Set yourself up for success
FINDING IT TOUGH TO GET MOTIVATED? EXPERTS OFFER STRATEGIES TO HELP
Motivation is not a psychological trait or personality characteristic. It’s something you can cultivate. “It’s about setting yourself up for success,” said behavioural scientist Katy Milkman, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and author of the book How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. “Create an environment that’s conducive to making the choices you want to make. Think in advance about what could cause you to fail so you can think strategically about how you can overcome that obstacle.”
But once we find motivation, it can come and go in waves.
“People tend to misjudge future levels of motivation — they don’t understand that high motivation today will drop down to low motivation or that other motivations will come in,” said BJ Fogg, founder of the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford University and author of the book Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. “The other thing people get wrong is they think they’ll be able to sustain consistently high levels of motivation day after day.”
Research shows that pre-motivational factors — such as risk perception and awareness of one’s own behaviour — are important for people to build motivation to increase physical activity.
After we change our behaviour, we often find that “it’s easier and more enjoyable to do than we thought it would be, and we find our rhythm,” said Wendy Grolnick, a professor of psychology at Clark University, and co-author of the upcoming book Motivation Myth Busters:
Science-based Strategies to Boost Motivation in Yourself and Others. “So instead of waiting for motivation to strike, it’s better to do something to spark it.”
With the right strategies, you can make healthy changes.
PINPOINT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO AND WHY
Research suggests self-determination theory — which refers to the quality, not the quantity, of motivation — matters most in changing. Why do you want to eat healthfully, exercise often or quit smoking?
People feel most motivated when they feel it’s their choice, when they feel competent in making the change, and when they feel connected to others, Grolnick said.
TALK YOURSELF INTO IT
Motivational interviewing helps you explore why you want to change a habit and what you’re willing to do to get there, said William R. Miller, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of New Mexico and author of the book On Second Thought: How Ambivalence Shapes Your Life. Consider these questions:
❚ What are my three best reasons for doing this?
❚ How important is it to make this change?
❚ What steps have I taken to move in this direction? ❚ What am I willing to do to make this change?
❚ What am I going to do?
❚ “Hearing yourself say it out loud can make it sink in as a commitment,” Miller said.
Announce your plans and ask for support from others.
“The very act of asking for help is motivating because there’s some accountability in that.”
MAP OUT STARTER STEPS
Start with simple, bite-sized actions. To get into a walking routine, start by going for a walk around your backyard or put on your walking shoes, Fogg said. “The starter step is kind of a mental ju-jitsu — it has a surprising impact for such a small move because the momentum it creates often propels you to the next steps with less friction.”
MAKE THE PURSUIT MORE PLEASANT
If you encounter self-control challenges, try a strategy called “temptation bundling,” Milkman said.
Temptation bundling lets you engage in a guilty pleasure only while you are doing an activity you want to make a habit. To exercise more often, read a page-turner or watch a certain show only while you use a stationary bike. To cook healthy meals, treat yourself to your favourite podcast or a beverage of choice while working in the kitchen. “It’s about making the path enjoyable,” Milkman said.
PIGGYBACK CERTAIN ACTIONS
If you link a desired habit to something you already do (an anchor), you can create built-in prompts or reminders to engage in it, Fogg said. Some examples: After I get out of bed in the morning, I’ll do X number of pushups or planks. When I see the stairs, I’ll take them instead of the elevator.
By letting one action become the trigger for another, the new behaviour becomes automatic, Grolnick said.
THINK IN ADVANCE ABOUT WHAT COULD CAUSE YOU TO FAIL SO YOU CAN THINK STRATEGICALLY ABOUT HOW YOU CAN OVERCOME THAT OBSTACLE.
SPEND TIME WITH GOOD COMPANY
Surround yourself with people who have the habits you’re trying to cultivate. “By watching people around you, their good habits will become normal to you, and their influence will rub off on you effortlessly,” Milkman said.
Ask someone with a stellar diet how they manage to eat healthfully at restaurants. “Copy and paste” their secrets into your life, Milkman said.
BE PATIENT
“A lot of people think there’s some magic number of days to make a new behaviour a habit,” Milkman said. But there are huge variations in that timetable.
In a pair of studies, Milkman and her colleagues examined habit formation among people who aspired to go to the gym regularly and hospital workers striving for better hand hygiene. The researchers found that while it typically takes months for people to become regular gymgoers, better handwashing in the hospital becomes automatic in a matter of weeks. Milkman said: “It takes a meaningful amount of time to change habits.”