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That said, you can start making changes right now. You don’t have to be a victim of your environment. You can also be the architect of it. Here’s my simple 2-step prescription for altering your environment so that you can stick with good habits and break bad habits:
To stick with a good habit, reduce the number of steps required to perform the behavior.
To break a bad habit, increase the number of steps required to perform the behavior.
Here are some examples…
Want to watch less TV? Unplug it and put it in a closet. If you really want to watch a show, then you can take it out and plug it back in.
Want to drink more water? Fill up a few water bottles and place them around the house so that a healthy drink is always close by.
Want to start a business? Join a co-working space where you’re surrounded by dozens of other business owners.
These are just a few examples, but the point is that shifting your behavior is much easier when you shift to the right environment. Stanford professor BJ Fogg refers to this approach as “designing for laziness.” In other words, change your environment so that your default or “lazy” decision is a better one.— James Clear
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