Loud Thinking July 21, 2014 at 01:09PM
Experiment with Habit-Changing Tactics
Even the most motivated people can get frustrated when trying to change habits. Why can’t I force myself to go to the gym before work? Why do I keep putting off this project? Behavioral change won’t work if you fixate on hard-and-fast rules — like waking up at 5 AM every day to hit the gym or blocking off every Friday for big projects. Instead, experiment with different tactics to see what will actually work for you.
First, see which efforts haven’t been working. Think about your larger goal. Why was this activity important to you in the first place?
Now brainstorm other tactics. If you hate the gym or aren’t a morning person, consider taking a bike ride after work or exercising at home before bed. If you’ve never managed to block out an entire day for projects, try finding two half-days.
Test different tactics out each week, and have others check in on your progress.
Adapted by HBR from ” The Key to Lasting Behavioral Change: Think Goal, Not Tactic” by Elizabeth Grace Saunders.
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