Donthaveenoughtimetodoafullworkout?Justsquat.
Donthaveenoughtimetowriteanarticle?Writeaparagraph.
Donthaveenoughtimetodoyoga?Taketensecondstobreathe.
Donthaveenoughtimetogoonvacation?Giveyourselfaminibreakanddrivetothe
neighboringtown.

Findawaytosticktotheschedule,nomatterhowsmallitis.Here'sanotherexample...

JamesClear.com 35

Letssayyouwokeuptodaywiththeintentionofrunning3milesthisafternoon.Duringtheday,
yourschedulegotcrazyandtimestartedtogetawayfromyou.Whenyoulookupattheclock,
youonlyhave20minutestoworkout.

Atthispoint,youhavetwooptions.

Thefirstoption
istosay,Twentyminutesisn'tenoughtimetochangemyclothes,putonmy
runningshoes,andworkout.Atthispoint,you'llprobablyconvinceyourselfthatyourtimeis
betterspentgettingcaughtuponemailsormakingaphonecallyou'vebeenputtingoffora
thousandotheralternatives.

ThisiswhatIwouldusuallyhavedoneinthepastgetpressedfortimeandcomeupwitha
goodreasonfornotworkingoutatall.

Thesecondoption
istoreducethescope,butsticktotheschedule.Youcouldtellyourself,
Twentyminutesisn'tenoughtimetogetchangedandrun3miles,butitisenoughtimetoput
onmyshoesandrun5sprints.

Onadailybasis,theimpactofdoingfivesprintsisntthatsignificant,especiallywhenyouhad
plannedtorun3miles.Butthecumulativeimpactofalwaysstayingonscheduleishuge.

Furthermore,thisstrategyallowsyoutoprovetoyourselfthatyoucangetsomethingdoneeven
whenthesituationisn'tideal.Itsthecumulativeimpactofalwaysstickingtoyourschedulethat
willcarryyoutolongtermsuccess.Thatshowlittlegoalsbecomelifetimehabits.

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3. Have someone who expects something of you.

Ivebeenonmanyteamsthroughoutmyathleticcareer.Youknowwhathappenswhen
youhavefriends,teammates,andcoachesexpectingyoutobeatpractice?Youshowup.

Thegoodnewsisthatyoudonthavetobeonateamtomakethiswork.Talkto
strangersandmakefriendsinthegym.Simplyknowingthatafamiliarfaceexpectsto
seeyoucanbeenoughtogetyoutoshowup.

4. Design your environment for success.

Ifyouthinkthatyouneedmoremotivationormorewillpowertosticktoyourgoals,thenIhave
goodnews.Youdont.

Mostofusacknowledgethatthepeoplewhosurroundusinfluenceourbehaviors,butthe
connectionbetweentheitemsthatsurroundusandourbehaviorsislessobvious.

Thetruthisthatthesignsyouread,thethingsthatareonyourdeskatwork,thepictures
hangingonyourwallathomeareallpiecesofyourenvironmentthatcantriggeryoutotake
differentactionsregardlessofhowmotivatedyoufeel.

WhenIwantedtostartflossingconsistently,oneofthemostusefulchangesImadewastaking
theflossoutofthedrawerandkeepingitnexttomytoothbrushonthecounter.Itsoundslikea
sillythingtofocuson,butthevisualcueofseeingtheflosseverytimeIbrushedmyteethmeant
thatIdidnthavetoremembertopullitoutofthedrawer.

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Withthissimpleenvironmentchange,ImadeiteasytodothenewhabitandIdidntneedmore
willpowerormotivationtodoit.

Develop a Plan for Bouncing Back

Changecanbehard.Inthebeginning,yourhealthyhabitsmighttaketwostepsforward
andonestepback.Anticipatingthosebackwardstepsanddevelopingaplanforgetting
backontrackquicklycanmakeallthedifferenceintheworld.

JamesClear.com 38

How to Break a Bad Habit (and Replace it

With a Good One)

We'vecoveredalotofinformationonhowtobuildgoodhabits,butwhataboutbreakingbad
ones?

Badhabitsinterruptyourlifeandpreventyoufromaccomplishingyourgoals.Theyjeopardize
yourhealthbothmentallyandphysically.Andtheywasteyourtimeandenergy.

Sowhydowestilldothem?Andmostimportantly,isthereanythingyoucandoaboutit?How
canyoudeleteyourbadbehaviorsandsticktogoodonesinstead?

Icertainlydonthavealloftheanswers,butkeepreadingandIllsharewhatIvelearnedabout
howtobreakabadhabit.

What causes bad habits?

Mostofyourbadhabitsarecausedbytwothings

Stressandboredom.

JamesClear.com 39

Mostofthetime,badhabitsaresimplyawayofdealingwithstressandboredom.Everything
frombitingyournailstooverspendingonashoppingspreetodrinkingeveryweekendto
wastingtimeontheinternetcanbeasimpleresponsetostressandboredom.

