Tie New Habits to Existing Routines

We need to create repetitions of the new habit so that it will take root and the wiring will emerge. One of the easiest and most effective approaches is to tie the new habit to something you’re already doing.

Let’s say you habitually scan the news each morning for a few minutes. Before you fold up your paper (or close the news tab on your browser) write for 15 minutes on some news-inspired topic.

The link between your existing routine and writing will inject some much needed discipline-juice while your new habit settles in securely.

Tie Small Actions to Large Emotions

To embed your new habit faster, you need to increase the positive, emotional impact. For instance, when you write a book, opening the first carton of printed copies generates an uplifting “I did it!” emotional high. But you don’t need to reserve that surge of exhilaration until the moment your book arrives. Instead, throw your arms in the air and sound a triumphant whoop after each day’s writing session. After all, those little sessions add up to the published book.

You’ll need to give yourself permission to feel “disproportionately” happy in response to small wins. Can you do that? I believe you can.

Tie Up Choices

Options are the enemy of habits. Every decision is an inflection point—a weak link where the repetitions can halt and habits can break. After your news review, if you have to choose between your daily writing, cleaning email, or taking your iguana for a walk, there’s a possibility you won’t choose writing.

Tying up choices is 30% making other options unattractive/unavailable and 70% commitment.

To make your alternatives unattractive/unavailable, you set your computer’s task scheduler to open a writing template every morning at [7:30]. Now, switching to the inbox is a distasteful act of open defiance (against yourself). You also store the iguana leash in your daughter’s room because she doesn’t get up until [7:30] and you know you won’t want to wake her early.

Commitment means mentally eliminating the choices.

When I entered the workforce, I committed to suspending work from Fridays at 3:00 p.m. until late on Saturday no matter how much work is on my plate or how urgent the demands. I have not broken that habit one time in about 30 years. Because I view it as a commitment, not a choice. There’s no decision to be made.

Tie Down Habit-Interrupters

To maintain your new habit you’ll need to eliminate the counter-emotions that can break it; i.e., feelings that reward interruptions to your habit.

To tie down these threats, pay close attention to your thought process and identify that moment when you decide not to follow your plan.

For instance, you finish scanning the news around 7:15 a.m. then, instead of jumping into writing you decide to clean out your email inbox. Oops. Reflection and introspection reveal: 1) unmanaged email creates anxiety; 2) emptying your inbox feels productive; 3) opening a blank document to start writing creates a moment of overwhelm and fear.

Hmm, not a surprise that you opted to break the good habit. Let’s tie those down.

First, you reserve 8:00 a.m. on your daily calendar to clean email. With a plan in place, there’s less stress at [7:15] and the promise of feeling productive at [8:00]. Second, you create a writing template with a few blocks: main idea, key points, examples, metaphors, body copy. Now you no longer face a daunting, blank screen.

Voila! The threats to your habit have been mitigated.

That’s it. Use the Four Ties to improve your performance. (You can skip the tie-dye.)

What positive habit are you going to start (or continue)?