Template
Build a preparatory habit around the behavior that keeps failing to start
Sometimes the missing habit is the one that puts the shoes by the door.
When it fits
- The target behavior is simple once started, but setup repeatedly blocks initiation.
When to avoid it
- Preparatory routines can become procrastination if they expand beyond what the target behavior actually needs.
A template to use
Before [target behavior], automatically prepare [one setup action] at [cue].
Why it matters
The review identifies preparatory habits as contributors to physical-activity habit formation. Automate the small setup step that makes the target behavior immediately available: lay out equipment, fill the bottle, open the document or prepare ingredients. The preparation should reduce friction without becoming a second elaborate ritual.
An example
Put exercise clothes beside the desk at the end of the workday so the walk or workout does not begin with a search.
Check your result
The target behavior starts more often because setup friction is removed in advance.
Keep this limit in mind
- Preparatory routines can become procrastination if they expand beyond what the target behavior actually needs.
Evidence and sources
The habit-formation review identifies preparatory habits as a mediator or contributor to stronger physical-activity habits.
Preparatory routines can become procrastination if they expand beyond what the target behavior actually needs.
Time to Form a Habit: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Health Behaviour Habit Formation and Its Determinants · See source record