AI for Breakfast

Post 92 - The Four Laws of Behaviour Change

My idea to write a blog post a day is becoming a lot more time consuming than I first thought, especially now I’m building my MindStudio Project for the certification course.

With that in mind I did a bit of research on ways I might make the process a little easier. I read a post on LinkedIn by Ben Meer, mentioning James Clear's Atomic Habits, a book I admittedly bought ages ago and never got round to actually reading, I think I will now though.

So today's post although not strictly about AI is advice from the following prompt as outlined by Ben Meer, thank you Ben, worked a treat. Output via ChatGPT 4.

The image was a problem, many attempts but nothing of any real use. This one was the best and last of many! I just asked for a visual metaphor for change, kind of works may be!

Imagine I want to develop the habit of writing a blog post every day. Can you provide creative ideas for each of the Four Laws of Behavior Change? Specifically, suggest a cue that will remind me to start the habit, a way to make the habit attractive and create a craving, a method to make the habit easy to perform as a response, and a reward that will make the habit satisfying.

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Cue: Reminder to start the habit

• Set a specific time: Choose a consistent time each day, like first thing in the morning or right after your lunch break, to sit down and write. This timing itself becomes the cue.
• Use technology: Set a daily alarm or reminder on your phone or computer. You could also use a productivity app that allows you to schedule daily prompts.
• Physical space: Designate a specific spot in your home or office as your ‘writing zone’. Whenever you see this space set up for writing, it prompts you to begin.

Craving: Make the habit attractive

• Theme days: Assign themes or topics to specific days of the week to keep the content varied and exciting. For example, Mondays could be for industry news, Wednesdays for personal stories or lessons, and Fridays for guest posts or interviews.
• Join a writing group: Engage with a community of bloggers who write daily. Sharing your progress and reading others' work can increase your interest and motivation.
• Visualise the benefits: Spend a few minutes visualising the impact of regular blogging, like increased readership, enhanced writing skills, or potential income from ads and sponsorships.

Response: Make the habit easy

• Prepare templates: Create templates for different types of posts to reduce the effort needed to get started each day.
• Keep a content list: Maintain a running list of topic ideas, research points, and partial drafts that you can pick up and expand into a full post, reducing the barrier to getting started.
• Limit writing time: Set a timer for a manageable period, like 25 minutes. Knowing you only have to write for a short duration can make the task seem less daunting.

Reward: Make the habit satisfying

• Immediate feedback: After publishing each post, share it on social media or with a friend to get quick feedback. Positive comments and engagement can be very rewarding.
• Track your progress: Use a calendar or app to mark each day you complete a post. Seeing a streak build up can be a strong motivator.
• Celebrate milestones: Set up rewards for yourself for reaching milestones, such as writing every day for a week, then a month, etc. Rewards could be a favourite treat, a new book, or something else that you find enjoyable.

By setting up a system around these four laws, you’ll be better positioned to make daily blog writing a natural and enjoyable part of your routine.