Get a bird's eye view of the eight sections we'll cover in Mini Habit Mastery. Here's the logical progression of your Mini Habit Mastery journey. Seriously, it will feel like a journey into a new way of thinking.

1. First, we'll look at the brain, which of its components handle habits, and what we can do with them. This will help us to understand why changing is hard, and why it can take a while. But fear not, because in section 4, we'll show you how to make it much, much easier.
2. Based on what we learned in the first section, we'll examine "getting motivated" as a strategy for action. Is it viable?
3. We'll also examine willpower as a strategy for action. Does it work? What are the downsides of using it?
4. Based on the first three sections, we'll dive into the Mini Habits strategy. In this section, everything will start making a lot of sense and you'll throw your "motivational books" into the sea (if you don't live near the coast, a lake or pond will also work).
5. Now that we've established a winning strategy, this section will cover in detail how to follow it for the best results. In this section, you'll get to choose your mini habits!
6. Since we have a strategy and know how to follow it, this short section will present you with a few "rules" to keep in mind. They're more like guidelines to help you get the most out of your mini habits.
7. This section covers how to shrink and eliminate your bad habits. The strategy for ridding yourself of bad habits is somewhat different than for good habits, though they share similar concepts. Both good habit pursuit and bad habit destroying have the same goal of replacing one behavior with a better behavior. The motivation is what's different.
8. This section wraps everything up and presents you with some optional modifications (for adventurous types).
9. Finally, we'll show you how much we messed up trying to create a quality course. Bloopers!

Find out what a mini habit is and a little bit about why it's so effective at changing lives.

Let's talk about the brain. Habit formation is a fascinating subtopic of neuroscience, and while the brain is still a mystery to us in many ways, the things we do know about it will prove to be very useful when we go about creating a smart strategy for habit change.

Music by Chris Zabriskie

This study, conducted by Francois Lhermitte in 1986, showed us some very interesting things about the role of the frontal lobes (which the prefrontal cortex is a major part of). By analyzing patients with frontal lobe damage, Lhermitte uncovered what he called IB and UB, or, imitation behavior and utilization behavior. Laura and I have acted out this study for you, so you'll get to see firsthand the difference between a damaged frontal lobe person and a healthy-lobed individual.

"UB and/or IB were present in 96% of the 29 patients with focal lesions of the frontal lobes." ~ Francois Lhermitte

Lhermitte F., B. Pillon, & M. Serdaru. Human autonomy and the frontal lobes. Part I: Imitation and utilization behavior: a neuropsychological study of 75 patients. Ann Neurol (1986). v 19, 326-334.

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This science break focuses on a study that examined people who suffer from basal ganglia impairment. Like the frontal lobe study in the last video, when something in the brain malfunctions, it shows us part of what it's responsible for. The basal ganglia plays a major role in habit formation, and this video will show you why.

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In the first CBWU, Laura and I discuss the importance of understanding the brain when it comes to forming a smart habit-building strategy. Knowing fancy scientific terms isn't useful on its own, but it becomes extremely useful when you know other traits of that brain component. For example, we know the prefrontal cortex is what overrides our "instinctual behavior," but we also know that it consumes huge amounts of energy! Hmm....

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In this section, I rip motivation to shreds, er...I mean... I clarify some major misconceptions about motivation, and begin to unravel serious shortcomings of self-help's favorite child. For some reason, I used a cat and a pumpkin to demonstrate a key point. I just want to make sure you're paying attention.

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Since motivation has a stronghold in the minds of many, I'm bringing science into the ring with me this time. Could there be a scientific reason that motivation is unsustainable? Why yes, there is indeed!

Music by RoccoW

Picture credits:

• Twin boys by surlygirl
• surprised cat by Greencolander
• Snowcat by Tambako the Jaguar
• 300 mile runner by I Robertson

Now that we've talked about why motivation is a shaky foundation, let's see it in action! Laura is going to demonstrate three specific ways that motivation can fail us. I bet you've experienced all three!

Music by Chris Zabriskie

Picture credits:

• boring sign by functoruser
• bored girl by Incase
• wrestlers by familymwr
• wind sprinter by Tobyotter
• trophy by -Tripp-
• calendar by DafneCholet
• coach by familymwr
• tiredguy by istolethetv

In the second CBWU, Laura and I put the final nail in motivation's coffin. Well, it will be still be popular outside of this course, but I hope this section has given you a few answers as to why it's so difficult to keep going with motivation. I also clarify an important point—I'm not anti-motivation! Motivation is a core part of being human and it's needed to live, but with two definitions and people thinking they need to feel motivated to take action, it's a tricky subject.

