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Taking this also as a bit of an Ask HN: Easily the Tiny Habits habit formation regime created by Stanford researcher BJ Fogg. A lot of the addictive design pat

Taking this also as a bit of an Ask HN: Easily the Tiny Habits habit formation regime created by Stanford researcher BJ Fogg. A lot of the addictive design patterns you see in apps like Snapchat, Instagram, etc. are built off his research. Quite nefarious use of psychology for advertising/“engagement”, but the plus side is you can use the same strategies to build habits you want to build. Step 1: Consider the habit you want to build, e.g. “I want to meditate 10 minutes every day” Step 2: Make it the absolute smallest possible version of itself; so small that it requires zero motivation/willpower, e.g. “I want to close my eyes and take 3 deep breaths every day” Step 3: Place this habit immediately following an existing habit, e.g. “After I brush my teeth in the morning, I will close my eyes and take 3 deep breaths” Step 4: Do this activity, and after each time you do it, reward yourself with a small celebration. It sounds ridiculous but I literally just say “Victory!” and force a smile on my face. The small rush of good-feeling-chemicals will keep you coming back. I’ve used this method to pick up daily meditation, journaling, and flossing (acquired simultaneously!) after years of struggling to pick up any one of them. The first two habits have been monumental in my ability to learn, take on stress, and improve virtually every one of my relationships. A shameless plug for BJ because he’s a great guy: his book, Tiny Habits, happened to be released today (what a coincidence!). I haven’t read it but if this is remotely interesting to you, I’m sure it’ll be extremely useful and engaging. It’s on Amazon, you can find it! Sidenotes: * Don’t worry about the habit scale down, it will naturally grow over time into its fuller form. I spent a month of the year just flossing 1 tooth each night (ridiculous, I know!), then 5 months just flossing 1 row (better!) * Part of the trick is finding a good habit to put your new habit after. You probably already have a lot more habits than you know, since the whole point of a habit is to be automatic.