Butitdoesnthavetobethatway.Youcanteachyourselfnewandhealthywaystodealwith
stressandboredom,whichyoucanthensubstituteinplaceofyourbadhabits.

Ofcourse,sometimesthestressorboredomthatisonthesurfaceisactuallycausedbydeeper
issues.Theseissuescanbetoughtothinkabout,butifyoureseriousaboutmakingchangesthen
youhavetobehonestwithyourself.Aretherecertainbeliefsorreasonsthatarebehindthebad
habit?Istheresomethingdeeperafear,anevent,oralimitingbeliefthatiscausingyouto
holdontosomethingthatisbadforyou?

Recognizingthecausesofyourbadhabitsiscrucialtoovercomingthem.

You dont eliminate a bad habit, you replace it.

Allofthehabitsthatyouhaverightnowgoodorbadareinyourlifeforareason.Insome
way,thesebehaviorsprovideabenefittoyou,eveniftheyarebadforyouinotherways.

Sometimesthebenefitisbiologicallikeitiswithsmokingordrugs.Sometimesitsemotional
likeitiswhenyoustayinarelationshipthatisbadforyou.Andinmanycases,yourbadhabitis
asimplewaytocopewithstress.Forexample,bitingyournails,pullingyourhair,tappingyour
foot,orclenchingyourjaw.

Thesebenefitsorreasonsextendtosmallerbadhabitsaswell.

JamesClear.com 40

Forexample,openingyouremailinboxassoonasyouturnonyourcomputermightmakeyou
feelconnected.Atthesametimelookingatallofthoseemailsdestroysyourproductivity,
dividesyourattention,andoverwhelmsyouwithstress.But,itpreventsyoufromfeelinglike
youremissingoutandsoyoudoitagain.

Becausebadhabitsprovidesometypeofbenefitinyourlife,itsverydifficulttosimplyeliminate
them.(Thisiswhysimplisticadvicelikejuststopdoingitrarelyworks.)Instead,youneedto
replaceabadhabitwithanewhabitthatprovidesasimilarbenefit.

Forexample,ifyousmokewhenyougetstressed,thenitsabadplantojuststopsmoking
whenthathappens.Instead,youshouldcomeupwithadifferentwaytodealwithstressand
insertthatnewbehaviorinsteadofhavingacigarette.

Inotherwords,badhabitsaddresscertainneedsinyourlife.Andforthatreason,itsbetterto
replaceyourbadhabitswithahealthierbehaviorthataddressesthatsameneed.Ifyouexpect
yourselftosimplycutoutbadhabitswithoutreplacingthem,thenyoullhavecertainneedsthat
willbeunmetanditsgoingtobehardtosticktoaroutineofjustdontdoitforverylong.


How to break a bad habit

Herearesomeadditionalideasforbreakingyourbadhabitsandthinkingabouttheprocessina
newway.

Chooseasubstituteforyourbadhabit.
Youneedtohaveaplanaheadoftimeforhowyouwill
respondwhenyoufacethestressorboredomthatpromptsyourbadhabit.Whatareyougoing
todowhenyougettheurgetosmoke?(Example:breathingexercisesinstead.)Whatareyou
goingtodowhenFacebookiscallingtoyoutoprocrastinate?(Example:writeonesentencefor

JamesClear.com 41

work.)Whateveritisandwhateveryouredealingwith,youneedtohaveaplanforwhatyouwill
doinsteadofyourbadhabit.

Cutoutasmanytriggersaspossible.
Ifyousmokewhenyoudrink,thendontgotothebar.If
youeatcookieswhentheyareinthehouse,thenthrowthemallaway.Ifthefirstthingyoudo
whenyousitonthecouchispickuptheTVremote,thenhidetheremoteinaclosetina
differentroom.Makeiteasieronyourselftobreakbadhabitsbyavoidingthethingsthatcause
them.

Rightnow,yourenvironmentmakesyourbadhabiteasierandgoodhabitsharder.Changeyour
environmentandyoucanchangetheoutcome.

Joinforceswithsomebody.
Howoftendoyoutrytodietinprivate?Ormaybeyouquit
smokingbutyoukeptittoyourself?(Thatwaynoonewillseeyoufail,right?)

Instead,pairupwithsomeoneandquittogether.Thetwoofyoucanholdeachother
accountableandcelebrateyourvictoriestogether.Knowingthatsomeoneelseexpectsyoutobe
betterisapowerfulmotivator.

Visualizeyourselfsucceeding.
Seeyourselfthrowingawaythecigarettesorbuyinghealthyfood
orwakingupearly.Whateverthebadhabitisthatyouarelookingtobreak,visualizeyourself
crushingit,smiling,andenjoyingyoursuccess.Seeyourselfbuildinganewidentity.

