Bad habits are often driven by the desire for a specific and usually short-term reward. For cigarette smokers, it's the nicotine rush and relaxed feeling that comes with each puff. For habitual snackers, the reward is often a temporary distraction from boredom.

This "habit -> reward" framework applies to good habits too. When you finish brushing your teeth, you'll likely notice a tingly sensation and enjoy the pleasant taste of the leftover mint flavor. You might think this tingly feeling is part of the cleaning process and is just how toothpaste works. It's not.

Toothpaste companies started to put small amounts of chemical irritants, which cause the tingle, into their products in the early 1900s. They simultaneously launched an advertising campaign about the "clean feeling" you get from brushing your teeth. Consumers began to associate the tingling with clean teeth and started to crave the tingle. Use of toothpaste, which was previously rare, skyrocketed.

So in order to develop a good habit, we should consider harnessing this same "habit -> reward" framework.

Want to run a 5k?

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Imagine that you're interested in developing the habit of running three miles one day each week. You've tried this before, but found it hard to motivate yourself. Let's try again, but this time, let's find a reward that we could connect to the activity and enjoy afterward.

Perhaps you have a favorite podcast that releases weekly episodes. You've always considered listening a treat and usually do it right when it comes out. What if you told yourself that you will actually only listen to this podcast during the run or right after completing it?

This framework works surprisingly well and manifests in a couple of different ways. First, it makes it a lot easier to get up off the couch. While you still aren't thrilled to run, you're excited to get the podcast started. Secondly, and more subtlety, you'll start to connect the joy of listening with the habit of running.

Other reward examples

Only you will be able to identify the best rewards for a given habit. Perhaps, when you choose a healthy lunch option, you reward yourself by watching a 20-minute TV episode on Netflix. If you don't make a healthy choice, you work through lunch. Maybe, if you complete a 45-minute weight lifting session, you take a relaxing bath with a nice bath bomb that night.

So, pick a good habit that you want to develop and start brainstorming potential rewards. Let us know what you pick and how it goes!

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