Chapter 7 discusses self-control, willpower, and other things that are supposed to stop us from following bad habits.
Idea 1: habits never go away
33 milliseconds – .033 seconds – Researchers show a picture of cocaine to addicts for 33 milliseconds and spark the craving. You can’t comprehend what you see in 33 milliseconds. But it was enough time to trigger subconscious desire in those addicts.
Habits are wired so deeply in our brains that many of them will never be erased.
Idea 2: discipline isn’t everything you think it should be
“Disciplined” people are better at structuring their lives in a way that does not require heroic willpower and self-control. In other words, they spend less time in tempting situations.
Apparently, lead me not into temptation is the best advice for dealing with bad habits. If you can’t erase the habit, you have to remove the cue.
That isn’t the only solution but it’s the solution tied to Clear’s 1st law.
Make it obvious becomes Make it invisible.
Key takeaways and implementation
Once again, don’t fight the elephant. If the elephant charges off the path every time it sees something shiny, take the time to hide shiny things. It’s easier than fighting an elephant.