icebraining 7y ago
Didn't work for me, I simply started forgetting to do the new "habit" after a few days. I guess if it's just after flossing you can add a note next to the toothbrush, but for others that's not practical.
- ethanbond 7y ago
  Did you reward yourself after? It really is important but I feel many people skip out on it because it sounds (and is) ridiculous. Other thing he recommends is “practicing” your habit, especially if your context changes e.g. you’re staying in a hotel for a week. This would mean for example to mimic brushing your teeth in front of the mirror then walking to the bed to sit and close your eyes 5 times or so. To start it’s probably worth picking something up that you can easily prompt yourself to do (such as a note on your mirror). The only one that failed for me was posture related which relied on a too-irregular prompt.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
alpaca128 7y ago
In my case the flossing problem was solved by trying out certain rubber sticks made for that purpose. They're MUCH more convenient to use than the classic dental floss and make the whole process quicker, to a degree it took me almost no effort to consistently do it every day.
- 0xcafecafe 7y ago
  Same here! The reach was a Godsend for me.
- mathieutd 7y ago
  Do you have any brand to recommend?
  - redisman 7y ago
    I don't use the rubber ones but "flossers" which uses a piece of actual floss. I've found GUM brand to be the sturdiest, some brands fray easily which I hated. These made me go from literally flossing a few times in my life to doing it multiple times a week. Once you get used to the clean feeling you'll feel just like you hadn't brushed your teeth if you don't do it. It went from this very unpleasant finger tourniquets and hands inside my mouth to doing it one handed while I read or watch a clip online.
    - OGWhales 7y ago
      Fraying floss is the worst! I floss semi-regularly but will go periods of time without flossing due to the annoyance factor. I will try these. Just looked them up and are decently cheap.
  - alpaca128 7y ago
    TePe easypick, the orange ones. Feels a bit unusual at first but basically you just push them inbetween the teeth once and pull out again, and all the dirt comes out with them. My dentist recommended those, works like a charm for me. Although keep in mind they're thicker than dental floss, meaning they may not fit between certain pairs of teeth if they're very close together.
melling 7y ago
The book was released today. https://www.amazon.com/Tiny-Habits-Changes-Change-Everything/dp/0358003326/ref=nodl_ https://www.amazon.com/Tiny-Habits-Changes-Change-Everything... I wrote some educational apps for language learning. Are there techniques that I could use to help and motivate my users?
- ethanbond 7y ago
  I would highly recommend taking his bootcamp course. As a first stab, I would recommend not approaching the problem as “how do I motivate my users?” Instead, assume that their motivation is nearly zero. If you assume that, then what sort of things can you ask them to do, and how/when do you have to ask them to do it? This is the rationale behind “smallest possible habit.” It requires almost no motivation whatsoever to take 3 deep breaths. Motivation is a fickle beast that ought never to be counted on.
- thomk 7y ago
  The book was released today but you can still buy a used copy on Amazon. Were those pre-releases or something? Odd.
  - happycube 7y ago
    ARC's aren't supposed to be listed... I'm not sure how many causal sellers that stops though.
- maroonblazer 7y ago
  I've read "Atomic Habits" by James Clear and "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg. Does "Tiny Habits" bring anything new to the table? Or is it a reformulation of these other ideas?
  - troydavis 7y ago
    I can't speak about Fogg's new book, but I've read Atomic Habits and read or listened to some of Fogg's other work. I think you're past the point of diminishing returns, especially compared to spending that time tweaking how you apply it. For example, by making triggers more obvious (daily email nag), progress more consequential (BeeMinder, blog), or goals more fun (choose valuable habits!). If you want Fogg's take in a nutshell, here's a short podcast interview: https://boxofcrayons.com/2016/08/bj-fogg-on-behaviour-change/ https://boxofcrayons.com/2016/08/bj-fogg-on-behaviour-change... . tl;dl: Have an explicit trigger that you can't ignore.
dqpb 7y ago
Re: flossing and Step 2: Make it the absolute smallest possible version of itself - you only have to floss the teeth you want to keep.
- eloff 7y ago
  Haha. I tell myself I just have to floss one tooth. But once I've got that far I finish the job.
troydavis 7y ago
If you're serious about trying to form a new habit, BJ - and people he's trained and bots they've created - runs a free 5-day program: https://www.tinyhabits.com/join https://www.tinyhabits.com/join (I'm unaffiliated)
greymalik 7y ago
> I spent a month of the year just flossing 1 tooth each night (ridiculous, I know!), then 5 months just flossing 1 row (better!) Was this because you hated it so much that you couldn't bring yourself to do more than one at a time, or is it important to effective habit building that you intentionall hold yourself back? (I can't imagine getting as far as remembering to do it, getting out the floss, tearing off a piece, flossing one tooth and then not saying, eh, I'm already here, might as well do more.)
- ethanbond 7y ago
  Yes I hated it and yes I’m exceptionally stubborn :)
- csharp 7y ago
  It isn't a "practical" thing, it is a mental thing. "flossing my whole mouth feels overwhelming, so I'm not going to do any of it", vs "I just need to floss a single tooth, that is easy". Sure "just grow up and do it" sounds nice, but learning to build habits that generally feel unrewarding when starting out (e.g. working out, learning instrument), is extremely difficult for some people (e.g. me).
  - Buttons840 7y ago
    It's a bit strange that something that takes less than two minutes can seem so overwhelming, yet we've all been there.
    - taberiand 7y ago
      For me it is the chore factor, the feeling that it's something bothersome that has to be done. One way around that I've found is to convert it to a desire - saying to myself "I deserve clean, healthy teeth" is enough motivation, for me, to pick up the floss. Similarly, "I deserve a clean, tidy home" gets me picking up the vacuum and mop, "I deserve a healthy body" is a useful mantra for eating well and exercising.
    - marktangotango 7y ago
greggyb 7y ago
> I spent a month of the year just flossing 1 tooth each night (ridiculous, I know!), then 5 months just flossing 1 row (better!) Not directly related to the habit formation part, but this reminded me of something my dad used to tell us as kids about flossing and brushing teeth when we'd complain about it: Dad: You know, you don't have to floss and brush them all. Us (amazedly): Really? Dad: Nope, just the ones you want to keep.
- zepolen 7y ago
  Just let the kids smell some rotting piece of food inside their mouth after flossing. Guaranteed they floss every time from then on.
chriselles 7y ago
Just picked it up on Kindle. Thanks so much for the book recommendation and the pointer towards BJ Fogg.
scottmotte 7y ago
> take on stress What a wonderful mental model. Thank you for that phrasing. My tendency, and I think most people's tendency around me, is to discuss stress in terms of how to limit it. Taking it on changes my relationship to it (at least in my mind). Taking it on, gives me control over it.
Dowwie 7y ago
I can confirm that this is one of the best uses of one's hour to acquire a valuable new skillset. I was part of the first batch of test subjects back when BJ was just starting the tiny habit experiment on Twitter. I used it to help me make running outdoors a viable exercise, despite not even being able to run a mile. A long series of small victories later, I ran a marathon. Then, I ran another. Etc. Now, I just maintain 3-4 miles five days a week. I highly recommend everyone buys his new Tiny Habits book and gives the program a try.

