Habit Design

Input: $ARGUMENTS

Step 1: Define the Behavior

Be specific. “Exercise more” is not a habit. “Do 20 pushups after morning coffee” is.

MODE: [BUILD a new habit / BREAK an old habit]
BEHAVIOR: [exact action, stated as precisely as possible]
CURRENT STATE: [what's happening now — how often, when, context]
DESIRED STATE: [what success looks like — frequency, duration, consistency]

Step 2: Find the Cue

Every habit has a trigger. Identify or design one.

For building: Choose a cue that already happens reliably in the person’s day. For breaking: Identify the cue that currently triggers the unwanted behavior.

CUE: [the trigger — time, location, preceding action, emotional state, or other people]
RELIABILITY: [how consistently does this cue occur? daily/sometimes/unpredictable]

If building: The cue must be something that happens without effort. “After I pour my morning coffee” is better than “at 7:15 AM.”

If breaking: Knowing the cue is how you interrupt the loop.

Step 3: Design the Routine

For building: Make the behavior as small and easy as possible to start.

MINIMUM VERSION: [the smallest possible version of the habit — 2-minute rule]
FULL VERSION: [the target behavior once the habit is established]
SCALING PLAN: [how to gradually move from minimum to full]

For breaking: Design a replacement behavior that satisfies the same need.

CURRENT ROUTINE: [the unwanted behavior]
UNDERLYING NEED: [what the behavior actually provides — stress relief, boredom fix, social, etc.]
REPLACEMENT: [new behavior that meets the same need]

Step 4: Choose the Reward

The reward must be immediate. Long-term benefits don’t wire habits.

IMMEDIATE REWARD: [what happens right after the behavior that feels good]
TRACKING REWARD: [visual progress — streak, checkmark, log]
IDENTITY LINK: [how this behavior connects to who the person wants to be]

The identity link is the most powerful: “I’m the kind of person who [behavior].”

Step 5: Plan for Obstacles

List the top 3 reasons this habit will fail. Design around each.

OBSTACLES:
1. [obstacle] → MITIGATION: [specific plan]
2. [obstacle] → MITIGATION: [specific plan]
3. [obstacle] → MITIGATION: [specific plan]

RECOVERY RULE: When you miss a day, [specific instruction]. Never miss twice in a row.

Step 6: Design the Environment

Make the desired behavior easy and the undesired behavior hard.

ENVIRONMENT CHANGES:
- MAKE VISIBLE: [put cues where they'll be seen]
- MAKE EASY: [reduce friction — fewer steps to start]
- MAKE ATTRACTIVE: [pair with something enjoyable]
- MAKE SATISFYING: [immediate feedback or reward]

FOR BREAKING:
- MAKE INVISIBLE: [remove cues]
- MAKE HARD: [add friction — more steps required]
- MAKE UNATTRACTIVE: [reframe the behavior]
- MAKE UNSATISFYING: [add accountability]

Step 7: Set Measurement

TRACKING METHOD: [how — app, journal, calendar, etc.]
REVIEW CADENCE: [how often to check if the habit is sticking — weekly recommended]
SUCCESS METRIC: [what counts as "this habit is established" — usually 30+ consecutive days]
ADJUSTMENT TRIGGER: [what signals the plan needs changing — e.g., missed 3 of 7 days]

Integration

Use with:

• /gu -> Clarify the goal behind the habit before designing it
• /pri -> When multiple habits compete for attention, prioritize which to build first
• /conr -> When the habit involves other people and creates friction
• /teach -> When the person needs to understand the science behind habit formation