Use discipline to start the habit

In the systems and habits approach to improvement, we rely on discipline. But we use discipline in a different manner.

Using discipline long-term is difficult. Using discipline in the short-term is much easier. Yet we all fall into the fallacy that discipline has to be maintained for long periods for it to matter.

When we look at a successful system or habit, we can judge it based on three criteria. First, we want it to be simple. Second, we want it to be sticky. Third, we want it to be self-regulating.

Simplicity is important. The simpler the task the more likely we will start to do it. The simpler the task the more likely we will continue to do it. The simpler the task the more likely we won’t get tripped up with complexity. The simpler the task the more likely we will handle the task in a consistent manner.

This is why simplicity leads to better systems and habits. It allows us to form the muscle memory needed to do it automatically. Too complex and we feel as though we tackle a novel task every time. This breaks the brains habit-building process.

Stickiness is the ability of a system or habit to have something that keeps us doing it. It could be because it is addicting, such as drugs or alcohol. It could be that it is a law we must follow, such as the seat belt law. Whatever it is, there is something that pulls us to keep following the system.

Self-regulating means that the system can keep going. It doesn’t have a natural end point. It keeps going and going. It could be that every time we wake up, we brush our teeth. We wake up every day, so it is natural that it triggers that prompt to brush our teeth. Every night when we go to bed, we set in motion the cue that tells us to brush our teeth again.

Notice that none of this requires discipline. It is a natural cycle. It keeps going and perpetuating the system.

But if we want to improve something in our life, we tend to rely on discipline. We are trying to do something different than our normal routine. We assume we need willpower to push us. We assume we need motivation and effort to keep doing this new behavior. But that is hard to maintain.

A better approach is to build strong systems and habits. We make sure they are simple, sticky, and self-regulating. Then we can continue doing what we want through habit, not through discipline.

To build a new system, we need to be disciplined enough to build the habit structure. We have to keep with it. We have to be consistent. We have to make sure we don’t disrupt the emerging pattern. All of this requires discipline.

In The One Thing – The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller, the author says, “When we know something that needs to be done but isn’t currently getting done, we often say, ‘I just need more discipline.’ Actually, we need the habit of doing it. And we need just enough discipline to build the habit.”

This is the key that successful people employ to get better. They keep improving by using discipline to build the right systems and habits. Then the systems and habits take over. They continue on. They build and grow value over time but do not need to rely on constant discipline.

It is the system that is “disciplined” over the long-term. We can all use this tactic. It is simple and available to us. Using discipline to build systems and habits allows us to apply our fleeting willpower towards a lasting endeavor.

So, next time you want to improve something, implore the systems and habits approach to improvement. It might seem like you start slow. But if you keep up with it your efforts can be redirected elsewhere. Meanwhile, the systems and habits carry you to success and contentment.