Once I understood those facts [what enables me the most], I was able to change a few habits to make it easier for me to operate in my ideal environment. Here are some examples:

• I set up multiple “prepare for bed” alarms at 10:00 p.m., 10:15 p.m., and 10:30 p.m. so that my head can hit the pillow at 11:00 p.m. sharp.

• I exercise for ten to fifteen minutes in the morning right after I wake up. It’s not much, but it gives me a sense of accomplishment that anchors the rest of the day.

• I schedule half an hour of “daily prep” into my calendar so I can study my day and visualize how I want each meeting or work task to go.

• I make an effort to become friends with my colleagues and learn about their lives outside of work.

• I schedule “thinking time” blocks on my calendar so I can sort through and write down my thoughts on big problems.

• Twice a year, I look back on the past six months and reflect on what I’ve gotten better at. Then, I set new learning goals for the next six months.

Behavior Design recognizes this reality: A key to lasting change is matching yourself with behaviors that you want to do. In your quest to exercise daily, for example, you’ll find plenty of options. If streaming Beyoncé and dancing for five minutes while you make breakfast is the exercise you want to do, then make dancing a daily habit. And forget about the treadmill at the gym.

And that’s how habit formation works. If you start with a big behavior that’s hard to do, the design is unstable; it’s like a large plant with shallow roots. When a storm comes into your life, your big habit is at risk. However, a habit that is easy to do can weather a storm like flexible sprouts, and it can then grow deeper and stronger roots.

With my underwear drawer still open, I realized I’d found my answer: behavior sequencing. You simply need to figure out what comes after what. Eureka!

... the formation time of a habit depends on three things.

• The person doing the habit 

• The habit itself (the action) 

• The context