507: How to Change Your Behavior, with B...

BJ Fogg: Tiny Habits

BJ Fogg is a behavior scientist, with deep experience in innovation and teaching. He’s directed a research lab at Stanford University for over 20 years. He trains innovators to create solutions that influence behavior for good in the areas of health, sustainability, financial wellbeing, learning, productivity, and more.

He is an expert in behavior change, from habit formation to company culture change. Fortune Magazine named him a “New Guru You Should Know” for his insights about mobile and social networks. His is the author of the New York Times bestseller Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything*.

In this conversation, BJ and I discuss why new information alone doesn’t tend to lead to the behavior change most of us want. Instead, we explore BJ’s research and a key, 3-step process that will help all of us to create habits that stick. Plus, he points out that habits are even more about emotion than they are about repetition.

Key Points

• Information does not lead to action.
• It’s a myth that it takes 21 or 66 days to create a habit. Repetition doesn’t create habits. Emotions create habits.
• People change best by feeling good, not by feeling bad. The feeling of success is what wires in the habit.
• A garden is a useful analogy for habits. There is a season for every habit — and they often are not permanent.
• Create a tiny habit through an ABC process: anchor moment, a tiny behavior, and instant celebration.
• Avoid raising the bar on the tiny behavior. Do more if you want to, but don’t change the standard.

Resources Mentioned

• Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything* by BJ Fogg
• BJ’s website

Interview Notes

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

Related Episodes

• How to Tame Your Inner Critic, with Tara Mohr (episode 232)
• Six Tactics for Extraordinary Performance, with Morten Hansen (episode 337)
• Tie Leadership Development to Business Results, with Mark Allen (episode 435)

Discover More

Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.