Becoming, not forcing
Every January begins with good resolutions, and every February is their graveyard. More exercise, less sugar, earlier nights. We know the goals exactly and fail anyway. The usual explanation is: too little discipline. It is almost always wrong.Willpower is an exhaustible quantity. It lasts for a good day, maybe a…
Breaking bad habits
“I’ll stop” rarely suffices, because habits run automatically, triggered by situations. Whoever wants to change a habit starts more wisely: at the cue and at the effort it costs.Every habit has a cueA cue (place, time, feeling, preceding action) starts the behaviour, a reward keeps it alive. Example: stress (cue)…
Protecting focus in a noisy world
Every notification pulls you out, and the way back into concentration takes longer than you think. Focus today is often a question of environment. Whoever clears away distraction beforehand needn’t fight it in the moment.The hidden cost of switchingAfter each interruption a remnant of the old task stays in your…
If-then plans: resolutions that last
“I want to eat more healthily”, and in the evening the hand reaches for the crisps anyway. Resolutions are often too vague for the moment of temptation. Research shows: whoever decides in advance when and what exactly they do follows through far more often.From wish to if-then ruleAn if-then plan…