Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything (Summary)
What if the secret to a consistent flossing habit wasn't willpower, but a commitment to floss just one tooth? Or the key to a regular workout was doing two push-ups after every trip to the bathroom? Stanford behavior scientist BJ Fogg argues that the only way to make new habits stick is to make them so small, so laughably easy, that you can't possibly say no. Forget motivation; the key is to design for success.
Behavior Happens When Motivation, Ability, and a Prompt Converge
Fogg's central model, B=MAP, states that a behavior only occurs when you have sufficient Motivation, the Ability to do it, and a Prompt to trigger it. Instead of trying to boost unreliable motivation, the easiest path to change is to make the behavior easier (increase Ability) and connect it to a reliable Prompt.
You want to drink more water (Behavior). You have a water bottle on your desk (high Ability) and you're thirsty (Motivation), but you keep forgetting. The missing piece is the Prompt. By deciding 'After every time my phone buzzes, I'll take a sip of water,' you provide the missing trigger and make the behavior happen consistently.
Anchor New Habits to Existing Routines
The most effective way to add a new habit is to 'anchor' it to a solid, existing routine. This existing behavior becomes the reliable prompt for the new tiny habit, creating a simple recipe: After I [Existing Anchor Habit], I will [New Tiny Habit].
Instead of a vague goal like 'I will meditate more,' Fogg's recipe is: 'After I pour my morning coffee (the Anchor), I will take three calming breaths (the new Tiny Habit).' The coffee routine, which is already established, becomes the natural and effortless trigger for the new, small behavior.
Emotions Create Habits, Not Repetition
It's not the sheer repetition of an action that wires it into your brain, but the positive emotion you feel immediately after doing it. Fogg calls this 'Shine.' This feeling of success and self-efficacy makes your brain want to repeat the behavior.
After you successfully do your two push-ups, you don't just move on. You must immediately celebrate with a genuine positive reaction—a quick fist pump, a smile in the mirror, or mentally telling yourself 'Awesome!'. This small, even silly, act of self-reinforcement releases dopamine, hacking your brain's reward system to crave doing the habit again.
Start Tiny and Let It Grow Naturally
Motivation is fickle. To ensure consistency, you must lower the bar for your new habit so dramatically that you can do it even on your worst day. This 'starter step' eliminates resistance and allows the habit to expand on its own.
If your goal is to write a book, don't commit to a page a day. Your tiny habit is simply: 'After I sit down at my desk with coffee, I will open the document and write one sentence.' That's the entire requirement. By making the initial step trivially easy, you bypass procrastination and often find that once you've started, you naturally continue to write more.
