What is Temptation Bundling?
Developing a habit is often difficult, let alone maintain a habit long-term. Healthy eating, exercise, meditation, and many more habits are all examples of long-term personal growth habits that people struggle to sustain. Typically, motivation dwindles quickly when there is not a clear incentive for maintaining a habit, which is why so many people lose their grip on these habits. Fortunately, behaviour researcher, Katherine Milkman, conducted a study in 2014 that explored a powerful method for sustaining a long-term habit known as ‘Temptation Bundling’.
In Milkman’s Study, participants were given iPods with four audiobooks they were interested in reading. However, they were only allowed to listen to those audiobooks when they went to the gym. The results showed that the participants’ gym attendance greatly increased due to this incentive.
Milkman coined the term ‘Temptation Bundling‘ after her study. Essentially, Temptation Bundling is combining a healthy long-term habit with a short-term reward. For the participants in the study, the reward was the engaging audiobook and the habit was going to the gym. But, how can we implement Temptation Bundling into our lives in order to maintain a long-term habit? Here are 3 simple steps:
1. Identify Your Long-Term Habits
Think of a habit you have been procrastinating on recently. This could be morning workouts, meditation, cleaning, anything that you would normally dislike. These are the habits that will be ‘bundled’. This will boost motivation to stay consistent with these habits long-term.
2. Identify Your Short-Term Rewards
Think of something you enjoy doing in your free time that takes little cognitive energy. This could include listening to music, listening to an audiobook, or watching your favorite TV show. These are the rewards that will be ‘bundled’.
3. Bundle Compatible Habits and Rewards
Compare each habit and reward to find out which pairs work best together. Using the previously listed examples, cleaning and listening to music is a classic bundle many people already use. However, meditation and watching a TV show are not very compatible together. Keep in mind, not all rewards and habits are made to fit with each other. Find a pair that fit well together and motivate you to develop a habit you have been procrastinating. Additionally, ensure that the reward does not take away from the habit you have bundled it with (i.e., if you get distracted working out in the morning because of a TV show you put on, maybe the bundle could use some adjustment).
Bundling is a simple trick to give yourself a quick boost in motivation to tackle the habit you have been procrastinating. Bundling habits and rewards together has no limit, so long as you stay consistent with the habit and do not only focus on the reward. When the reward and habit work together, bundling works wonders!
If you like productivity tips like these, be sure to see our articles on The Pomodoro Technique and Parkinson’s Law
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