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New behaviors require willpower, and there’s no trick or technique that eliminates the need for willpower. But we can reduce the amount of willpower required to perform new behaviors using strategy. And one of the best strategies we can use is to reduce the number of decisions involved in performing the new behavior. This is critical because making decisions is mentally taxing, and we need to reserve our mental strength… Read More »Get Clear On When, Where, And How

Most behavioral change begins “tomorrow.” We say to ourselves things like: “I’ll start working out tomorrow.” “I’ll quit eating junk food tomorrow.” “I’ll begin that project tomorrow.” “I’ll read instead of watching TV tomorrow.” “I’ll make time to meditate tomorrow.” And the biggest lie of all: “It’ll be easier tomorrow.” Of course, when tomorrow arrives, we find another reason to delay. Tomorrow is always tomorrow, which means that the mythical… Read More »Don’t Start Tomorrow

Success in any endeavor is easier when you are fully committed. I first learned this principle in 9th grade. My ski buddies and I were trying to do 360’s off a little jump we had built. Despite the low likelihood of injury on such a small jump, we were all scared – too scared to fully commit. As a result, no one even made it halfway around during the initial… Read More »100% Commitment

Here is a quick story about behavioral change from Portia Nelson: This is a story about quitting a bad habit, which is also a story about becoming an active agent in life. In Chapter I, she is a passive victim of her circumstances. She has no control over her situation and no capacity to help herself. In Chapter II, she is beginning to recognize a pattern, and she is clearly… Read More »A Brief Parable About Change