The general consensus in The Habit Lab is that we are all starting to crave the sweet routine of back to school. You there yet?
On the bright side, this week’s challenge doesn’t require doing anything really. It’s just a hack to be in closer proximity to the doing.
It’s based on two simple things that actually work for me.
1- When I fill up a water bottle and keep it near me all day, I tend to drink it.
2- When I keep a book near me all day, I tend to read it. Especially when little pockets of waiting pop up throughout the day: cooking, kid pick-up, bathroom breaks.
Do a 10-minute environment audit. Pick one space where you spend significant time... your kitchen counter, your desk, your nightstand, your car.
Ask two questions:
What does this space make easy?
What does this space make hard?
Then change one thing. Just one. To make your desired behavior the default and the thing you're trying to avoid... slightly harder to reach.
Some ideas to get you started:
Want to read more? Put a book on your nightstand and your phone in the bathroom.
Want to eat better? Move the fruit to the front of the fridge, the snacks to the back.
Work out first thing? Sleep in your workout clothes.
Want to drink more water? Put the water bottle next to the coffee maker.
Want to take your vitamins? Put them next to your toothbrush.
WHY IT ACTUALLY MATTERS
Behavioral science research shows that environmental cues trigger up to 45% of our daily behaviors automatically... before conscious thought even kicks in. You're not deciding to reach for your phone. You're responding to the fact that it's right there.
This is called choice architecture... and it's one of the most powerful habit tools available because it doesn't require motivation. It just requires a little intentional design. Make the good behavior the easy one. Make the thing you're trying to avoid just slightly more inconvenient. Your future self will take it from there.
YOUR MINDSET SCRIPT
"I design my spaces so my desired choices are the easy ones.”
Read this and pretend you believe. ;)
BONUS: JOURNAL PROMPT
Look around the space you're in right now. What is it silently encouraging you to do? What is it making harder than it needs to be? If your environment were designed by someone who really wanted you to thrive... what would be different?
That's your Monday experiment: report back!
xoxo,
Katie Day, your habit hype girl
(write back soon)
We went camping during a heat advisory. Actually correction: we started to go camping and ended up at a very small town hotel. Haha. Whoops! It was actually kind of hilarious.
Coming up: August's Monthly Theme: Set up Shop! Getting out spaces ready for back to school!
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"Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior."
After hitting rock bottom, I've embarked on a radical journey. For one year, I'm taking a break from all cynicsm and trying out some crazy self-improvement experiments (so you don't have to.)