Behavior Modification
A friend called to tell me she is reading a book on how to be happy – she said this guy has written about the Blue Zones – places where people live long lives – the places are, drumroll please, Singapore (are you kidding me?), Denmark (good design, but again, are you kidding me?) and Costa Rica – I’ll take Costa Rica for five. Meanwhile, Stanford has a site where they have listed the ten mistakes people make in trying to change behavior and I must admit, they are not kidding.
Top #1 Mistake – Relying on willpower for long-term change – imagine willpower doesn’t exist – that is step 1 to a better future.
Top #2 Mistake – Attempting big leaps instead of baby steps – seek tiny successes one after another (and I suggest you acknowledge each minor victory)
Top #3 Mistake – Ignoring how environment shapes behaviors – change your context and you change your life (if that ain’t the truth, then I’m a monkey’s uncle)
Top #4 Mistake – Trying to stop old behaviors instead of creating new ones – focus on action, not avoidance
Top #5 Mistake – Blaming failures on lack of motivation – solution: make the behavior easier to do
Top #6 Mistake – Underestimating the power of triggers – no behavior happens without a trigger
Top #7 Mistake – Believing that information leads to action – we humans aren’t so rational
Top #8 Mistake – Focusing on abstract goals more than concrete behaviors – abstract: get in shape, concrete: walk 15 mins a day
Top #9 Mistake – Seeking to change a behavior forever, not for a short time. A fixed period works better than forever.
Top #10 Mistake – Assuming that behavior change is difficult – behavior change is not so hard when you have the right process.