But in 2017, I shifted strategies and successfully built four new habits (of five attempted): piano practice, internetless mornings, carbless workdays, and meditation. In past years I’d feel lucky if I built just one new habit! I’d like to share my approach: smoothly ratcheted targets, in moving weekly windows, with teeth. Before I unpack that, let’s cover some background.
Most people seem to attempt habits informally, deploying only hope and good intentions. Alas: that doesn’t work very reliably—or at least it certainly doesn’t for me! More serious approaches typically employ one of two formal strategies : chaining, or scheduling.