In Tiny Habits is a Behavior Model explaining behavior formation and how it works based on this formula; B=MAP.
Knowing this formula and how it works is very important. Be sure you continue to read.
Behavior = The habit you want to grow.
Motivation = Your desire to do the behavior.
Ability = Your ability to do the behavior.
Prompt = Your cue to do the behavior.
Behavior = Motivation. Ability. Prompt.
The model states that when Motivation, Ability, and Prompt line up. The behavior is formed.
So how can we apply this formula to a habit we want to grow?
Let’s say you tell yourself you want to start doing 30 minutes of walking when you get home from work.
First, we need to see where your Motivation & Ability are based on the model.
Your Motivation to start walking is high, but you haven’t done 30 minutes of walking in a long time and aren’t sure if you can do it.
This puts your Ability to walk for 30 minutes closer to the hard-to-do side.
We have those two figured, but what about your Prompt?
Your Prompt can be anything that reminds you to do the behavior. For this example, we’ll say once you get home and set your keys down on the table.
You get home from work and set your keys down, but you had a long day at work, and the thought of walking for 30 minutes sounds exhausting, so you don’t do it.
Even though your Motivation to walk is high, your Ability to walk for 30 minutes is hard. When your Prompt to walk is triggered, you don’t do it because it is below the action line.
We need to scale back and make the Ability easier to do so it puts you above the action line when prompted.
Instead of 30 minutes of walking, let’s start with simply putting on your walking shoes after you get home from work and set your keys down on the table.
It’s easy to do and puts you above the action line when prompted. From that baseline, we build from there until walking for 30 minutes is easy for you to do.
Thanks for reading. Please reach out if you have further questions on the Behavior Model and how to use it to form habits.
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