On Wed I'm training a wonderful nonprofit. I’m teaching them Fogg Behavior Design. This well-known org helps ppl have better health & more hope. Two leaders trained with me earlier. They now want to upskill colleagues. Stephanie Weldy & I customized carefully for this org Now we are ready

Applying BJ Fogg's Ability Chain to social change newsletter.dadstrength.com/p/3-circles-... Also Mindfulness over ritual for rehab Talking politics with kids “Education is the point at which we decide whether we love the world enough to assume responsibility for it." – Hannah Arendt

Yesterday the Stanford students did not ask me "How many days to create a habit?" (They'd already read my book Tiny Habits.) But if someone did ask this, I'd say: How many of you sat in the same spot today as before? How long did it take for that habit to form? (Usually, it's "one and done")

Many people think you should build just 1 habit at a time Nope. You can do more than 1 A Stanford student asked me about this yesterday. So I asked the class: "How many of you changed where you live this year?" "How many habits did you create -- all at once?" -- That made my point clear.

Hey . . . Do you know anyone who was a heavy drinker and was able to turn into a light drinker, without slipping back? I don’t. Correction: I do. However, that was the result of an environment change — a frat guy became a parent years later. Why did this work? Radical change of environment

Derek is an expert in this area -- teens and mental health

I’m gonna post some stuff about quitting alcohol. Warning: This is not my area of expertise. I’m an expert in forming habits, not breaking habit. These are very different creatures. Even so . . . I have some thoughts to share about alcohol that may help someone.

Hey, y'all . . . I welcome any questions you have about habits and behavior change.

I want to help you understand habits so you can create a better life Psychology Today summarizes some of my methods. Not quite how I'd say it, but it's okay Quoting someone else, the article says give yourself a reward like a coffee. My view: That's an incentive. Not a reward More in comments

Frustrating -- Journalist for USNews uses a lot of my input in a story. That's good. But she adds a quote from someone else -- that habits "take months to form" That's not accurate. (And so discouraging to readers) Fact --> When you design a habit in the right way, it can form quickly

Take the first easy step today: Jot down a few names of people you could invite. No commitment. No big deal. Simply pay attention to how you feel. If you stop there, that’s OK. But I’m hoping you see a couple names that inspire you to take next steps.

I’m not a fan of adding features, but I’m going to make an exception. The best feature BlueSky can add is — 👉🏼 a metric of how much a person engages with other people’s posts. Make this metric visible at the moment people are deciding to follow someone or not.

This week I talked w/people who've mastered a daily habit that's kinda tough Trends? All of them -- High achievers in other areas Felt real benefits from habit Knew my Tiny Habits method Were fun to meet But I did not find how to help everyday ppl w/ this tough habit. Still exploring

Gonna get kinda personal for a bit If it looks like you’ll spend the holiday alone, this post is for you Let’s suppose you celebrate Christmas. And you have no plans. I urge you to make a plan. Invite 2 or 3 people. Could be for Xmas eve Xmas brunch Xmas day tea 2 hours Low key You got this

. Want a peaceful song to wind down your day? I helped write a song called "Twilight" See what you think: Apple Music: music.apple.com/us/album/twi... Spotify: open.spotify.com/track/4QJX41... Vimeo (this shows the lyrics): vimeo.com/1031307088 (See comments for some of the lyrics.)

One of these days … I hope somebody does good research on why people often ask this question: “How long does it take to form a habit?” Ugh. That’s not the best question to ask a habit expert. Why do people ask this question? I can make some guesses. And you can too.

Instead of resolutions for 2025, ask yourself this question: What is the simplest one-time change I can make to my home environment that will have the biggest impact on my well-being thru all of 2025? Come up with a few answers. Pick one you like best. And then do it. Bonus: share in a comment

I'm wondering . . . Should I tell the story of my popcorn addiction? I know people snicker, but for me popcorn was the toughest habit to untangle.

. The lack of vocabulary can make behavior change difficult. For example, in English we don’t have a word for — 1. something that looks difficult, but is actually easy to do 2. something that looks easy to do, but it’s actually difficult I hope we have words for the above. If so, let me know.

