Building habits is like training a dogyou want to reward yourself for a job well done.
But there’s nothing that says you have to enjoy that reward after your “good behavior”.
What Is Temptation Bundling?
The result: Milkman began hitting the gym five days a week.
But you’re free to use temptation bundling in many other realms of your life as well.
The graph above, fromManagement Science, compares “should” activities and temptations.
This is what makes temptation bundling so useful.
it’s possible for you to get the benefits of both, without the downsides of either.
Are there any activities you avoid, but you know will benefit you in the long run?
Let’s call these “should” activities.
They can be different for everyone.
see to it that your temptation doesn’t impair performance of the “should” activity.
For example, some people listen to music while they study, but I absolutely can not.
The music distracts me to the point where I can’t focus.
Temptation bundling becomes less effective if you enjoy your temptations outside of your “should” activities.
When that happens, out go the medical journals and in come T.I.
Some temptations might come with long-term costs.
Startmeasuring your progressto make the “should” activity intrinsically more rewarding.
Temptation bundling may sound simple, but it can be a powerful tool to drive change.
You might already be doing without knowing it.
Photos bykristinausk,CherryPoint, andryan harvey.