icebraining 7y ago

Didn't work for me, I simply started forgetting to do the new "habit" after a few days. I guess if it's just after flossing you can add a note next to the toothbrush, but for others that's not practical.

ethanbond 7y ago
Did you reward yourself after? It really is important but I feel many people skip out on it because it sounds (and is) ridiculous. Other thing he recommends is “practicing” your habit, especially if your context changes e.g. you’re staying in a hotel for a week. This would mean for example to mimic brushing your teeth in front of the mirror then walking to the bed to sit and close your eyes 5 times or so. To start it’s probably worth picking something up that you can easily prompt yourself to do (such as a note on your mirror). The only one that failed for me was posture related which relied on a too-irregular prompt.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

alpaca128 7y ago

In my case the flossing problem was solved by trying out certain rubber sticks made for that purpose. They're MUCH more convenient to use than the classic dental floss and make the whole process quicker, to a degree it took me almost no effort to consistently do it every day.

0xcafecafe 7y ago
Same here! The reach was a Godsend for me.
mathieutd 7y ago
Do you have any brand to recommend?
- redisman 7y ago
  I don't use the rubber ones but "flossers" which uses a piece of actual floss. I've found GUM brand to be the sturdiest, some brands fray easily which I hated. These made me go from literally flossing a few times in my life to doing it multiple times a week. Once you get used to the clean feeling you'll feel just like you hadn't brushed your teeth if you don't do it. It went from this very unpleasant finger tourniquets and hands inside my mouth to doing it one handed while I read or watch a clip online.
  - OGWhales 7y ago
    Fraying floss is the worst! I floss semi-regularly but will go periods of time without flossing due to the annoyance factor. I will try these. Just looked them up and are decently cheap.
- alpaca128 7y ago
  TePe easypick, the orange ones. Feels a bit unusual at first but basically you just push them inbetween the teeth once and pull out again, and all the dirt comes out with them. My dentist recommended those, works like a charm for me. Although keep in mind they're thicker than dental floss, meaning they may not fit between certain pairs of teeth if they're very close together.

melling 7y ago

The book was released today. https://www.amazon.com/Tiny-Habits-Changes-Change-Everything/dp/0358003326/ref=nodl_ https://www.amazon.com/Tiny-Habits-Changes-Change-Everything... I wrote some educational apps for language learning. Are there techniques that I could use to help and motivate my users?

ethanbond 7y ago
I would highly recommend taking his bootcamp course. As a first stab, I would recommend not approaching the problem as “how do I motivate my users?” Instead, assume that their motivation is nearly zero. If you assume that, then what sort of things can you ask them to do, and how/when do you have to ask them to do it? This is the rationale behind “smallest possible habit.” It requires almost no motivation whatsoever to take 3 deep breaths. Motivation is a fickle beast that ought never to be counted on.
thomk 7y ago
The book was released today but you can still buy a used copy on Amazon. Were those pre-releases or something? Odd.
- happycube 7y ago
  ARC's aren't supposed to be listed... I'm not sure how many causal sellers that stops though.
maroonblazer 7y ago
I've read "Atomic Habits" by James Clear and "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg. Does "Tiny Habits" bring anything new to the table? Or is it a reformulation of these other ideas?
- troydavis 7y ago
  I can't speak about Fogg's new book, but I've read Atomic Habits and read or listened to some of Fogg's other work. I think you're past the point of diminishing returns, especially compared to spending that time tweaking how you apply it. For example, by making triggers more obvious (daily email nag), progress more consequential (BeeMinder, blog), or goals more fun (choose valuable habits!). If you want Fogg's take in a nutshell, here's a short podcast interview: https://boxofcrayons.com/2016/08/bj-fogg-on-behaviour-change/ https://boxofcrayons.com/2016/08/bj-fogg-on-behaviour-change... . tl;dl: Have an explicit trigger that you can't ignore.

