Temptation bundling your daily writing habit

Willpower is over-rated. Especially when it comes to forming habits like writing daily, going to the gym, eating well.

The main issue with willpower is how we have to force ourselves to do something we should do when it’s not exactly something we enjoy doing, even if it’s good for us in the long term. Over time, being forced to do something that doesn’t interest us chips away at our reservoir of willpower. Invariably, we drop out.

But imagine: what if you could make that new habit to be fun and something you actually want to do? Wouldn’t it be ten times easier?

Enter temptation bundling.

Temptation bundling works by linking an action you want to do with an action you need do… link one of your instantly gratifying “want” behaviors with something you “should” be doing. – James Clear

How to do temptation bundling

It’s simple. Just pair an activity that you enjoy immensely with a new habit you want to develop. As psychology professor David Premack states, “more probable behaviors will reinforce less probable behaviors”, you want to use the force of habit from one that you already have and enjoy, to grow another habit that you have yet to develop and don’t quite enjoy.

Say you want to write 100 words every day:

1. Listen to your favourite music, Spotify playlist or radio station while you write.
2. Buy a batch of really good, single origin coffee beans, and save it for only when you write. Make a cuppa to savour while you type away. Replace “coffee” with “alcohol” of choice if that rocks your boat.
3. Visit your favourite cafe(s) to write.
4. Make an appointment to hang out with your favourite writing buddy/buddies every day and write together. The social accountability helps too.

You can also do the activity you want after the habit you need to do:

1. Allow yourself to only watch your favourite Netflix series only after you had written 100 words for the day.
2. Eat your favourite chocolate after writing.
3. Shop on Amazon after writing.

Basically, the formula is:

Do [favourite pleasurable activity] while or after [habit you need to develop].

Essentially, any guilty pleasure in entertainment, food or consumption activity can be leveraged on. That’s why it’s called “temptation bundling”!

Now go try it. Imagine the good habits you can develop by making it your guilty pleasure.