Embedding a behaviour • 2 min read
In a study of nearly 100 people, researchers from University College London (UCL) found that it took on average two months (66 days to be precise!) to form a new habit.
They highlight the importance of having a consistent setting when working on a new habit as this promotes the trigger and we're more likely to perform our desired new behaviour.
Introduction
We can often aim too high when we try to embed a new habit. We typically start out strong but find it hard to sustain and end up going back to the way we always did things.
It's not about bombarding our work lives with rules or hacks to get short term results, it's about beginning with one small thing that is sustainable and that will have the biggest impact on the areas that matter most within our role.
Ready to discover how we create habits that work in our favour?
Make it obvious, easy and rewarding
Let's remind ourselves how our habits are formed.
We have a TRIGGER that leads to an ACTION that delivers us with a REWARD.
The key question is: how do we create a positive habit with a trigger that pushes us to perform an action that will lead to our desired behaviour?
Here’s how....
1. Make it obvious
We introduce a trigger that’s OBVIOUS, something we can’t miss. The two most common triggers that we can use are time and location — this is where our implementation intentions can help (see reminder below)
Principle:
“When situation x arises, I will perform the task related to habit goal y.”
Example:
“After our weekly team check-in [time], I will stay in the meeting room [location] to write 250 words.”
2. Make it easy
We make the action EASY, so something that requires little effort.
It’s human nature to follow the path of least resistance. We want to leverage this concept to help ingrain positive behaviours. Remember, we are a lot more likely to maintain a habit if it doesn’t require a lot of motivation to start. We need to make it as easy as possible.
3. Make it rewarding
We make the reward...well REWARDING! We need to increase our chances of repeating the behaviour.
We don’t want to just rely on good intentions and willpower to embed a new behaviour. We have a better chance of repeating a behaviour if it’s satisfying. We can do this by immediately rewarding ourselves. This enhances the feeling of success and ensures we want that reward again.
Creating new habits in practice
The goal
Recognise the key achievements of the team at your monthly team meeting.
The new habit
Make it OBVIOUS: Add it as an agenda item during the monthly team meeting.
Make it EASY: Set a weekly reminder to record any important milestones achieved from team members.
Make it REWARDING: Explain the impact of the achievement to boost morale within the team — why did it matter?
For example:
“this meant that we were able to deliver the project on time”
or
“this resulted in our customer satisfaction score increasing by 10%”
The goal
Exercise each day during lunch for the next four weeks, beginning on Monday.
The new habit
Make it OBVIOUS: Leave your running or walking shoes next to our desk to ensure they are visible.
Make it EASY: Begin with a 15-minute walk.
Make it REWARDING: Listen to your favourite podcast.
The goal
Schedule five client meetings per month for the next three months, beginning March 1st.
The new habit
Make it OBVIOUS: Write down your habit goal on a post-it and stick it to the computer.
Make it EASY: List the names of your target clients including phone numbers and email addresses on a piece of paper and leave it on your desk.
Make it REWARDING: Treat yourself to a nice lunch after booking 5 meetings.
Key takeaways
We are more likely to start and maintain a behaviour if the trigger is OBVIOUS.
Making the action EASY increases our chances of performing the behaviour on a regular basis as it requires little effort.
We increase our chances of repeating the behaviour if the reward is...REWARDING enough!!
Think big, act small
Think about one behaviour that would have the biggest impact on achieving your goal.
•What trigger could you introduce that is too obvious to miss?
•How can you make performing that behaviour as easy as possible?
•What reward will be in place when you perform the routine?
Content sources
Atomic Habits, James Clear
European Journal of Social Psychology, How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world, Phillippa Lally, Cornelia H. M. van Jaarsveld, Henry W. W. Potts, Jane Wardle
The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg
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