Changing habits can be challenging, but with the right approach, it is possible. There are many theories and techniques for changing habits, but most experts agree that there is one golden rule that underpins successful habit change: make it easy.
What does “make it easy” mean?
The “make it easy” principle means setting things up so that the new habit you want to cultivate is as simple and frictionless as possible. Rather than trying to overcome your ingrained habits through sheer willpower alone, adjust your environment and routines to automate the new behavior as much as you can.
For example, if you want to establish a new habit of exercising daily, don’t just vow to wake up earlier to hit the gym. That makes it unnecessarily hard on yourself. Instead, lay out your workout clothes the night before, set your workout shoes right by the bed, queue up your workout playlist on your phone, set alarms reminding you to exercise, and ask a friend to text you motivational messages to get moving. The easier you make it, the more likely it is you’ll follow through.
Why does making it easy work?
There are a few key reasons why the “make it easy” rule sets you up for success with habit change:
- It lowers the effort required. The more effort a behavior change takes, the less likely you are to stick with it long-term.
- It reduces friction and roadblocks. Things that are easy flow naturally. Friction kills new behaviors.
- It builds up automaticity. Easy habits become automated more quickly.
- It makes habits more sustainable. An easy behavior is one you can maintain indefinitely.
In short, easy behaviors are more likely to be repeated, while difficult ones often fall by the wayside when motivation runs low or life gets busy. The first rule of habit change is to rig the game so it’s smooth sailing right from the start.
How can you make new habits easy?
Here are some proven strategies for making any habit easy to perform:
- Start small. Trying to do too much too soon makes change harder. Scale down the behavior so it’s barely difficult.
- Reduce friction. Eliminate any points of friction along the path of action.
- Set reminders and prompts. Trigger the habit repeatedly to remember it.
- Pre-commit. Make a firm plan to do it at a certain time and place.
- Make it rewarding. Associate positive feelings and outcomes with the habit.
- Design your environment. Surround yourself with cues and affordances for the habit.
- Automate it. Invest in devices or apps that will automate the behavior.
- Accountability buddy. Enlist someone to check on your progress.
What are some examples of making habits easy?
Here are a few concrete examples of applying the “make it easy” rule to real habit change goals:
Healthy eating
- Stock up on easy grab-and-go healthy snacks like fresh fruit, nuts, and yogurt.
- Keep junk food out of the house so it’s not tempting.
- Meal prep batches of healthy meals and lunches for the week ahead.
- Put healthy food front-and-center in fridge and cupboards.
Exercise
- Lay out workout clothes the night before.
- Keep home exercise equipment in plain sight.
- Schedule exercise time on calendar and set reminders.
- Enlist someone to exercise with you.
Meditation
- Set daily phone reminder to meditate.
- Use a meditation app that guides you through it.
- Keep meditation pillow/spot ready to go.
- Add meditation time to calendar and treat it like an important meeting.
Reading more
- Keep books in every room.
- Listen to audiobooks during commute.
- Set phone reminder to read before bed.
- Join an online book club to stay accountable.
As you can see, for any habit you want to cultivate, there are lots of small ways to make it as easy as possible to do consistently.
What habits become the hardest to sustain?
Habits that remain difficult and inconvenient long-term tend to be the hardest to sustain. Some examples include:
- Exercise habits like running outside in bad weather every day.
- Meal prepping elaborate healthy meals when busy.
- Writing in your journal by hand daily.
- Quitting smoking cold turkey with no support system.
These habits add unnecessary friction and challenges. To make them stick, you’d need to put in continuous Herculean effort day after day. Often, the motivation just isn’t there.
Does the “make it easy” rule work for breaking bad habits too?
Yes, absolutely! The golden rule applies just as well to breaking ingrained bad habits. Rather than relying on willpower, change your environment to make the bad habit more difficult.
For example:
- Put junk food out of sight in cupboards to avoid mindless eating.
- Delete games/social media apps on your phone if you check them too compulsively.
- Use website blockers to make unproductive sites inaccessible.
- Avoid keeping alcohol at home if you want to drink less.
By adding friction, you disrupt the automatic pathway that leads to your bad habit. This conscious re-design helps weaken it over time.
Can you make any habit easy?
The potential to make habits easy (or difficult) exists for just about any behavior, but our level of control can vary.
For example, social media habits are easier to tweak than addictions like smoking. One useful test is to ask yourself honestly:
- How much access/authority do I have to change the cues and environment for this habit?
- How realistic is it create rewards/consequences to drive this habit?
- Are there tools/resources I can use to make this simpler to do?
The more you can shape conditions in your favor, the easier any habit becomes. But some habits depend more on external factors outside your sphere of influence.
When is the “make it easy” rule insufficient?
Despite its power, there are times when just making a habit easy isn’t enough. Other key factors like motivation and ability still matter.
Some examples where ease alone may be insufficient:
- Learning advanced skills – You can make practicing an instrument easy, but skill development takes time and effort.
- Recovering from trauma/addiction – Environmental tweaks help but addressing root causes is also key.
- Changing chronic illnesses – Diet and lifestyle changes can help manage conditions like diabetes, but medical oversight is crucial.
The point is habits don’t exist in isolation. Biological, emotional, and neurological factors also influence how and whether behaviors take hold. Convenience makes habit change doable – but it’s not a panacea.
How long does it take for an easy habit to become automatic?
There is no firm rule, as the timeline for habit formation varies dramatically based on the behavior and person. However, with the “make it easy” approach, habits may take hold faster.
According to habit formation researcher Phillippa Lally:
- On average, it takes 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic.
- But habits can form in as little as 18 days – or take up to 254 days.
The easier a habit, the faster you’ll likely cross the initial “automaticity” threshold. But Rituals often continue evolving after that point too.
Can you make hard habits easier over time?
Absolutely. In fact, you should regularly “monitor and modulate” the difficulty of your habits.
For example:
- As exercising gets easier, make it harder by adding weight, duration or intervals.
- Once you’ve paid off some debts, take on harder financial goals like saving for a house.
- When basic meditation gets easy, try longer or more complex practices.
Habit change is a dynamic process. Don’t get stuck on autopilot. Periodically challenge yourself by tweaking the difficulty to match your evolving skills and needs.
Conclusion
The golden rule of habit change is deceptively simple: make it easy. But this principle has profound implications for how we go about modifying behavior.
Rather than relying on pure motivation and self-control, make the habit seamless to perform. Reduce friction, build in reminders and rewards, and eliminate obstacles. Convenience and consistency are key.
Making habits easy lowers the barrier to repeat them, while making undesired habits difficult disrupts their power. It may take longer for truly intrinsic change to occur, but easing the way forward gives your new habit the space and traction to ultimately reshape your identity.