Finally Hack Your Habits Easily
How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
by Katy Milkman
Psychology
TL;DR
This book spills the tea on why we suck at changing and gives you science-backed hacks to actually stick to your goals. It's all about identifying your specific change challenge (like procrastination or forgetting) and then deploying the right strategy to combat it. Think temptation bundling to make chores less ass, commitment devices to lock yourself into good habits, and fresh starts to hit reset. It's less about willpower and more about smart strategy and environmental nudges to make desired behaviors the path of least resistance. Basically, it's about engineering your life so you don't have to rely on pure grit, which, let's be real, runs out faster than your phone battery.
Action Items
Pick one chore you hate and one show/podcast you love. Do the chore only while enjoying the show/podcast today.
Tell a friend or post on social media a specific, measurable goal you'll achieve by tomorrow, with a clear consequence if you don't.
Identify a small, achievable goal. Pick a "fresh start" moment (e.g., tomorrow morning, the start of next week) and commit to starting that goal then.
Pick one bad habit. Make it slightly harder to do right now (e.g., move the snack drawer, put your gaming controller away). Pick one good habit. Make it slightly easier to do right now (e.g., fill a water bottle, open your textbook).
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Key Chapter
Chapter - The "New Me, Who Dis?" Effect (aka Fresh Starts)
Ever feel like you can't escape your past screw-ups? This chapter drops the bomb that your brain loves a "fresh start" – think New Year's, birthdays, or even just a new month. It's like your brain gets a mental reset button, making you feel less tied to your old, lazy self and more optimistic about crushing new goals. It's not magic, it's just how our brains compartmentalize time, giving us a psychological clean slate. So, instead of waiting for January 1st, find your own mini-fresh starts to kick off that new habit. It's about leveraging those natural breakpoints to trick yourself into believing you're a whole new person, ready to conquer the world (or at least finally clean your room).
Key Methods and Approaches
Binge-Watching Your Way to Productivity
(AKA: Temptation Bundling)
Description:
Pair something you want to do (like watching Netflix) with something you should do (like doing laundry).
Explanation:
Your brain's a toddler; it only wants candy. So, you gotta trick it. Imagine telling a kid they can only have ice cream while they eat their broccoli. It's the same vibe. You link a high-pleasure activity with a low-pleasure, high-value one. Suddenly, that boring task becomes the gatekeeper to your dopamine hit. It's like making your chores the pre-show to your favorite series.
Examples:
Only letting yourself watch that new TikTok trend compilation while you're on the treadmill.
Listening to your favorite true crime podcast only when you're cleaning the bathroom.
Eating your favorite fancy snack only while you're doing your weekly budget.
Today's Action:
Pick one chore you hate and one show/podcast you love. Do the chore only while enjoying the show/podcast today.
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