According to Dr BJ Fogg, Director of the Behaviour Design Lab at Stanford University and author of Tiny Habits, people make two mistakes when trying to change their habits:

1. They start too big and make it too hard.

When a change is hard, even if you are motivated and even if you can see how it will benefit you, it’s unlikely you will stick to it when things get tough.

Dr Fogg advises us to think big, but start small. Make your new habit so easy you could do it on your hardest day.

“The easier a behaviour is to do, the more likely the behaviour will become a habit. This applies to habits we consider ‘good’ and ‘bad’,” says Dr Fogg.

Make a tiny change that fits with your current life, and celebrate every time you do it.

2. They use punishment instead of celebration to motivate themselves.

“Write this phrase on a small piece of paper: I change best by feeling good, not by feeling bad.”

Ever berated yourself for not sticking with a resolution? Or chastised yourself for not having the will-power to make changes? That’s where you are going wrong, says Dr Fogg.

Dr Fogg points out that people don’t change through shame or manipulation. We are motivated to change when the new change makes us feel good - either inherently because it feels good while we are doing it, or because of an immediate reward.

“In order to design successful habits and change your behaviours, you should do three things. Stop judging yourself. Take your aspirations and break them down into tiny behaviours. Embrace mistakes as discoveries and use them to move forward.”