Habit Formation: A Four-Stage Program (Based on TED Talk)

This program guides you through the four stages of habit formation: Noticing, Wanting, Doing, and Liking, as described in a TED Talk on habit formation. It emphasizes small, consistent changes to achieve significant long-term transformation, incorporating strategies for overcoming obstacles and leveraging social support.

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Program Modules

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Stage 1: Noticing - Identifying Your Habits

Identify the habits you want to change or build. Develop a clear plan using implementation intentions and failure pre-mortems, as suggested in the TED Talk. Track your progress daily using a habit log.

Identify Target Habits & Create a Habit Log

Daily

List specific habits you want to cultivate or eliminate. Create a daily log to record your progress using quantifiable metrics (e.g., minutes spent meditating, number of pages read).

“Everybody wants a transformation...but we fail to realize that small habits and little choices are transforming us every day already.”

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Implementation Intentions

Weekly 4x

Create a detailed plan specifying when, where, and how you'll perform the habit (e.g., "I will meditate for 10 minutes at 7 am every weekday in my living room.") Refer to the TED Talk's advice on planning for success.

“Many people think that they lack motivation when what they really lack is clarity.”

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Failure Pre-Mortem

Weekly

Imagine failing six months from now. Identify potential obstacles (e.g., lack of time, stress, distractions) and create contingency plans. The TED Talk emphasizes proactive planning for challenges.

“Once you have all that stuff laid out on the table in front of you you can start to make better choices about how to develop a plan.”

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Stage 2: Wanting - Designing Your Environment

Design your environment to support your desired habits. Make good habits easy and bad habits hard, as highlighted in the TED Talk. This involves actively shaping your surroundings to encourage positive behaviors.

Environmental Design

Weekly

Rearrange your environment to make it easier to engage in good habits and harder to engage in bad habits. Think about how to make positive choices the path of least resistance. The TED Talk provides practical examples of this.

“Your environment often influences them. We want things simply because they are an option.”

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Social Support

Weekly

Identify friends, family, or online communities who can provide support and accountability for your habit change. Discuss your goals and progress with them.

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Stage 3: Doing - Consistent Effort

Focus on consistent effort and repetition. Optimize for starting, not finishing, as emphasized in the TED Talk. Track your daily progress and don't be discouraged by occasional setbacks.

Daily Reps & Progress Review

Daily

Perform your chosen habit consistently, even if it's just a small amount. Review your habit log daily and reflect on your progress. The TED Talk stresses the importance of consistent effort and repetition.

“In the beginning the most important thing is just to shut up and put your reps in.”

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Stage 4: Liking - Finding Enjoyment and Rewards

Find ways to enjoy the process and create immediate rewards to reinforce positive behavior. Track progress to maintain motivation, as discussed in the TED Talk. Explore different reward systems and adapt them based on your preferences.

Habit Tracker & Reflection

Daily

Use a calendar to track your progress. The visual chain of successes provides immediate reinforcement. Reflect on your experience and identify what aspects you find enjoyable or challenging.

“The best way to change long-term behavior is short-term feedback.”

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Reward System Optimization

Weekly

Experiment with different reward systems (e.g., small treats, personal time, donations to charity) to find what motivates you best. Consider principles of behavioral economics such as loss aversion.

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