Knowing is great for watching Jeopardy. It’s not nearly as good for life.
So why is learning about improvement so easy and actually improving so damn hard?
Most any change that requires a lot of consistent mental effort is going to fail because you spend most of the day on autopilot. […]
Any change has to work when you’re on autopilot. The importance of self-control is one of the biggest myths about improvement.
Almost all the techniques for change that have been shown to work don’t rely on thought or willpower.
The article then highlights some quotes from various books describing successful techniques for achieving personal change.
All of these techniques remove mental effort and can easily be incorporated into the routine you already have. That’s their strength.
But they all require a little bit of planning ahead of time. With these systems most people don’t really fail — most people never really start. How do you plan?
Chip and Dan Heath distill effective behavior change down to three simple steps in their well-researched and enjoyable book Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard.
1) First, direct the rational mind
Provide crystal-clear direction. What looks like resistance is often a lack of clarity.
Script the critical moves — don’t think big picture, think in terms of specific behaviors.
Point to the destination. Change is easier when you know where you’re going and why it’s worth it.2) Second, motivate the emotional mind
Focus on emotions. Knowing something isn’t enough to cause change. Make people (or yourself) feel something.
Shrink the change. Break down the change so it’s not scary.
When leading a group, cultivate a sense of identity and instill a growth mindset. Believe change is possible.3) “Shape the Path”
What looks like a people problem is often a situation problem.
Tweak the environment. When a situation changes, behavior changes. So change the situation.
Build habits. When a behavior is habitual it doesn’t tax our minds as much.Pick one of the techniques. Plan for 20 minutes. You might struggle to implement for a couple days, but after that, it’s easier to stay the course than it is to deviate. That’s the secret.
Don’t try to reinvent yourself. You’ll fail. Fit the new into the old. Make the new easier than the old.
You change all the time. The TV shows you watch change, the products you buy change, and the projects at work change. Change is going to happen, no matter what.
The question is, will you be in control of the change or will the change control you?