Value-Driven Goals and Environmental Design for Sustainable Habit Change

Key Quotes

"Like a lot of things in the self-improvement world, it's really only in the last century, and really only since World War II, that it's become about self-transformation and self-improvement. That's a pretty big switch, right? From being about bettering our community by making sacrifices or offerings to the gods, or recommitting communally to values, to "how can I will myself into more rigorous self-discipline such that I can become better?""

Brad Stulberg and Steve Magnus explain that the modern focus on self-transformation in resolutions is a relatively recent historical development. This shift from communal or spiritual reflection to individual self-discipline highlights a fundamental change in the purpose of resolutions over time. The authors suggest this historical context is important for understanding current approaches to habit formation.

"So that's big takeaway number one, and I think it's going to be an overarching theme here: instead of being outcome-based, your goals and resolutions should be value-driven. I also think that we tend to shoot way too aggressively when we use those outcome goals instead of values goals, and we often flame out."

Brad Stulberg emphasizes that goals and resolutions are more likely to succeed when they are driven by underlying values rather than specific, measurable outcomes. He notes that an outcome-based approach often leads individuals to set overly aggressive targets, which can result in burnout and failure. Stulberg advocates for focusing on the "why" behind a goal to foster sustained effort.

"The scientific term for this is the "what the hell" effect. You miss a day, you don't complete the goal, and then your brain essentially defaults towards, "What's the point? Why try?" It's like if I went down and said, "You know what, I'm going to go run a four-minute mile today," and I get through the first lap in 60 seconds and say, "Oh dear God, that was really hard for me, I'm just going to stop." Well, I set the bar too high."

Steve Magnus explains the "what the hell" effect, a phenomenon where missing a single goal or day leads to complete abandonment of the effort. He illustrates this with an example of setting an unrealistic goal, like running a four-minute mile, which, when not immediately achieved, causes the brain to disengage. Magnus uses this to underscore the importance of setting achievable goals to avoid this self-defeating cycle.

"So I think when it comes to goals, you kind of got to think of it like a video game, maybe an old-school one that was fun and not addicting, but you get the point. The caveat I'd add there, and I think this will be an interesting discussion because I don't know if you guys will agree, but I feel like you have to sort of treat it as a video game that you're never going to stop playing."

Steve Magnus uses a video game analogy to describe how goals should be structured with clear progress markers, like checkpoints or save points, to maintain engagement. He adds a crucial caveat: unlike a game with an end, habit formation is an ongoing process, and viewing it as a continuous journey rather than a finite task is essential for long-term success. Magnus suggests that the mentality of reaching an end point can undermine sustained effort.

"You can design your solar system in a way to make that gravitational force pull you more towards the things that you want to do, but it takes time for that force to shift. Because anyone who starts training knows that for the first couple months, the gravitational force is probably still pulling you away from training. It's hard to get going, it's easier to stay in bed, it might feel a little bit uncomfortable. But then once you're somebody that trains, if you miss more than two workouts in a day, you start to feel terrible, and that's gravity pulling you towards the training."

Brad Stulberg employs a gravity metaphor to explain how environments influence behavior. He describes how, initially, the "gravitational force" pulls individuals away from desired habits, making them difficult to start. However, with consistent effort, this force shifts, and the habit begins to feel natural, with the absence of the activity causing discomfort, illustrating how environmental design can harness these forces.

"I think the second one is instead of thinking about using your own willpower to make things happen, think about designing an environment that facilitates the behavior you want to have happen. So the first takeaway is instead of being outcome-based, think about being values-driven. I think the second one is instead of thinking about using your own willpower to make things happen, think about designing an environment that facilitates the behavior you want to have happen."

Brad Stulberg presents two core takeaways for behavior change: prioritize value-driven goals over outcome-based ones, and focus on designing an environment that supports desired behaviors rather than relying solely on willpower. Stulberg argues that actively shaping one's surroundings is a more effective strategy for habit formation than simply trying to exert self-control. This environmental design, he suggests, works in conjunction with value-driven motivations.