. The most valuable skill is not boosting motivation. The real superpower is designing for simplicity -- making things easy to do. Except for a few categories (like games), the best solutions win by making things easy to do.

I’m a fan of unusual college courses. I’m even a bigger fan if the course (1) tackles a hard problem (2) that has been underexplored. This new Stanford course does both.

. Deep squatting is important to me. A few years ago, I could not do a deep squat & stay there in comfort. Now I can. The secret: I practiced in the shower. Daily I got more flexible, more skilled I still do this habit every day -- consistency matters The benefits outside the shower are real

Today I came across this sign while hiking in a remote forest. This sign feels relevant to our current moment in time. But I can't quite explain why. What's your interpretation?

Stand up while working This is NOT easy to do all day. But it is easy to start: 1. Find a short event on your calendar, like a 15-min mtg 2. Enter "stand" by that event 3. Stand when the time comes If you get tired before the meeting ends, then stop. That's fine. -- Repeat the above.

If you’re not sure about pursuing a PhD, then ask people for advice. You’ve got lots of generous PhD people here. Don’t be shy about asking. — Me? I usually say, “Go for it.” But sometimes I advise people to do industry work first.

True (ordinary) story: My husband went to farm market. I stayed home Without much thought, I tidied up one thing. Then I found myself tidying more. And more Soon I’d tidied the living room, a cabinet & a closet Enough for now Will my husband notice? No But that’s OK because I feel uplifted

A powerful way to strengthen a relationship: Follow up on what a person shares with you. For example: “How did your interview go?” … Pro tip —> Create a calendar entry to remind you to follow up: “Ask Sarah about job interview.” Important —> Be sincere

I’m loving this collection of songs. So I’m sharing it

Holiday tip . . . You can be the most engaging person at your holiday gathering by saying these 5 words: "That's interesting. Tell me more." Then you listen carefully. Repeat these 5 words sincerely. Over and over. See what happens.

The holidays are officially here so please check on your introvert friends! Bring them coffee and let them infodump! Text them just to cancel some plans you never made! See if there’s a phone call you can make on their behalf! You can make a real difference this holiday season!

Yes, this is for you: NOW is the time to strengthen your closest relationships. Your life partner, brother, sister, best friend. Those few people who matter most to you. These relationships give you health & happiness. They will also help you get thru tough times ahead. — Pls don’t delay.

Here's a good habit to consider: Take 1 day a week to have an adventure with your life partner. Could be a big adventure -- fly somewhere & back. Or small -- find a new food truck. My partner & I started doing "Adventure Tuesday" about 18 months ago. So many fun things. Better than expected

For me, the big issue here -- How to use Bluesky in a way that strengthens my most important relationships . . . instead of impoverishing them? In the coming days, I'll share some ideas and techniques. I won't have all the answers. I welcome your input.

I believe this is mostly true: The more we focus on weak ties (distant relationships), the less happy we become. Why? Because happiness comes from our closest relationships. Investing in weak ties (even via bsky) means we have less time/energy for close relationships. (more soon ...)

I have a new habit when I go to the beach (which is most every day). I sit and lay down right on the sand. No chair. No towel. Just connect with the earth. Why didn’t I discover this before? Yes, the sand feels gritty at first. But you get used to that. The sand washes off. Simplicity.

My friend Ursula gave me some grass-fed, grass-finished bison. Oh dear . . . Bison?! I was mostly vegetarian for 25 years. I was kinda scared to try bison. I procrastinated. Finally, I got up my courage. I cooked the bison w/ taco seasoning. To my surprise, it was delicious. Oh dear.

On the personal side . . . My friend Jane gave me a tray of sprouts. Such a great gift! I sprouted a lot about 10 years ago. Jane’s gift inspired me to start again. So . . . I found a new system with a big glass jar. It comes with a holder that props the jar. Sprouts popped w/in 24 hours.

Maybe I’ll post about my day-to-day life here. I don’t do that on other platforms. That will include my projects at Stanford and in industry. Big question: How much of my *personal* life? Not sure yet. We’ll see.

Hello, World!