Motivation isn't bad, but the way people think about it and use it is bad. It is NOT a smart starting strategy. Next, we'll talk about the other side of the action coin—willpower.

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If we're not using motivation, what are we using? Willpower. Find out why willpower is more reliable, and the key weakness it has that must be addressed.

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This study was a breakthrough in willpower science. Roy F. Baumeister used the power of chocolate to find out something innately human—we grow weak and weary when we don't get our way (even if we're the one denying ourselves a desire). In this 1996 study, Baumeister found a way to measure people's willpower and used a cruel little trick to see if he could deplete it. When he measured willpower afterwards, there was a clear result and a new willpower theory was born. It's the same theory that the majority of scientists hold today, and dozens of studies have replicated the results.

Music by Chris Zabriskie & RoccoW

What do you get when you combine all of the important studies on a topic together and analyze them? A meta-analysis! Fun! Ok, fun is debatable, but it is highly interesting and very important. A meta-analysis on willpower was conducted, and researchers found five main "depleters" that drain our willpower. If we're choosing willpower, then, and these are the five top drainers of it, then this holds the greatest barrier to our success.

Since this is our biggest obstacle to action with a willpower strategy, this section discusses how the mini habits concept can overcome each of these. It's no wonder mini habits are such a juggernaut of a strategy!

Now that we've discussed the boring (or interesting?) science behind willpower, it's time to see how it plays out in the real world. Follow Laura along in a typical day. She's planning to read and exercise today, but will she make it?

She's going to come across some willpower-draining circumstances, I know that much! You'll be able to see her willpower meter rise and fall with almost every action. It isn't a perfect representation of how willpower works (it's not a percent-based thing, and the numbers are likely off), but it will convey these key concepts in a way to make it tangible (and fun!).

Music by Chris Zabriskie & Broke For Free & RoccoW

So, we've labored over motivation and willpower, dissecting them in every way imaginable. Where does that leave us? Laura and I discuss this very thing!

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In the last two sections, willpower and motivation were mortal enemies. In this section, they're friends! What?! I know, but it's true. Motivation and willpower have an intimate and symbiotic relationship with each other. Generally speaking, your motivation level determines how much willpower force you'll need to exert to do things. Low motivation means a high willpower requirement.

We'll also look at Mini Habits. vs. Traditional habits. And we'll end with a cat story. This is on the internet, so naturally, there are cats involved.

Music by RoccoW

We all know the challenge of resistance, but not all resistance is equal. Have you ever heard that "starting is the hardest part?" Me too, and this video explains why with the help of Isaac Newton.

Music by Broke For Free

If you're like me, you don't want to be told what to do, you want to know why first. This video will show you why this strategy works so well. It will attach itself to many of the concrete conclusions we've drawn from science, analysis, and logic in the previous sections.

In showing why mini habits work, we'll also cover why most strategies you see do NOT work...at all. I'm an expert in strategies that don't work. I focused on them for 10 mediocre years. And I mean focus. I've been heavy into personal growth for a long time, and it turns out that "wanting it" isn't enough. Having a smart strategy is enough.

Music by Kevin MacLeod

Picture credits:

• command center by Sam Howzit
• brain by A Health Blog

Part 2 of why mini habits work. Before we jump into the step-by-step section, it's important that you understand why this strategy is so effective. Why? Because it will help you make minute adjustments (especially mentally).

Perhaps you could succeed by following directions blindly, but when you understand the core concept behind it, you can apply it to other areas of your life! This information is for more than just habit-building.

Music by Chris Zabriskie & Broke For Free

Laura and I wrap it up. In this video, we end with a big list of benefits you can expect to experience with the Mini Habits strategy, though not all of them are FDA-approved.

Step one is to choose your mini habits! We'll guide you through the full process of how to do this and show you what you need to consider and why.

Music by Chris Zabriskie

Now that you have 1-4 mini habits, it's time to test them. Are they really what you want? This is so important because there's no strategy that can overcome the wrong choice. If you're picking a behavior that you want on paper, but don't actually want, you'll have better luck wrestling an alligator. I know some people are skilled at wrestling alligators, but the point is that most of us are better off not doing that.

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Now you have 1-4 mini actions you've chosen to do every day, and they're "why drill" approved. Great! Now comes the question of "When?" When during your day will you actually do them? There are three trigger/cue possibilities here, including one that is completely unique to the mini habits method (it's the one I use, too). You won't find it in any other habit strategy that I know of...and it's great!

