For effective habit change, you must be flexible
Summary
- If your habits are too rigid, we may end up breaking it. If we allow some flexibility in our habit formation, we have a better chance of it sticking
Details
- When circumstances are not ideal, we will be able to roll with the punch and keep our habit intact
- Our goal should make explicit allowance for emergencies in their design
References
Quotes
Yes, forming stable routines is key to habit formation. But if we want to form the “stickiest” possible habits, we also need to learn how to roll with the punches, so we can be flexible when life throws us a curve ball. Too much rigidity is the enemy of a good habit.
Too much rigidity is the enemy of a good habit. By allowing for flexibility in your routines, your autopilot can become flexible, too. You will find you respond consistently even under unideal circumstances. Overall, you’ll build “stickier,” more lasting habits.
To test the depth and range of her strategy, Marissa and a collaborator cooked up a study involving hundreds of people who were paid to visit a website and do thirty-five annoying tasks (solving CAPTCHAs—those tests used online to “prove that you’re human”) every day for a week in exchange for 1 dollar a batch. These workers were randomly assigned to three groups. Some got the tough goal of completing their work every day of the week. Others were given the easier objective of completing their work just five days out of seven. Finally, a third, “mulligan” group was told to complete the assignment every day, but those in this group were permitted to excuse up to two missed days as emergencies. Everyone knew they would get a 5-dollar bonus if they managed to achieve their goal.
The chance to declare an emergency proved invaluable. A whopping 53 percent of those in the mulligan group hit their goal, compared with just 26 percent in the (objectively identical) easy category and 21 percent of participants with the seven-days-per-week goal.
These findings highlight how important it is to make explicit allowances for emergencies. Perhaps it’s no surprise that lots of programs aimed at healthier eating incorporate similar ideas into their design, allowing “goal cushions” and “cheat meals” so that self-confidence survives small mistakes.*