Worked Examples: Putting It All Together in Prose
Theory is helpful, but seeing these principles in action makes them concrete. Here are two short stories of how someone might design and implement a habit-building system using a simple tracker.
Example 1: Sarah’s Evening Wind-Down Routine
Sarah is a project manager who struggles to disconnect from work. She often finds herself scrolling through emails or social media late into the night, which leaves her feeling anxious and poorly rested. Her goal is to create a peaceful evening routine that helps her transition to sleep.
Identity: “I am a calm and well-rested person who values my evening peace.”
Habits & MVAs:
1. Tidy Up: “Put away one thing in the living room.” (MVA)
2. Digital Sunset: “Plug my phone in to charge in the kitchen.” (MVA)
3. Read for Pleasure: “Read one page of a fiction book.” (MVA)
System Design:
Habit Stacking & Cues: Sarah decides to use the end of dinner as her primary cue. Her stacking statement is: “After I finish washing the dinner dishes, I will start my wind-down routine.”
Friction Audit: To decrease friction, she chooses a specific spot on her kitchen counter for her phone charger (obvious cue). She places the book she wants to read on her pillow in the morning, so it’s waiting for her at night.
Accountability: She tells her partner about her goal, simply asking, “Could you just gently remind me about my ‘digital sunset’ if you see me on my phone after dinner?”
Tracking: She uses a simple paper habit tracker on her fridge with three rows. Checking off those three small boxes before bed provides the immediate reward of accomplishment.
Safeguards:
On a particularly exhausting night, Sarah only has the energy to plug in her phone. She still checks that one box. She hasn’t failed; she’s successfully completed her MVA and maintained the core of her new identity. She knows she can get back to the other two habits tomorrow, following the “never miss twice” rule.
Example 2: David’s Morning Focus Primer
David is a freelance writer who finds it difficult to start his most important work in the morning. He often gets sidetracked by email, news, and other low-value tasks, losing his best creative energy before he even begins writing.
Identity: “I am a focused writer who prioritizes deep work.”
Habits & MVAs:
1. Hydrate: “Drink one glass of water.” (MVA)
2. Journal: “Write one sentence in my journal.” (MVA)
3. Deep Work: “Open my writing document and work for 5 minutes.” (MVA)
System Design:
Habit Stacking & Cues: David’s cue is his morning coffee. His statement is: “While my coffee is brewing, I will drink a glass of water and write one sentence in my journal.”
Friction Audit: To increase friction on his bad habits, he uses an app to block distracting websites for the first two hours of his workday. To decrease friction for his good habits, he leaves his journal and a pen on his desk next to his laptop the night before. He also leaves a glass by the sink.
Environment Design: His home office is now a “phone-free zone” until 10 AM. This environmental rule makes the cue for distraction invisible.
Tracking: He uses a digital habit tracker app that sends a single, gentle reminder at 9 AM if he hasn’t checked off his three items. The digital checkmark gives him a small hit of dopamine.
Safeguards:
One morning, David has an early appointment and can’t do his 5-minute writing session. Instead of letting it derail him, he simply does his first two habits—water and journaling. He has still cast two votes for his identity as a focused person. He knows he can get back to the writing block the next day, preventing the “all-or-nothing” trap.
