Mai Bahaa
‘I should really start working out again .. nah I’ll just watch another episode’
I’m pretty sure this internal dialogue is familiar to most -if not all – of us.
We’re all guilty of procrastinating forming life changing habits, not because we aren’t aware of their benefits. It’s just an instinct to pursue behaviors that would satisfy us now turning a blind eye to the fact that they might have dire consequences .
Whether we like it or not, our daily habits do have an impact on our future. Like a coin, every habit has two sides: short and long-term effects. Some has quiet pleasurable immediate effects with terrible long-term outcomes and vice versa.
Naturally, we tend to gravitate towards instant pleasure, but deep down we know that we should do more habits with better long-term outcome. So, we end up getting stuck in the ‘should-want conflict’.
For instance, you know you should go to the gym, but you want to watch another episode of this addictive series. But the good news is we can solve this conflict with a little trick called temptation bundling.
The concept is simple : Bundling something you enjoy with something you need to do more of. To clarify to solve the previous conflict, you can restrict watching your favorite show only while you’re on the treadmill .
- Need to study more ? Restrict eating your favorite snack or drink to only while studying.
- Should meet up with some relatives more or go to work-related meetings? Restrict going to your go-to restaurant only while going to these meetings.
By time, you will actually be more excited to perform these actions because of the associated habit. Also having the mixture of immediate reward with better long-term results!
But here’s the catch, according to studies in University of Pennsylvania conducted by Katherine milkman where the concept was first introduced: you should be strict in the bundling because separation affects the results. Which simply mean you could start to lose interest without the momentum and consistency.
In the end , remember that not all techniques are suitable for everyone and you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself to follow a specific way. Just try out different things and do whatever feels right to you.
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