Habit technique · Mind & motivation · A few minutes

Know the consequences

Level: Beginner · Free — no account needed to read

Learn what a habit really does over time — for your health, money, time or relationships — from reliable sources.

Why it may help

Understanding consequences can strengthen the decision to change, especially when consequences are made concrete and personal.

When to use it

• Deciding whether to change a habit
• Motivation needs a clear reason

How to apply it

1. Find a reliable source about the habit’s effects.
2. Translate one effect into your own life.
3. Write it as a reason next to the habit.

An example

Tracking what his daily coffees cost in a year helped Sami decide to make coffee at home most days.

The common mistake

Relying on scary information alone — knowledge rarely changes habits by itself.

Practise it

Write one concrete consequence of a habit you want to change.

What the evidence says

Evidence mixed: Some studies support it and others do not, or early findings shrank when researchers tried to repeat them. The lesson explains both sides.

Information about consequences is a recognised technique, but research on intentions shows information changes behaviour much less than it changes intentions.

Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy (v1) codes: 5.1, 5.2, 5.3.

Sources

• Webb & Sheeran (2006). Does changing behavioral intentions engender behavior change? A meta-analysis of the experimental evidence. Psychological Bulletin. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.132.2.249
• Michie, Richardson, Johnston, Abraham, Francis, Hardeman and colleagues (2013). The Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy (v1) of 93 Hierarchically Clustered Techniques. Annals of Behavioral Medicine. doi:10.1007/s12160-013-9486-6