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This one is weird. The truth is that you don't explicitly need rewards with mini habits. I know it's squarely against the science of habit-formation, but mini habits are so unique in their small size that you can maintain them without the assistance of rewards. Most habit strategies need rewards because you're beating yourself up to try to keep up with the difficulty. Not so with mini habits.

That said, in this video, we're going to cover the purpose of rewards, including a surprising benefit of them. The general idea is to be mindful of rewards. You can absolutely attach rewards to your mini habits too. It's up to you, and this video will help you decide what's right for you.

For me, it comes down to simplicity. A key reason I quit strategies and organizational systems is because I loathe micro-management. I keep my mini habits as simple as possible, and that means I'm not micro-managing my rewards. I'm not saying it's right for everyone, but it is right for me. The mini habits strategy gives you clear-cut, but flexible advice to mould it to your lifestyle and needs.

Music by Chris Zabriskie

Picture credits:

• mud face by Gamma Man
• sweat by Anika Malone
• tiredguy by istolethetv
• dessert by avlxyz
• laugh by eschipul
• artificial by cogdogblog
• sugar by Uwe Hermann
• working hard by Steven Leith
• weights by U.S. Naval Forces

You might be surprised to find that I don't track my mini habits anymore. That's because I've been doing them for almost a year. They're habits now.

In the early stages, though, one thing you MUST do is track your mini habits. Tracking them is going to help you remember to do them. Before a behavior is habit, it's like a stranger to you. You might forget its name, forget what it does for a living, etc. Tracking the habit keeps you mindful of the change you're making, and also provides a healthy dose of positive reinforcement.

Back when I was tracking my mini habits, I LOVED seeing that streak of checks. It feels so good to be consistent. But now, I'm beyond that stage. I just reap the benefits of these habits!

Music by Chris Zabriskie

It all rests on this. If you can't keep your thinking small, your mini habits will explode or something extreme like that. This video shows you why you must think small and warns you of a couple things that may happen in your journey.

Music by Chris Zabriskie

Summary: you can either have impressive goals or impressive results. The way to impressive results is through consistency, not a high expectation of quantity. The main thing mini habits do is shift your mindset from aiming for big single accomplishments to amazing consistency. If there's one thing you should know by now, it's that consistency is king. That's how our brains change.

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The final step gives some pointers about what a habit looks like. Many of you will have dozens of habits you want to form. When a behavior starts looking like this, you can consider moving on. But do be careful. I like to play it safe and let my habits get really strong before I consider adding something else.

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You've got the blueprint for habit success, but don't get toooooooo comfortable. Since everyone loves rules, here are a few you'll want to keep in mind for the road ahead. Ok, they're more like important guidelines.

Music by Kevin MacLeod

What's up with the rules? Laura and I discuss.

Music by Chris Zabriskie

We all know what it's like to be tempted, but we're going to play a game to tempt you right now so that you can feel what it's like to be tempted as we talk about temptation. Playing this game will reveal a few key insights about our battle with bad habits.

Music byRoccoW

This table breaks down the common good/bad habit strategies, why they're effective or not effective, and commentary on each one. It's a great way to understand how we're going to approach bad habits using the Mini Habits methodology. I recommend downloading it—it's easier to read that way.

How does a bad habit happen? There are four stages. Stages one and two happen fast (and they could possibly be merged into the same step, but they're distinct enough to separate). In this video, you'll see the full process of how a bad habit happens, and then we'll discuss the first line of defense—avoiding triggers.

Music by Chris Zabriskie

Some triggers are unavoidable. So what can you do when you find yourself in a tempting situation? There's only one way—divert course immediately! If you don't divert course and try to resist the temptation head on, it will wear you down in no time. Diverting course is a combines quick and easy action with distraction to get you on a different path.

Music by RoccoW

It's the question everyone asks: do you quit your bad habit cold turkey or try to scale back? In almost all cases, cold turkey is a better strategy, and the reasons range from psychological to practical. It has a bad reputation only because people go about it the wrong way. Here's the right way to do it.

Music by Chris Zabriskie

There are some modifications here for you to consider. They aren't a part of the "core" Mini Habits strategy because I don't recommend them. The reason I don't is because they bring more complexity to the strategy, and this strategy works so well in part due to its simplicity. That said, there are certain situations in which these modifications could prove to be useful or even prudent, and they are discussed here.

Music by Broke For Free

That's it! Laura and I summarize the key points of the course here. We thank you and appreciate your participation in Mini Habit Mastery. And we hope that you enjoyed it immensely!

Think small, my friends, and you'll master your behavior.

Want more? Check out the resources below.

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Test your understanding of the power of mini habits!