how to change

how do you get from where you are to where you want to be?

i mean… who among us doesn’t desire to grow or hit a goal? which requires change to do so.

that question is well answered (with scientific evidence) in the book how to change by behavioral scientist and wharton professor katy milkman.

it dives into the science of, well frankly, how to overcome the challenges of being human.

here are some of the high-level tips she shares on how to change:

an ideal time to pursue change is right after any fresh start

these could be calendar dates (new week/year/month/birthday), health scares, a move, etc

overcome impulsivity (the bias for instant gratification) over long-term gain by a rewarding yourself or adding an element of fun or gamification

you can ‘temptation bundle’ by only allowing the ‘guilty pleasure’ (hello netflix binge) when

doing the thing you’re putting off (like exercise)

overcome procrastination by:

creating a ‘commitment device’ that disrupts the pattern (ex: locking a bank account until

you’ve reached your savings goal)

creating a financial incentive
publicly sharing your goal to hold yourself accountable
creating a penalty for yourself (ex: make a payment if you don’t do it)
making smaller, more frequent commitments rather than one large one (ex: save $5/day

rather than $1,825/year)

not relying on willpower

prepare for being forgetful by:

setting a timely reminder right before you need to act
create cue-based behaviors (ex: when ____ happens, i’ll do_____)
planning ahead in bite-size chunks
rely on checklists and simplify

thwart laziness by:

aiming for streaks to make something habitual
piggybacking a new habit onto an old one (ex: doing push-ups while you wait for the coffee

to brew)

build confidence by:

giving advice when asked. it feels hypocritical not to take your own advice, so you’re more

likely to act on it

form an ‘advice club’ with others who want to achieve similar goals
your expectations create your reality so convey to others that you believe in them and

surround yourself with people who feel the same about you