Moment 126: How To Master The Consistency Of Achieving Your Goals & Sticking To Them: Nir Eyal | The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

Intro

In this episode of “The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett,” Steven interviews Nir Eyal, an expert on habit formation and behavioral design. They discuss the importance of discipline, overcoming self-limiting beliefs, and mastering consistency in achieving goals.

Main Takeaways

The Power of Discipline

• Discipline is crucial for achieving goals and sticking to time management techniques and diets.
• The theory of willpower being a limited resource is a myth.
• People who believed willpower was limited were the only ones who experienced ego depletion.
• Self-limiting thoughts can lead to acting in accordance with those beliefs.
• Discipline is doing the things you said you were going to do and intended to do.

Overcoming Challenges

• The perceived psychological cost of a task can increase suddenly, killing discipline.
• Becoming indestructible is key to following through on tasks we don’t enjoy.
• The number one reason we fail at our goals is because we don’t feel like it.

Building a Productive Schedule

• Values are attributes of the person you want to become.
• Schedule time for relationships to combat the loneliness epidemic in the industrialized world.
• Reactive work is how distracted people spend their days, while reflective work is essential for creative and focused work.
• Time box calendar has constraints and forces you to decide how much time you can afford to spend on what you want to do based on your values.
• To-do lists have no constraints, and people often reinforce their self-image of someone who doesn’t do what they said they would do.
• Time and attention are the only inputs for knowledge work, and they have to be budgeted for like ingredients for a cupcake.

Summary

The Power of Discipline

Discipline plays a crucial role in achieving goals and sticking to time management techniques and diets. Contrary to popular belief, willpower is not a limited resource. People who believed in the limited willpower theory were the only ones who experienced ego depletion. Self-limiting thoughts can hinder progress, so it’s important to challenge and overcome them. Discipline means doing what you said you were going to do and intended to do.

Overcoming Challenges

One of the biggest challenges to discipline is the sudden increase in the perceived psychological cost of a task, which can kill motivation. Becoming indestructible is key to following through on tasks we don’t enjoy. The number one reason we fail at our goals is simply because we don’t feel like doing them. Overcoming this requires understanding the underlying reasons for our lack of motivation and finding ways to address them.

Building a Productive Schedule

Values are the attributes of the person we aspire to become. Scheduling time for relationships is crucial to combat the loneliness epidemic in the industrialized world. Distinguishing between reactive work (distractions) and reflective work (creative and focused work) is essential for productivity. The time box calendar is a valuable tool that helps allocate time based on our values. On the other hand, to-do lists lack constraints and can reinforce negative self-perceptions. Time and attention are the only inputs for knowledge work, and they must be budgeted like ingredients for a cupcake.

Conclusion

Mastering consistency and achieving goals requires discipline, overcoming self-limiting beliefs, and building a productive schedule. By understanding the psychological factors that affect motivation and using effective time management techniques, individuals can increase their chances of success. Remember, discipline is not about willpower; it’s about doing what you said you would do and staying committed to your intentions.