Sean D. Young

Recent research shows that seven psychological forces support the ability of people to stick with their plans—in both life and work. The more of these forces people incorporate in their behaviors, the more likely they are to stick with something until they reach a goal.

In the 1930s, a team of Harvard researchers began a study that tracked the life choices of a group of Harvard undergraduates. They continued this study for seventy-five years. One thing they found was that strong social connections were the most important factor in achieving happiness.

The lesson is on finding the right first step. Put all of your energy into achieving that first little step. Take the time to reflect on your progress. And then repeat.

Reflect on the things you want to change and, like a researcher developing a behavior change intervention, use SCIENCE to create a plan for how you will use the seven forces. And there’s no reason to wait to do this. Remember the Chinese proverb: The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second-best time is right now.

The human brain is amazingly efficient. It is designed so people can do things without having to think. It rewards people for sticking to routines.

The secret to making things engrained in the brain is based on repetition: repeating behaviors, especially if it can be done every day, in the same place, and at the same time, will teach the brain that it needs to remember this behavior to make it easier to keep doing it. It will engrain this behavior.