Youdontneedtobesomeoneelse,youjustneedtoreturntotheoldyou.
Sooftenwethinkthat
tobreakourbadhabits,weneedtobecomeanentirelynewperson.Thetruthisthatyoualready
haveitinyoutobesomeonewithoutyourbadhabits.Infact,itsveryunlikelythatyouhad
thesebadhabitsallofyourlife.Youdontneedtoquitsmoking,youjustneedtoreturntobeing
anonsmoker.Youdontneedtotransformintoahealthyperson,youjustneedtoreturnto

JamesClear.com 42

beinghealthy.Evenifitwasyearsago,youhavealreadylivedwithoutthisbadhabit,which
meansyoucanmostdefinitelydoitagain.

but
Usetheword toovercomenegativeselftalk.Onethingaboutbattlingbadhabitsisthat
itseasytojudgeyourselffornotactingbetter.Everytimeyouslipupormakeamistake,its
easytotellyourselfhowmuchyousuck.

Wheneverthathappens,finishthesentencewithbut

Imfatandoutofshape,butIcouldbeinshapeafewmonthsfromnow.
Imstupidandnobodyrespectsme,butImworkingtodevelopavaluableskill.
Imafailure,buteverybodyfailssometimes.

Planforfailure.
Weallslipupeverynowandthen.AsmymainmanSteveKambsays,When
youscrewup,skipaworkout,eatbadfoods,orsleepin,itdoesntmakeyouabadperson.It
makesyouhuman.Welcometotheclub.

Soratherthanbeatingyourselfupoveramistake,planforit.Weallgetofftrack,whatseparates
topperformersfromeveryoneelseisthattheygetbackontrackveryquickly.

Taking the First Step to Breaking Bad Habits

Itseasytogetcaughtupinhowyoufeelaboutyourbadhabits.Youcanmakeyourselffeel
guiltyorspendyourtimedreamingabouthowyouwishthingswerebutthesethoughtstake
youawayfromwhatsactuallyhappening.

JamesClear.com 43

Instead,itsawarenessthatwillshowyouhowtoactuallymakechange.Whendoesyourbad
habitactuallyhappen?Howmanytimesdoyoudoiteachday?Whereareyou?Whoareyou
with?Whattriggersthebehaviorandcausesittostart?

Simplytrackingtheseissueswillmakeyoumoreawareofthebehaviorandgiveyoudozensof
ideasforstoppingit.

Heresasimplewaytostart:justtrackhowmanytimesperdayyourbadhabithappens.Puta
pieceofpaperinyourpocketandapen.Eachtimeyourbadhabithappens,markitdownon
yourpaper.Attheendoftheday,countupallofthetallymarksandcalculateyourtotal.

Inthebeginningyourgoalisnttojudgeyourselforfeelguiltyaboutdoingsomethingunhealthy
orunproductive.Theonlygoalistobeawareofwhenithappensandhowoftenithappens.
Wrapyourheadaroundtheproblembybeingawareofit.Then,youcanstarttoimplementthe
ideasinthisarticleandbreakyourbadhabit.

Breakingbadhabitstakestimeandeffort,butmostlyittakesperseverance.Mostpeoplewho
endupbreakingtheirbadhabitstryandfailmultipletimesbeforetheymakeitwork.Youmight
nothavesuccessrightaway,butthatdoesntmeanyoucanthaveitatall.

JamesClear.com 44

How to Slowly Eliminate Bad Habits

Thereisanotherwaytobreakbadhabits.ItinvolvesaconceptIrefertoasaBrightLinesRule.

Abrightlinerulereferstoaclearlydefinedruleorstandard.Itisarulewithclearinterpretation
andverylittlewiggleroom.Itestablishesabrightlineforwhattheruleissayingandwhatitis
notsaying.

Mostofus,myselfincluded,couldbenefitfromsettingbrighterlinesinourpersonaland
professionallives.Considersomecommonexamples:

Wemightsaythatwewanttocheckemaillessfrequently.
Wemightsaythatwewanttodrinkmoderately.
Wemightsaythatwewanttosavemoreforretirement.
Wemightsaythatwewanttoeathealthier.

Butwhatdothesestatementsreallymean?

Whatdoesitmeantocheckemaillessfrequently?Areyougoingtotrytobebetter
aboutitandhopethatworks?Willyousetspecificdaysorcertaintimeswhenyouwill
beunavailable?Willyoucheckemailonweekends?Willyouprocessemailonlyonyour
computer?
What,exactly,ismoderatedrinking?Isitonedrinkperweek?Fivedrinksperweek?Ten
drinksperweek?Wehaventdefinedit,sohowwillweknowifwearemakingprogress?
Whatdoesitmeantosavemore?Moreisnotanumber.Howmuchismore?Whenwill
yousave?Everymonth?Everypaycheck?

