People change best by feeling good, not by feeling bad. Amy set herself up for success by thoughtfully using prompts to design changes. Those changes worked because they helped her do what she already wanted to do. And that success? That felt good.
Related Quotes
Think of the best feedback youāve ever received. Why was it so meaningful to you?
Iām willing to bet that the reason you remember it is because the feedback inspired you to change your behavior, which resulted in your life getting better.
If thereās one concept from my book I hope you embrace, itās this: People change best by feeling good, not by feeling bad. For that purpose, I have created this exercise for you. Step 1: Write this phrase on a small piece of paper: I change best by feeling good, not by feeling bad.
Step 2: Tape the paper to your bathroom mirror or anywhere you will frequently see it.
Step 3: Read the phrase often.
Step 4: Notice how this insight works in your life (and for the people around you).
Notice that Krieger and Systrom nailed the motivation component by choosing a behavior that people already wanted to do. According to the Behavior Model, they were already in good shape. That alone might have brought them some success. But what they did next catapulted them into the pantheon of Silicon Valley demigodsāthey made their Golden Behaviors easy to do.
If youāve created a Context Prompt and itās not working, you are not doing anything wrong. You probably donāt lack motivation or willpower. Do yourself a favorādonāt blame yourself. Redesign the prompt instead. Find what prompt works for you.
The feeling of success is a powerful catalyst for change. Your confidence grows when you celebrate not only because you are now a habit-creating machine but also because you are getting better and better at being nice to yourself. You start looking for opportunities to celebrate yourself instead of berating yourself.