Habit 2: Habit Evolution: 5 Habit Triggers

Lesson:
“Simplicity changes behavior.” – BJ Fogg
BJ Fogg is the director of the Persuasive Technology Lab at Stanford University, where revolutions in behavior science are brewing. Fogg’s breakthrough research on what makes us change behavior identifies that you need motivation, ability, and a trigger to converge in the same moment.

Fogg’s three-step method to better habits:
Get specific—Translate target outcomes and goals into behaviors.
Make it easy—How can you kaizen your habits? What small steps can you start now?
Trigger the behavior—What will prompt the behavior? To find your trigger for a better habit, use this simple sentence from Fogg: “Right after I __________, I will __________.”

For example, right after I wake up, I will scrape my tongue. Or right after I do the dishes, I will brush and floss. With these small actions, you are less likely to eat before bed.

Notice how simple and specific the behavior or new habit is. Double-check to make sure it’s specific and easy. The idea is to set it low on the motivational scale. In the brush teeth example, you didn’t say “stop eating after washing dishes.” You don’t need motivation. You just need to set a trigger for a specific action.

Fogg states the best triggers are:
Location
Time
Emotional state
Other people
An immediately preceding action
BJ Fogg invites us to remember the secret to changing human behavior— to keep both your desired behavior and your trigger simple. This means a lot from the dude with a Ph.D. who runs the behavior lab at Stanford. As Fogg says, “Simplicity changes behavior.