Here is today’s Game and what’s going on.
Here is what I discovered today in our Dadly Daily Declaration readings from Chapter 12 of Atomic Habits by James Clear. The title of this chapter is “The Law of Least Effort.”
Today’s chapter continues explaining the Third Law of Behavior Change: Make It Easy. Here are a few highlights from today’s readings:
- Conventional wisdom holds that motivation is the key to habit change. But the truth is, our real motivation is to be lazy and to do what is convenient.
- Energy is precious, and the brain is wired to conserve it whenever possible. It is human nature to follow the Law of Least Effort, which states that when deciding between two similar options, people will naturally gravitate toward the option that requires the least amount of work.
- Out of all the possible actions we could take, the one that is realized is the one that delivers the most value for the least effort. We are motivated to do what is easy.
- Every action requires a certain amount of energy. The more energy required, the less likely it is to occur.
- The less energy a habit requires, the more likely it is to occur.
- Look at any behavior that fills up much of your life and you’ll see that it can be performed with very low levels of motivation.
- In a sense, every habit is just an obstacle to getting what you really want. Dieting is an obstacle to getting fit. Meditation is an obstacle to feeling calm. Journaling is an obstacle to thinking clearly. You don’t actually want the habit itself. What you really want is the outcome the habit delivers.
- The greater the obstacle (the more difficult the habit), the more friction there is between you and your desired end state. This is why it is crucial to make your habit so easy that you’ll do them even when you don’t feel like it. If you can make your good habits more convenient, you’ll be more likely to follow through on them.
- You are capable of doing very hard things. The problem is that some days you feel like doing the hard work and some ays you feel like giving in.
- On the tough days, it’s crucial to have as many things working in your favor as possible so that you can overcome the challenges life naturally throws your way. The less friction you face, the easier it is for your stronger self to emerge.
- Trying to pump up your motivation to stick with a hard habit is like trying to force water through a bent water hose. You can do it, but it requires a lot of effort and increases the tension in your life.
- Meanwhile, making your habits simple and easy is like removing the bend in the hose. You reduce the friction.
- Habits are easier to build when they fit into the flow of your life. You are more likely to go to the gym if it is on your way to work because stopping doesn’t add much friction to your lifestyle.
- When we remove the points of friction that sap our time and energy, we can achieve more with less effort.
- There are many ways to prime your environment so it’s ready for immediate use.
- Want to eat a healthy breakfast? Plan the skills ton the stove, set the cooking spray on the counter and lay out any plates and utensils you’ll need the night before. When you wake up, making breakfast will be easy.
- Want to draw more? Put your pencils, pens, notebooks, and drawing tools on top of your desk, within easy reach.
- Want to exercise? Set out your workout clothes, shoes, gym bag, and water bottle ahead of time.
- Want to improve your diet? Chop up a ton of fruits and veggies on weekends and pack them in containers, so you have easy access to healthy, ready-to-eat options during the week.
- A little bit of friction can be the difference between sticking with a good habit or sliding into a bad one.
Those gems lead us to today’s Dadly Daily Declaration:
Your goal is to create an environment where doing the right thing is as easy as possible. Much of the battle of building better habits comes down to finding ways to reduce the friction associated with our good habits and increase the friction associated with our bad ones.
When approaching behavior change, ask yourself this question: “How can I design a world where it’s easy to do what’s right?” Redesign your life so the actions that matter most are also the action that are easiest to do.