JamesClear.com 45

Whatdoeseatinghealthierlooklikeonadailybasis?Doesthatmeanyoueatmore
servingsofvegetables?Ifso,howmanymore?Doyouwanttostartbyeatingahealthy
mealonceperday?Twiceperday?Everymeal?

Itcanbeeasytomakepromiseslikethistoyourself,buttheydonotcreatebrightlines.Fuzzy
statementsmakeprogresshardtomeasure,andthethingswemeasurearethethingswe
improve.

Now,doweneedtomeasureeveryareaofourlives?Ofcoursenot.Butifsomethingis
importanttoyou,thenyoushouldestablishabrightlineforit.Considerthefollowing
alternatives:

Ionlyprocessemailbetween11AMand6PM.
Ienjoyamaximumof2drinkspernight.
Isave$500permonthforretirement.
Ieatatleasttwotypesofvegetablesperday.

Thesestatementsestablishbrightlines.Thesestatementsmakeactionstepspreciseand
obvious.Vaguepromiseswillneverleadtoclearresults.

Progressive Extremism

IfirstlearnedofthisideafrommyfriendNirEyalwhoproposesasimilarstrategythathecalls
ProgressiveExtremism.Toexplaintheconcept,Nirusestheexampleofbeingavegetarian.If
youwereinterestedinbecomingavegetarian,youmightstartbysaying,Idonteatredmeat.
Thegoalisnottochangeeverythingatonce,buttotakeaveryclearandextremestandinone
smallarea.Youareestablishingabrightlineonthattopic.

JamesClear.com 46

Overtime,youcanprogressivelymoveyourbrightlineforwardandaddotherbehaviorstothe
mix.(i.e.Idonteatredmeatorfish.Andsoon.)

Establishingbrightlinesinyourlifecanprovideahugeboostindailywillpower.Herearetwo
reasonswhy:

First,brightlinesshifttheconversationinyourheadfromoneofsacrificetooneof
empowerment.Whenyoudonthaveabrightlineestablishedandyouchoosenottodo
something,thetendencyistosay,Oh,Icantdoitthistime.Conversely,whenyoudohavea
brightlineclearlyset,yourresponsecansimplybe,Nothanks,Idontdothat.Brightlines
helpyouavoidmakingjustthisonceexceptions.Instead,youarefollowinganewidentitythat
youhavecreatedforyourself.

Second,byestablishingcleardecisionsinyourlife,youconservewillpowerforotherimportant
choices.Herestheproblemwithtryingtomakedailydecisionsinmuddywater:Withoutbright
lines,youmustdecidewhetherasituationfitsyourstandardseverytime.Withbrightlines,the
decisionismadeaheadoftime.Becauseofthis,youarelesslikelytosufferfromdecisionfatigue
andmorelikelytohavewillpowerleftoverforwork,relationships,andotherhealthhabits.

JamesClear.com 47

The Next Step: Where to Go From Here

We'vecoveredalotofgroundinthisguide.

Wetalkedaboutthescienceofhabitformationandthe3stepprocessthatgovernsallhabits.
Wetalkedabouthowtosetupyournewhabitsforsuccessbyusingremindersandrewards.

Wetalkedaboutfocusingonyouridentityfirstandleavingtheperformanceandappearance
basedgoalsforlater.

Wetalkedaboutthepowerofsettingascheduleandnotholdingyourselftoadeadline.Thisis
particularlyusefulwhenyourlifegetscrazybecauseyoucanreducethescopeandstayontask.

Wetalkedabouthowtousekeystonehabitstomakechangethroughoutyourentirelifewithout
gettingoverwhelmed.

Andwecovered4strategiesforbouncingbackaftergettingofftrackbecauseweallslipup
everynowandthen.

Withtheseideas,youshouldbewellequippedtomakechangeinyourlifeandsticktohealthier
habitsforthelongterm,whichbringsmetomyfinaltwopoints.

1. Knowledgeisuselesswithoutaction.Youknowwhattodo,nowit'stimetodoit.Ifyou
haveagoalthatisimportanttoyou,thenusetheseideastomakeitareality.

2. Ourcommunityisheretosupportyou.Eachweek,Iwritearticlesforasmallcommunity
ofpeoplewhoarecommittedtogettingbetter,livinghealthier,andmakingtheworlda

JamesClear.com 48

betterplace.Formypart,Idomybesttohelpthemachievetheirgoals.AndI'dliketodo
thesameforyou.

Ifyouhavequestions,youcanalwayscontactmeathttp://jamesclear.com

Idon'thaveitallfiguredout,butI'mdoingmybesttowalktheslowmarchtowardgreatness
withyou.Ifthere'sanythingIcando,pleaseknowthatI'mheretohelphoweverIcan.

Neversettle,
JamesClear

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