How to Use Your Temptations to Develop Better Habits
Habit formation is similar to dog training: you want to reward yourself for a job well done. But there is nothing to say that you should enjoy this reward after your “good behavior.” Another technique, called “ temptation pooling, ” allows you to enjoy the reward as long as you cultivate this habit, and it can be a very powerful tool.
What is temptation?
Combining temptations occurs when you combine an instantly gratifying sense of guilt with an undertaking that you know you should be doing more of (otherwise willpower is required). Wharton professor and researcher Katherine Milkman came up with this idea in her life :
So, a few years ago, when she was having trouble getting to the gym regularly, she decided to allow herself to enjoy these not-so-scientific audiobooks [The Hunger Games] only while exercising. Result: The milkman started going to the gym five days a week.
Milkman later conducted research and trials and detailed this process in an article published in the journal Management Science (in particular, looking at combining temptations to increase physical activity). But you can use the unification of temptations in many other areas of your life.
The graph above, taken from Management Science , compares the actions that “follow” and the temptations. Note that temptations are almost the opposite of “shoulds” in terms of usefulness – they complement each other almost perfectly! This is what makes the seduction kit so useful. You can get the benefits of both without the disadvantages.
Find out what you should be doing and what temptations
Think about how you could use this in your life. Are there any activities you avoid that you know will benefit you in the long term? Let’s call these actions “should”. Follow-up activities can include tasks such as exercise, extra study, hanging out with a family member you don’t like, or any other positive change you want to achieve. They may all be different.
After you have a list of things to do, make a list of temptations – guilty pleasures that you enjoy from time to time, but are not particularly useful in your life. Remember that this is not the awards that you like after you perform the required action, and that will encourage you as you perform them. As such, they might include listening to a specific audiobook or podcast, a crappy TV show you secretly love, a drink you really like (I love yerba mate tea), or some other reward that stimulates the senses.
Combine your temptations
Once you’ve put together the two lists, it’s time to reconcile your temptations with what you “should”. The milkman offers several examples , including doing a pedicure while sending out expired work letters, listening to your favorite music while doing housework, or only going to your favorite restaurant when you’re out with a troubled relative.
Make sure your temptation does not interfere with the action that “follows.” For example, some people listen to music while studying, but I absolutely cannot. Music distracts me to the point where I can’t concentrate.
Combining temptations becomes less effective if you enjoy your temptations outside of what you “should.” It’s tricky, but if you’re going to associate a crappy TV show with a gym, try not to watch it at other times.
Avoid Temptation When You Don’t Need It
As your “should” activities become inherently more rewarding, you may rely less on temptation. Start moving away from temptations, using them only when you feel like you want to give up what needs to be done. Writer Brad Stulberg about health gives the example in the “Men’s fitness “ :
On these [stationary bike] rides, I read about the latest health research for the first two hours, and at that point everything (I mean everything) starts to get uncomfortable. When this happens, exit the medical journals and enter TI and 50 Cent.
You can flip Stulberg’s formula and, using temptation, deceive yourself and start the intimidating action that “follows.” For example, first watch only one episode of a TV show on the elliptical trainer, and then turn it off.
Some temptations can have long-term consequences. They were helpful in getting you started doing what you “should”, but might not be sustainable (for example, if they were associated with unhealthy foods). Some of these costs are mostly opportunity costs (for example, you could study watching TV instead).
Over time, you can return to your normal habit pattern if you don’t need the extra motivation that the associated temptation provides (here’s how you can choose the appropriate rewards ). Begin measuring your progress to make what “follows” more useful.
Combining temptations may sound simple, but it can be a powerful tool for spurring change. You may already be doing this without even knowing it. You can now consciously combine more temptations with other things that “follow” so that it will be easier for you to change and improve yourself.