The 'Subtraction Habit' Mindset: How People Who Want to Keep Going But Can't, Can Finally Sustain Habits Without Forcing It
—Thinking about 'sustaining' as a set that includes 'habits to quit'
Hello. I'm Shintaro.
I use body makeup and coaching to design 'systems for sustaining' for my clients.
Up until now, discussions on habit formation have focused on
'adding good habits'
.
For example,
Exercising
Keeping records
Operating with Plan A/B
These are all important.
However, in reality, that alone doesn't always work.
The reason is simple:
24 hours is finite, and adding good actions
won't be sustainable unless you simultaneously decide to 'stop doing/quit' something else.
That is why this time, I will talk about habit formation with the added perspective of
designing 'habits to quit'.
When you finish reading this note, you will be able to:
Design 'habits you want to quit' at the same time as habits you want to sustain
Understand how to create an environment that effortlessly keeps bad habits at bay
Balance 'days for good actions' and 'days for choosing not to do them'
Feel that your entire life is naturally moving in a better direction
Such changes will occur.
This time, it is not about 'additive habit formation,' but rather
a 'subtractive perspective' to improve the quality and sustainability of habits.
Habits are about 'addition' and 'subtraction'
Adding good habits is, of course, important.
But to truly become your ideal self, it is just as important to
subtract 'habits you want to quit' from your life as well.
Time is equal for everyone; we only have 24 hours.
To stack good actions, you must conversely
reduce unnecessary actions, or you won't be able to keep going.
'Good habits' are supported by the environment
Good habits are... as I have mentioned many times,
not something that relies on willpower or motivation.
They are systems.
Within that...
'creating an environment' helps you build a state that encourages action.
For example, these kinds of adjustments.
When you wake up in the morning, have your workout clothes laid out next to the bed.
Make your protein shake the day before and put it in the fridge.
Always keep your dumbbells and mat in a place where you can see them.
These arrangements and systems work to make you act before your willpower to 'do it'
turns into
'it's a hassle'
or 'maybe... I'll skip it today'.
It is not willpower that moves the body,
but the environment that moves the body.
▼▼ You will never be able to take action if you rely on 'motivation -> action.' I have summarized how to create an environment for taking action in a note.
So, what do you do about 'bad habits'?
Just adding good habits is only half the battle.
At the same time,
try thinking about how to keep the bad habits you want to quit at a distance using the power of your environment.
Bad habits
cannot be stopped just by thinking 'I'll quit'.
It's the same as how it's hard to take action just by having the motivation to 'do it!'.
The key point there is,
Create an environment where actions are 'hard to choose'.
To use dieting as an example...
Don't buy snacks in bulk.
If you have a stock of snacks at home, you'll inevitably reach for them.
So, try to buy only what you'll eat today.
Therefore, try to
buy only what you will eat today
.
Having only a one-day supply means you have to go to the convenience store or supermarket every time you want to eat something.
This creates a slight sense of resistance, which turns into a
'habit of stopping'.
Even if you can't stop completely...
you can at least reduce it, right?
Isn't that pretty good?
From my own experience... I succeeded in dieting by stopping the bulk purchase of alcohol.
If it's in the house... I end up drinking it.
So, when I want to drink, I buy only one bottle.
If I really want more, I have to go out and buy just one more.
I made sure to carry only enough small change to avoid buying unnecessary things (like snacks).
I was very thorough about this (laughs).
Don't keep your smartphone or charger in places where you want to focus.
Smartphones are convenient, but they steal your actions and your time.
Especially in:
The sofa
The bed
Your desk
If you leave it in places where you want to focus or relax, you'll find your time just melting away...
So...
Place your smartphone or its charger in an
unusual spot (like the entryway or bathroom).
With just this,
the time you spend mindlessly staring at the screen will decrease.
Your actions will be less likely to be interrupted.
It will become easier to return to what you originally wanted to do.
These kinds of effects will emerge.
This is also from my own experience...
You can't relax in the entryway or the bathroom.
I used to tend to
mindlessly look at my phone while charging it on the sofa, so I moved the charger.
Since I don't bring it into the room while it's charging,
I no longer get distracted by my phone while reading or working.
What changes when 'addition' and 'subtraction' start working simultaneously
Add good habits, subtract bad habits.
When these two wheels are in place, your life will...
increase healthy behaviors
decrease unhealthy behaviors
move your body rather than relying on willpower
and move in that direction.
This is not just 'endurance,' but
proof that a system called environmental design is in place.
Habits create a chain reaction (The Diderot Effect)
This synergistic effect is related to a psychological element called the 'Diderot Effect'.
What is the Diderot Effect...
Once you acquire one good thing,
you start wanting to choose other things that match it one after another.
This is a movement of the heart.
The Diderot Effect is a psychological phenomenon often used in the fields of 'marketing and sales' to increase purchase unit prices and create repeat customers, but
it can also be applied to habit formation.
If you start an exercise habit
→ you will want to choose a healthy diet.If you reduce junk food
→ you will naturally start thinking about nutritional balance.
Habits can chain together in a better directionby repeating addition and subtraction..
Summary
Addition alone is not enough for habits you want to continue.
At the same time, you need to design 'habits to quit'.
Devise ways to encourage or inhibit choices through your environment.
When good and bad habits start to balance each other out, your entire life will naturally move in a better direction.
With addition × subtraction,
better habit design is possible.
What I want you to do today
if you read this note
● Why not clear away one thing that acts as a trigger for a habit you want to quit?
Example: Put snacks where you can't see them / Stop buying in bulk / Move your smartphone charger to an odd place / Uninstall apps / Organize apps on your smartphone home screen... etc.
[We are receiving happy feedback]
Recently, through individual consultations,
'I've become able to continue my diet'
'My thoughts have been organized'
'My challenges have become clear'
More and more people are telling me this.
It is okay not to force yourself to change.
I would be happy if you remembered me
at the moment you feel it is necessary.
Please contact me via Threads or X DM.