In the end... only easy things become habits!

Don't you have the impression that building a habit means working hard, suffering, and enduring? In the end, only "fun things" last. Let's look back at habit formation from that perspective.

The misconception that "habit formation" equals "suffering"

Jogging, dieting, studying... the things we want to turn into habits all seem so painful. When I think about going to a bookstore to buy a book on habit formation, I get discouraged by its thickness and go home. Aren't there many such images regarding habit formation?

On the other hand, how would you feel if you were told that things that fascinate you, such as surfing the internet, watching videos, or snacking, are also perfectly valid habits?

Just by reading this far, I think your image of "habit formation" as "good behavior but painful" will have changed. In fact, "habit formation" equals "fun things".

Try changing "Why is that person able to make exercise a habit?" to "That person is able to make exercise a habit because it's fun." I think that alone will change the way you look at things.

Making it "fun" with set actions

When you start building a habit, try thinking about whether you can make it fun by pairing it with another action.

For example, some people listen to music or audiobooks when they go jogging. Of course, there is the aspect of making effective use of time, but by pairing "jogging" with "listening to music or books," they are likely making the action itself fun and gaining the ability to sustain it.

As another example, there is recording dieting. For people who find a small pleasure in "keeping records," it is the perfect method.

Recently, more students are studying using video apps. While I wonder about the efficiency compared to studying by reading books, it is a wonderful method in the sense that it makes the act of studying itself fun through ingenuity.

Making the image "fun"

You can also steer the image of the action itself in a fun direction.

Imagine you are about to leave the house to go jogging. Which of the following photos makes you feel motivated?

I think many people will say, "The photo above makes me feel more motivated." Some people might say, "The photo below makes me feel more motivated." I think that is perfectly fine.

Nowadays, it is easy to search for images and videos, so it is a good idea to have one image that makes you want to do the habit you want to do for some reason, and save it on your smartphone or computer.

That might be an image of you performing the habit, as in the example above, or an image of what someone who has successfully maintained the habit has achieved (e.g., a thinner version of yourself).

The "fun" accelerates with the results obtained

Suppose a habit you started by "making it fun with set actions" or "making it fun with imagery" continues for a few days, then a few weeks, and you obtain some visible, small results.

Once you achieve even a small result, the joy of that achievement itself will support the habituation process and help you demonstrate persistence. In short, reaching that point of persistence is the biggest hurdle in forming a habit.

If you can overcome that hurdle, the rest should start to run on its own. Keeping that image in mind will also help you with habit formation.

Furthermore, once you have gained a successful experience with one habit, you will have the conviction that you can bring other habits to a self-sustaining state, making it easier to introduce new ones.

Summary & Reference Articles

By replacing the image of 'habituation as ascetic training—a painful and long journey' with a new one, the success rate of habit formation will increase significantly. You could pair it with something you find enjoyable, or simply keeping a fun image in your mind will likely increase the chances that you can keep it up.

If you can keep going and achieve certain results, the 'fun' of the action itself will push you forward, and there should be nothing left to stop you.

I have included a few links to reference articles that introduce the relationship between habituation and enjoyment. These articles should also help you gain the image that habituation is something fun.