Warning: May Be Habit Forming

In his talk titled "Warning: May Be Habit Forming" delivered at RailsConf 2017, Nickolas Means shares his personal journey of achieving health and fitness goals while maintaining a busy lifestyle. He emphasizes the importance of building proper systems and nurturing habits to succeed without relying solely on willpower.

Key Points Discussed:

• New Year's Resolutions: Means begins by discussing the common failure rates of New Year's resolutions, where only 8% of people actually follow through on their goals. He argues that a shift in approach is essential to improve these odds.
• Motivation and Willpower: He explains that relying on sheer motivation is not sustainable. He references Dr. Roy Baumeister's research, illustrating that willpower can be exhausted like a muscle, leading to failure in long-term goals.
• Cycle of Non-Finishers: Means introduces the concept of the "cycle of non-finishers," describing how initial enthusiasm can wane, resulting in self-doubt and giving up on goals.
• Building Effective Goals: He presents strategies for creating achievable goals, noting that goals should be specific, measurable, and structured. He shares his own experience starting with small, manageable goals, like drinking a green smoothie daily for a month.
• Importance of Systems: Means highlights the significance of systems over motivations. He supports this with BJ Fogg's concept of "motivation wave," urging people to do preparatory work when motivation is high.
• Habits Formation: He explains the anatomy of habits, referencing Charles Duhigg's work on how habits are formed through cues, routines, and rewards. He uses the habit of drinking smoothies as a keystone habit that enabled him to develop a fitness routine and lose significant weight.
• Self-Understanding: Means advocates for being honest with oneself about motivations and commitments. He emphasizes the need for planning and making health goals a priority.
• Final Outcomes: Means shares his personal achievements, including losing 50 pounds and completing his first 10K race, attributing these successes to the systems he adopted rather than motivation alone.

Conclusion:

Nickolas Means concludes his talk by reinforcing that anyone can achieve their goals when they learn to work around willpower limitations and focus on building effective habits and systems. This insightful talk provides a practical roadmap for individuals aiming to improve their health and personal achievements, emphasizing that consistency and intentional planning are key to success.

By working smarter through proper systems, individuals can become their own best allies in reaching personal goals, whether related to fitness or other life pursuits.