dqpb 7y ago

Re: flossing and Step 2: Make it the absolute smallest possible version of itself - you only have to floss the teeth you want to keep.

eloff 7y ago
Haha. I tell myself I just have to floss one tooth. But once I've got that far I finish the job.

troydavis 7y ago

If you're serious about trying to form a new habit, BJ - and people he's trained and bots they've created - runs a free 5-day program: https://www.tinyhabits.com/join https://www.tinyhabits.com/join (I'm unaffiliated)

greymalik 7y ago

> I spent a month of the year just flossing 1 tooth each night (ridiculous, I know!), then 5 months just flossing 1 row (better!) Was this because you hated it so much that you couldn't bring yourself to do more than one at a time, or is it important to effective habit building that you intentionall hold yourself back? (I can't imagine getting as far as remembering to do it, getting out the floss, tearing off a piece, flossing one tooth and then not saying, eh, I'm already here, might as well do more.)

ethanbond 7y ago
Yes I hated it and yes I’m exceptionally stubborn :)
csharp 7y ago
It isn't a "practical" thing, it is a mental thing. "flossing my whole mouth feels overwhelming, so I'm not going to do any of it", vs "I just need to floss a single tooth, that is easy". Sure "just grow up and do it" sounds nice, but learning to build habits that generally feel unrewarding when starting out (e.g. working out, learning instrument), is extremely difficult for some people (e.g. me).
- Buttons840 7y ago
  It's a bit strange that something that takes less than two minutes can seem so overwhelming, yet we've all been there.
  - taberiand 7y ago
    For me it is the chore factor, the feeling that it's something bothersome that has to be done. One way around that I've found is to convert it to a desire - saying to myself "I deserve clean, healthy teeth" is enough motivation, for me, to pick up the floss. Similarly, "I deserve a clean, tidy home" gets me picking up the vacuum and mop, "I deserve a healthy body" is a useful mantra for eating well and exercising.
  - marktangotango 7y ago

greggyb 7y ago

> I spent a month of the year just flossing 1 tooth each night (ridiculous, I know!), then 5 months just flossing 1 row (better!) Not directly related to the habit formation part, but this reminded me of something my dad used to tell us as kids about flossing and brushing teeth when we'd complain about it: Dad: You know, you don't have to floss and brush them all. Us (amazedly): Really? Dad: Nope, just the ones you want to keep.

zepolen 7y ago
Just let the kids smell some rotting piece of food inside their mouth after flossing. Guaranteed they floss every time from then on.

chriselles 7y ago

Just picked it up on Kindle. Thanks so much for the book recommendation and the pointer towards BJ Fogg.

scottmotte 7y ago

> take on stress What a wonderful mental model. Thank you for that phrasing. My tendency, and I think most people's tendency around me, is to discuss stress in terms of how to limit it. Taking it on changes my relationship to it (at least in my mind). Taking it on, gives me control over it.

Dowwie 7y ago

I can confirm that this is one of the best uses of one's hour to acquire a valuable new skillset. I was part of the first batch of test subjects back when BJ was just starting the tiny habit experiment on Twitter. I used it to help me make running outdoors a viable exercise, despite not even being able to run a mile. A long series of small victories later, I ran a marathon. Then, I ran another. Etc. Now, I just maintain 3-4 miles five days a week. I highly recommend everyone buys his new Tiny Habits book and gives the program a try.