343. Why Can't I Stick With Any New Health Habits? Build the Mini-System That Makes Change Last

Why is it so hard to stick with a habit we actually want to build (a daily walk) or one we want to break (easing off the afternoon sweets) even when it's something that we know would improve our lives? This week we take the pressure off, name the five forces in the gap between knowing and doing (not one is the flaw we've been blaming), and then will build a small system that does the deciding for us on the tougher days. This is a Q&A episode in honor of National Wellness Month.

LET'S TALK THE WALK!

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RESOURCES AND SOURCES (some links may be affiliate links)

• Atomic Habits, by James Clear

• Tiny Habits, by BJ Fogg

• Mini Habits, by Stephen Guise

The 7-Move System

A handful of choices made once, on a calm day, so they do the remembering and deciding for us on the challenging days. Pick one and start with the smallest version.

1. Shrink the start until it's almost silly — Walk to the end of the driveway — shoes on, step outside, that's the whole goal. (Sweets version: wait ten minutes before the three o'clock treat.) So small it feels foolish to skip.

2. Deal with the friction tonight — Shoes and jacket by the door where morning-you will trip over them; candy dish off the counter and into a cupboard. Lower the friction on what you're adding, raise it on what you're easing off.