Environment · Go further · 01
Environment: Using Friction to Your Advantage
Friction is anything that adds a step between you and a habit or task. The more steps there are, and the more effort each one takes, the less likely you are to do it.
Make good habits easy and bad habits hard
Willpower runs out, but your surroundings stay the same. Removing a single step can make a good habit almost automatic. Adding one can be enough to stop a bad habit before it starts.
The startup cost
Before you do anything, your mind calculates how much effort it will take to get started. That startup cost is the friction. Lowering it, even by a few seconds, can change what you end up doing every day.
The startup cost usually feels much bigger than the task itself. Once you've started, the rest is far easier, so trick yourself into starting any way you can.
Make good habits easier
- Prep your meals in advance.
- Get your gym clothes ready the night before.
- Choose a gym close to home or work.
- Find an accountability partner.
Make bad habits harder
- Don't keep junk food around the house.
- Sleep with your phone in another room.
- Set time limits on the apps that eat up your time.
Set up your space so the right choice always takes the fewest steps.
Environment · 01