Slides on the science behind habit formation from Pavlok founder Maneesh Sethi at Action Design NYC's October event.

1. Willpower, Behavior, and the
Biochemistry of Habit Change
Maneesh Sethi ( @maneesh )!
CEO / Founder of Pavlok.com!

2. One Taxi Driver
Two Lives
Abbas lost EIGHTY POUNDS
and then gained it all back

3. HABIT
When it takes more effort
to NOT do something
than to DO something
=
AUTOMATIC

4. People grow according to the demands they make
on themselves. If they demand little of
themselves, they will remain stunted. If they
demand a good deal of themselves, they will grow
to a giant stature
!
without any more effort than is expended by
the non-achievers.
!
-Peter Drucker

7. In 30-66 days
you can become a different person

8. “We Are What
We Repeatedly
Do. Excellence,
then, is not an
act…But A Habit.”
!
Aristotle

9. How do you form a habit? Part 1
http://goo.gl/3dteGv

11. Motivation
• Reinforcement
• Accountability
Ability
• Microhabits
• Executive Function
• Triggers

12. Commitment Success Rate with Bets and Referees
With Referee Without Referee
80%
71.5%
59% 29%
With Monetary Bet
Without Monetary Bet
Based on 125,000 responses. NYtimes: http://nyti.ms/KdHP5T

13. Pavlok
Habit
Model
Goal
needed
to
reach
bet
Time
Microhabit
2
Microhabit
1
Microhabit
3
Motivators
-­‐ Reward
if
succeed,
punishment
if
fail
-­‐ Accountability
mechanism
(e.g.
person,
app-­‐based)
Example:
Drink
daily
morning
coffee,
then
just
step
outside
in
gym
clothes
Example:
Drink
daily
morning
coffee,
then
walk
to
gym
in
gym
clothes
and
swipe
in
Example:
Drink
daily
morning
coffee,
then
do
activity
of
choice
for
5
minutes
Microhabit
4
Example:
Drink
daily
morning
coffee,
then
do
activity
of
choice
for
15
minutes
Goal:
exercise
for
30
minutes
every
day

14. Now I get up at 7 without pressing the snooze button, do 10 mins of
mindfulness meditation, read a few pages of a philosophical or
poetry book, and write. These are all habits now!
I’ve been able to write 1,000 words per day consistently. No matter
how hard I've tried in the past, it was impossible. But the program
really works. The best part is, now the habit doesn't feel like a
chore...it's just part of my life.
I have been brushing my teeth 15 minutes before my desired
sleeping time as my habit trigger. This encourages me to finish the
process and go to sleep. Now, not only am I getting up earlier, but I
am also sleeping more and getting better rest!

15. Habits

17. Habits

20. http://pavlok.com/igg