#62 Elastic Habits

Elastic Habits

Have you ever tried to establish a daily habit, like morning exercise or taking an online course, only to start strong but eventually stop completely?

One reason this happens is that human motivation is fickle, it fluctuates throughout the day and week – doing yoga before dawn might sound great on Monday, but by Friday, it seems unbearable.

In addition, while practicing the same behavior at the same time and place each day does help foster a routine, it can also backfire.  Research by world-renowned behavioral scientist, Dr. Katy Milkman, highlights the importance of flexibility in habit-building.   As she summarizes, habits should be elastic, meaning if you can’t manage yoga at 6 am today, you have a backup plan of doing it at 6 pm instead.  So, when you’re trying to build a new habit, jot down a Plan A, B, and C, and you’ll be more likely to succeed.