Four simple rules: For building good habits and eliminating bad ones

I recently read Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results by James Clear. As the title indicates, the book is focused on strategies to form good habits and eliminate bad habits.

The cornerstone of these strategies are the four rules of behaviour change. Each of these rules provides directions on how to increase the frequency of behaviours which we want to become good habits and on how to decrease the frequency of behaviours which we do not want to adopt or continue as bad habits. In the following sections, I will discuss these rules and illustrate how they can be applied to habits of different kinds.

Rule 1: Make it obvious/Make it invisible

‘Make it obvious’ means having cues or reminders of the behaviours which you want to become good habits around you regularly. Doing so makes it more likely that you will perform these behaviours. ‘Habit tracking’ serves this purpose. It entails using a notebook to record any situations in which you perform or fail to perform the behaviour which you want to become a good habit. For example, having my ‘practice record book’ in a visible location reminds me of my goal to make practicing piano a good habit.

‘Make it invisible’ means removing from your environment cues or reminders of the behaviours which you do not want to become bad habits. Doing so makes it less likely that you will perform these behaviours. For example, if you want to make focusing on school or work tasks a good habit, you should remove reminders of potentially distracting activities from the room in which you do your work. If using your smartphone constitutes such a distracting activity, it would therefore make sense to put it in a different room while you do your work.

Rule 2: Make it attractive/Make it unattractive

‘Make it attractive’ means taking steps so that you look forward to performing the behaviours which you want to become good habits. Doing so makes it more likely that you will perform these behaviours. For example, reading over a list of the benefits of exercising will make it more likely you will look forward to doing a workout.

‘Make it unattractive’ means taking steps so that you do not look forward to performing the behaviours which you do not want to become bad habits. Doing so makes it less likely that you will perform these behaviours. For example, reading over a list of the negative effects on your life of using drugs will make it less likely you will look forward to using drugs.

Rule 3: Make it easy/Make it difficult

‘Make it easy’ means taking steps to minimize the time and effort it takes to perform the behaviours which you want to become good habits. This makes it more likely that you will perform these behaviours. For example, it would be easier when you return home at the end of a long workday to start practicing your guitar if it were set up and ready to play than if you had to get it out of a storage closet.

The two-minute rule discussed in Atomic Habits is a great example of the ‘make it easy’ rule. When you are trying to make a good behaviour such as exercise a habit, agreeing to do the behaviour for just two minutes makes it easier to do the behaviour. Once you have made the behaviour a habit, you can improve on the habit by extending the time you commit to performing the behaviour.

‘Make it difficult’ means taking steps to increase the time and effort it takes to perform the behaviours which you do not want to become bad habits. This makes it less likely that you will perform these behaviours. For example, if you spend too much time watching television you could take the batteries out of your remote control and put them in another room. If you are trying to eat less junk food, you could make sure it is not readily available in your kitchen.

Rule 4: Make it satisfying/Make it unsatisfying

‘Make it satisfying’ means giving yourself a positive consequence after you perform the behaviours which you want to become good habits. This makes it more likely that you will perform these behaviours. For example, if your goal were not to drink alcohol you could deposit some money in an account each time you ride out the urge to have a drink with the money going toward a gift for yourself or someone you care about.

‘Make it unsatisfying’ means giving yourself a negative consequence after you perform the behaviours which you do not want to become bad habits. This makes it less likely that you will perform these behaviours. For example, if your goal were not to drink alcohol you could agree to report to an ‘accountability partner’ such as a relationship partner, friend, or family member each time you have a drink.

Target each of the rules for the best results

For the best results in cultivating good habits and eliminating bad habits, look for ways to target each of the rules. The more rules you target, the greater progress you can make.

May you use the four rules of behaviour change on your habit journey,

-Dr. Pat