Ah, good ‘ol squats in the shower. Always a hit on stage and just became the most read newsletter ever 🙂

The natural follow-on this week had to be my 7 Hacks model, the principal framework I’ve used in workshops and talks over the years with clients. As I mentioned on LinkedIn last week, I might not have sold 9 million (!) copies of my book like James Clear but I still think it’s had an impact.

Thank-you for being a subscriber. For opening and reading when you have a moment — I know that every week might not be possible and I really appreciate your time and attention. Have a great week ahead.

Steven

Don’t Tell me What to Do, Tell me How to Change

The 7 Hacks of Highly Effective Habits is inspired by Stephen Covey’s work of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This was a seminal work but I feel the Internet Age has given rise to excessive amounts of click-bait articles telling us what to do, or what not to do.

One example always comes to mind. Several years ago, the World Economic Forum published “14 Things Successful People Do Before Breakfast.” Seriously? Give me a break, I can’t remember my name until I’ve had a cup of coffee!

So, the 7 Hacks model was created to help people change. It’s a mixture of research and experience and, ideally, a starting point to experiment with change. It’s comprised of the following elements.

Small

Beware of ambition! Keeping it small means you get over the finish line of creating a new habit sooner. Research shows that the smaller something is, the quicker in achieving automaticity. This is crossing the finish line of the habits race, before something gets in the way of successful completion.

Specific

Being vague and fuzzy with commitments is almost as ruinous as being too ambitious. Give your intention details. For example,

• What time of day will your new habit take place?
• How long will it last?
• Where are you?
• What usually happens before?
• What usually happens afterwards?
• Who else is involved?
• What objects or tools are used?
• Pay close attention to energy!

Supported

Understand that habits have a before and an after. Complement knowledge of the habit loop by using triggers to your advantage. Place a new intention next to an existing, and consolidated, part of your day.

Shared

Who’s your accountability partner? Accountability is powerful. Involve someone else in your behaviour change—a colleague, spouse, a son or daughter—who will keep you on track. Even a pet.

Streak

Don’t break the chain! You’ll enjoy seeing your chain grow. The longer it is, the more powerful it will become.

Social

We imitate and are imitated. What do you do if you want to stop smoking and all your friends smoke? Get new friends! 😉

Surroundings

In an increasingly virtual world, the physical matters more than ever. We can actively shape our surroundings to create visual cues or nudges to support positive behaviour and inhibit the negative.

Click below to view and download a PDF deck of the 7 Hacks. Please let me know if you use any in your behaviour change efforts.