I looked for other ways to apply the Strategy of Pairing. First, as part of my ongoing effort to move more, to strengthen my Foundation, I’d been trying to go for a long walk each weekend—but it felt like a real burden. One of my twelve Personal Commandments is “Identify the problem.” What was the problem?

A natural consequence of doing a lot of writing is getting a new, improved laptop (I wear out laptops; the keys start popping off). Once a week, when I do strength training, I walk there and take a taxi home. It’s an indulgence to take a taxi instead taking the subway, but I decided, “A natural consequence of a demanding workout is feeling tired, a

There is no more miserable human being than one in whom nothing is habitual but indecision, and for whom the lighting of every cigar, the drinking of every cup, the time of rising and going to bed every day, and the beginning of every bit of work, are subjects of express volitional deliberation. Full half the time of such a man goes to the deciding

If they want the new behavior to become a habit, they should use if-then planning from the Strategy of Safeguards to decide, in advance, how to proceed after hitting the finish line—perhaps by continually setting themselves new goals, just as my friend with the bad knee replaced one goal with another, or by deciding what the everyday habit should b

some people do better when they’re very ambitious. Sometimes, counterintuitively, it’s easier to make a major change than a minor change. If a habit changes very gradually, we may lose interest, give way under stress, or dismiss the change as insignificant. A big transformation generates an energy and excitement that helps to foster habits.

If Questioners believe that a particular habit is worthwhile, they’ll stick to it—but only if they’re satisfied about the habit’s usefulness.

The third danger posed by rewards? This one took me much longer to recognize: the risk of the “finish line.” Setting a finish line does indeed help people reach a specific, one-time goal, but although it’s widely assumed to help habit formation, the reward of hitting a finish line actually can undermine habits.

The reward for a good habit is the habit itself.

How I Like to Spend My Time At what time of day do I feel energized? When do I drag? Do I like racing from one activity to another, or do I prefer unhurried transitions? What activities take up my time but aren’t particularly useful or stimulating? Would I like to spend more time with friends, or by myself? Do I have several things on my calendar t