Habit technique · Changing an unwanted habit · A few minutes
Turn a “stop” into a “start”
Rewrite “stop doing X” as “start doing Y instead”. Rewrite a “stop doing X” goal as “start doing Y instead”.
Level: Beginner · Free — no account needed to read
Rewrite a “stop doing X” goal as “start doing Y instead”.
Why it may help
Approach goals give you something to do rather than only something to resist, and research found them more successful.
When to use it
- Breaking a habit
- New Year-style resolutions
- Goals framed as “stop” or “less”
How to apply it
- Write the “stop” goal.
- Ask what you want to do instead in those moments.
- Rewrite it as a “start” goal with a cue.
An example
“Stop scrolling in bed” became “read two pages when I get into bed”.
The common mistake
Choosing a replacement that doesn’t fit the same moment.
Practise it
Turn one “stop” goal into a “start” goal.
What the evidence says
Research-supported: Good studies support it, but there are fewer of them, the effects are modest, or they come from a narrow set of situations.
A large experiment on New Year’s resolutions found approach-oriented resolutions more successful than avoidance-oriented ones at one year, based on self-report.
Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy (v1) codes: 8.2, 1.1.
Sources
- Oscarsson, Carlbring, Andersson & Rozental (2020). A large-scale experiment on New Year’s resolutions: Approach-oriented goals are more successful than avoidance-oriented goals. PLOS ONE. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0234097
Problems it helps with
- “I can’t stop an unwanted habit.” — You’ve decided to stop, and it still happens — often before you’ve even noticed.
Lessons behind it
- Swap in something else — Keep the cue, change the response — an alternative that meets the same need. (6 min · Intermediate)
- Outcome goals and process goals — What you want to achieve, and what you’ll do — you need both, but you act on the second. (6 min · Beginner)