Editorial review: November 12, 2026
Anyone who has ever made a resolution to get more exercise, to waste less time on Facebook, or to become more organized about their work already knows that it is incredibly hard to change our behavior. Once a behavior has become a habit or a part of our routine, it’s very difficult to replace that habit with something new. Let’s discuss the challenge of behavior change.
Why is it so hard to change our habits?
If my goal is to get fitter, and I have the equipment, time, and motivation to do so, why is it so hard to stick to a goal like going running twice a week? I might manage my goal for a few weeks, but if I’m like most people then I won’t maintain the new habit in the long term. Even when I know that the new habit will make me feel better and will make me happier overall, it’s still tough to maintain.
Knowing what you want to change does not automatically make it easy to act. A familiar routine, a competing priority or an immediate inconvenience may outweigh a distant goal in the moment. Before judging yourself as irrational, identify the actual barrier: is the next step clear, possible and supported by your environment?
How can we influence our own behavior?
Given this problem, what can we do to change our behavior? There are two main approaches to this issue:
Information can help you understand why a change matters and choose a realistic goal. It may not remove the immediate obstacle to starting. If the barrier is lack of time, an unclear task or missing equipment, address that barrier as well as the motivation.
Another approach is to make progress visible and rewarding. A small acknowledgment or a simple record of completion may help some people stay engaged. There is no need to assume that a mixture of rewards and penalties is always best. Choose an approach you can sustain, and check whether it supports the behavior rather than adding pressure or encouraging shortcuts.
The role of the environment
The environment can make an intended action easier or harder. A reminder placed where you need it, access to the right material, or a protected time slot can support a new routine. This does not mean your surroundings completely determine who you are; it gives you something concrete to adjust and test.
Think about the sequence around the behavior: what happens just before it, what action you want to take and what follows. For example, if you want to record meeting decisions, place the decision log in the meeting agenda so it is available when the discussion ends.
Practical advice
What does this mean in practice? What actions can you take to make it more likely that you’ll stick to your new habits? Here are a few suggestions to promote behavior change:
- Remove “pain points” to make it easy to do the right thing. For example, have your running gear washed, ready, and in one place, and leave your running shoes by the door. Then whenever you do want to go for a run you won’t be put off by the hassle of finding your gear.
- Put physical reminders in your environment. For example, if you want to work on your finances each morning then put your accounting book on top of the papers on your desk. You’ll have to physically pick up the book to get to your desk so you’ll be reminded and incentivized to do your accounting.
- Reward progress in a way that fits the goal. You might mark a completed action in a log or take a short break after a focused task. Avoid treating one missed action as if it cancels all previous progress; use it to identify an obstacle and plan the next attempt.
- Related to this, do track your progress over the long term. For example, you could record how many days per week you do your accounting, or track how many miles you run each time. You’ll be able to see yourself improving over time, which will reinforce that each run adds towards your long term goal of getting fitter.
- Get useful support. Ask a colleague to review your plan, help remove a practical barrier or join a regular check-in. Be specific about what would help and respect their boundaries. Workplace habit advice should not be used to dismiss professional treatment or other support for health-related behavior change.
Try one work-habit experiment
Illustrative example: after every project meeting, record the decision, owner and due date before closing the agenda. Keep the action small enough to do even after a busy meeting. Review the log after two weeks and ask whether colleagues can find what they need. Adjust the cue or template if it is not helping.
Habit formation has no universal deadline. In a 2026 explanation of her research, Pippa Lally emphasizes how widely formation time varies. Use the cue/action/review example to plan a routine without promising automatic behavior after a fixed number of days.
For more on how we notice the world around us, read perception and attention.
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