Use Negative Reinforcement to Make Habits Stick
Voodoo Doll by Luis Prado from The Noun Project
Perhaps Pavlov was wrong. Research indicates that pleasure-based, positive reinforcement isn’t effective only by itself (not in the long-term, anyways). Maneesh Sethi, CEO of Pavlok and Editor-in-Chief of Hack The System, found that the missing piece of the puzzle needed when trying to create a habit that sticks is negative reinforcement:
I realized that if I combined the effects of positive reinforcement (rewards) and negative reinforcement (fear of pain), I could create a powerful, balanced formula for habit change…Running from painful circumstances is exhausting. It’s annoying. It’s the exact opposite of seeking pleasure. But it’s far more effective for maintaining habits long-term. When tasked with running away from something painful, or towards something pleasurable, you’ll almost always run faster and longer from the source of pain.
In his three step process for making habits stick, Sethi places special emphasis on pain:
Negative reinforcement (push) jumpstarts a habit. Positive reinforcement (pull) maintains the momentum. Negative reinforcement can be achieved by doing something like placing a bet with a friend or even wearing a device that shocks you when you don’t stick to your predetermined habits.
For instance… If you don’t write your sentence, you must report to your accountability partner at the end of the day and pay the agreed penalty. (You can automate accountability by using an online writing website – like 750words.com – which tracks your writing.)
