Habits are a crucial part of our daily lives. We all have habits that we want to get rid of or start implementing. The good news is that with the 4 laws of habit change, we can do just that!
The 4 laws of habit change are designed to make habit formation as effortless as possible. The laws are Make It Obvious, Make It Attractive, Make It Easy, and Make It Immediately Rewarding. When these four laws are followed, habit formation becomes a whole lot easier.
In this article, we will dive into each of the four laws of habit change and explore how we can apply them to our daily lives. By the end of this article, you will have a clear understanding of how to make habits stick and achieve the changes you desire.
So, whether you’re trying to create a new habit or get rid of an old one, these four laws can help you make it happen. Let’s dive into the details!
Make it Obvious
Let’s dive into the first law of habit change – Make it Obvious. This law essentially means making it easy to do good habits by putting fewer steps between you and the good habits, and more steps between you and the bad ones.
To implement this law, you can create an environment that promotes good habits without requiring any effort on your part. For example, if you want to start exercising in the morning, you can lay out your workout clothes and shoes the night before. This will serve as a visual cue to remind you of your goal and make it easier for you to follow through.
Another strategy is to remove any obstacles that might hinder your progress. If you want to eat healthier, for instance, you can make sure your fridge is stocked with healthy foods, and avoid buying junk food altogether.
The idea is to make the good habit obvious and appealing, while making the bad habit less visible and less attractive. By creating an environment that promotes good habits, you’ll find that it’s easier to stick to your goals over time.
Incorporating this law into your daily life can have a compounding effect on your overall habits. As you create a more conducive environment for good habits, you’ll find it easier to adopt other positive behaviors as well. Remember, making it obvious is all about reducing the friction between you and your desired habits. So, take a look at your daily routine and see where you can apply this law to help you achieve your goals.
Make it Attractive
Now that weโve covered the importance of making good habits obvious, let’s move on to the next law of habit change – making it attractive.
Making a habit attractive means linking it to something you already enjoy, or finding ways to make it enjoyable in itself. The idea is to create a positive association with the habit, which makes it easier to stick to in the long run.
One way to make a habit attractive is by adding an element of fun to it. For instance, if youโre trying to develop a habit of working out regularly, you could try doing it with a friend or listening to music that gets you pumped up. This can help create a positive and enjoyable experience around exercise, which can make it easier to stick to over time.
Another way to make a habit attractive is to use visual cues. For example, if youโre trying to drink more water, you could get a water bottle that you find visually appealing, or use a reminder app that has a pleasing interface. This can help make the habit more enjoyable, and also serve as a reminder to practice it regularly.
Finally, it can also be helpful to reward yourself for sticking to a habit. This could be something small like treating yourself to a favorite snack after completing a task, or something bigger like a weekend getaway after reaching a major goal. The key is to find a reward that you find genuinely attractive, which can motivate you to stick to your habit even when it gets tough.
Making a habit attractive is all about finding ways to make it enjoyable and creating positive associations with it. By doing so, you increase your chances of sticking to the habit in the long run, and making it a natural part of your daily routine.
Make it Easy
This law is all about making it easy for yourself to perform the habits that you want to stick to. As the saying goes, “friction is the most powerful force in the universe”. If there’s too much friction involved in performing a habit, you’re much less likely to do it. But if you can remove the friction and make it easy, then you’re much more likely to follow through.
One strategy for making good habits easy is to reduce the number of steps involved. For example, if you want to start exercising in the morning, you could lay out your workout clothes the night before. That way, when you wake up, you don’t have to waste any time thinking about what to wear – you can just put on your workout clothes and get started.
Another strategy is to make use of technology. For example, if you want to drink more water throughout the day, you could set reminders on your phone to drink a glass of water every hour.
Finally, you can also use the power of your environment to make good habits easier. For example, if you want to eat healthier, you could make sure that you always have healthy snacks available in your home or office. This makes it more likely that you’ll choose a healthy snack over an unhealthy one.
Incorporating the Make It Easy law into your life can help you form good habits that stick. By reducing the friction involved in performing good habits, you make it much more likely that you’ll follow through and achieve your goals.
Make it Immediately Rewarding
Have you ever struggled to stick to a new habit or goal? It’s common to start out with great intentions, but then quickly lose motivation and fall back into old habits. That’s where the fourth law of habit change comes in: Make It Immediately Rewarding.
The idea behind this law is simple: our brains are wired to prioritize immediate rewards over delayed ones. So, if you want to make a new habit stick, you need to find ways to make it immediately rewarding.
One strategy is to give yourself a small reward after completing a habit. For example, if your goal is to exercise regularly, you could treat yourself to a favorite snack or TV show after each workout. Just be careful not to rely too heavily on external rewards, as this can backfire and make you less motivated in the long run.
Another way to make habits immediately rewarding is to focus on the intrinsic benefits of the habit itself. For instance, if you’re trying to eat healthier, you could savor the taste of a delicious salad or take pride in making a positive choice for your body.
It’s also important to remember that what counts as a reward will vary from person to person. For some, a social connection or sense of accomplishment might be more rewarding than a tangible treat.
Ultimately, the key to making habits immediately rewarding is to experiment and find what works best for you. When you can associate positive feelings with your new habit, you’ll be much more likely to stick with it over time.
Conclusion
Well done! You’ve now learned about the four laws of habit change and how to apply them in your daily life. Remember, making good habits obvious, attractive, easy, and immediately rewarding is key to building long-lasting habits that will improve your life.
Start by identifying a habit that you want to form and apply the four laws. Make it obvious by setting up your environment for success, making it attractive by giving yourself a small reward or creating a positive association, making it easy by removing any barriers, and making it immediately rewarding by treating yourself to something you enjoy.
Be patient and consistent in your efforts, as building good habits takes time and effort. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you slip up, as it’s natural to experience setbacks along the way. Use them as an opportunity to learn and adjust your approach.
Remember, the benefits of building good habits are numerous, from improved health and well-being to increased productivity and success in all areas of life. By implementing these four laws, you can build habits that will help you achieve your goals and lead a fulfilling life.
So, take action today and start building those good habits. You won’t regret it!
