How often have you tried to eat healthier, work out more, or use your cell phone less? Has it worked? BJ Fogg, author of “Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything,” has a model that works. He has helped thousands of people make big lifestyle changes. Dr. Fogg speaks to Dhru Purohit in the podcast below telling us that change is easier than you think and simple as ABC. It’s all about designing and redesigning your behavior until you get one to work. There are 3 important aspects to make a behavior change: #1 Find a behavior that you want to change; #2 Make it “ridiculously” easy to do and #3 Have a prompt or a rememinder to do the behavior. Find out where a very tiny version of the habit fits naturally into your life. Lastly you must feel a positive emotion after you do the behavior. Dr. Fogg calls this Shine. You must feel the shine by acknowledging and embracing the feeling of success. By doing this, the habit will get wired into your brain and become automatic. Think of athletes who high five, dance, jump into the crowds etc. All we have to do is say “Yes, awesome, I rock , nailed it” while you do a fist pump, thumbs up or head nod. So, let’s say you want to read a book this summer(#1 behavior). Pick one tiny behavior, and anchor it to something you already do. That tiny step can be placing the book on your bed(#2 tiny version of the ultimate behavior of reading the book) after you get under the covers(#3 the prompt or anchor that you already do and which reminds you to put the book on the bed!). Once you have put the book on your bed, remember to celebrate with some shine–you can tell yourself “awesome first step!” We at Healthshifter loved both the book and Dhru’s interview!
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