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To Make Better Choices, Don’t Rely on Willpower
Here’s the real way to change a habit
Many years ago, I developed something of a Filene’s Basement shopping problem. I was in my early twenties and in my first office job, so I did in fact need affordable work clothes. But the real reason I found myself browsing the racks daily is that I needed to walk through the store to get from my Metro stop to the exit closest to my house.
That’s how habits work: We do what’s easy. We’re much less likely to do what seems complicated or difficult. I like to think of myself as a disciplined person, but that’s not how I conquered my Filene’s Basement habit. Instead, my daily rhythms changed: Once I no longer passed the store on my commute, my shopping stopped.
Read profiles of successful people and it’s hard to escape this conclusion: The human capacity for self-control is amazing. It’s how people maintain A averages while working to put themselves through school, how they stay calm in the midst of toddler (or co-worker) tantrums, how they start businesses or train for triathlons. We have the ability to override our immediate emotions in the pursuit of long-term goals. This ability, however, isn’t limitless.
In changing habits, the less we rely on willpower, the greater our odds of success.
