Here are some very interesting ideas that I read in some of the self help books like Atomic Habits, Essentialism, Deep Work, Paradox of Choice, The One Thing and numerous podcasts of Hidden Brain over the past few years:

1. If you are trying to build new habits, stack the new habits over old. For example, say you want to run everyday. You already brush every morning. So you can add running after you brush.
2. Make new habits effortless. The easier it is do something, chances are you’ll do more of it. And vice-versa, the harder something is, the less you’ll do it.
3. Reduce choices because choice creates confusion. Mark Zuckerberg has just two shirt colors to avoid making decisions. And Obama wore either blue or gray suits.
4. Depend on systems and habits and not on will power. Will power is costly for the body and the mind. Instead following a daily routine is easier.

I decided to apply these ideas to my Yoga practice.

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I go to my office everyday. By everyday, I mean every weekday. In 2020 and 2021, the day the lockdown lifted, I was in office. This is an existing routine.

I joined a Yoga class, 7 months ago, near my office. I was very clear that the class has to be close to either work or home. If it is in a third place, that adds distance and distance adds friction to my routine. I was lucky to find a studio near my office. This helped me stack my new Yoga habit onto an existing routine.

And because it rains a lot in Bangalore, I kept an umbrella in my office. So, I can’t make an excuse that because it rained, I skipped class.

And now here is the interesting part:

The teachers at the Yoga studio said they have a WhatsApp group for all students. I refused to join. They were a little taken aback.

I asked what do they communicate in the group.

They said that they communicate three things. First, each day, they communicate what routine they are going to practice that day. Second, they remind students what color shirt to wear that day. For example, Mondays is white and Tuesdays it is blue and so on. Third, occasionally they conduct some trekking events or celebrations about which they communicate.

Now, we know that more information and more choices lead to more friction. And what color shirt to wear is an option. What routine we are going to follow is an information but not an useful one. And so I said: I have just 2 color of shirts- white and black and I intend to wear them on alternate days. And since the choice of shirt is optional, I don’t need to know. I also said, that I will come with low expectations and whatever the routine, I will do it with full enthusiasm. And if something is important, somebody will tell me. So, I can live without joining the WhatsApp group.

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Now, because I took so much effort to make the routine as frictionless as possible, it has helped me become one of the most regular students.

My friend Ragav narrated a similar anecdote. He said every morning he reads for 2 hours. What he wants to read is pre-decided the night before so that reduces a decision point and a friction point. As soon as he gets ready, he sits down to read. (Habit stacking). Now, as a result of that one habit, he was so widely read and was quoting from books on Napoleon to Jeff Bezos. Fantastic!

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2024 is here and we all want to hit the ground running. So here is an idea for you: whatever you are trying to work on, keep it simple and make it effortless.

Meanwhile, if you see a color uncoordinated yogi in the room, you know who it is.

Cheers!

PS: Your takeaway from this blog should be that these ideas are powerful and if they can work for me, they can work for you too.