<ol><li class="ql-align-justify">Set a Trigger: Leave your study materials on your desk right before you leave for school. When you get back, they’ll remind you it’s time to study.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Micro-Action: Don’t commit to studying for hours right away. Start with 10 minutes, just to get into the flow.</li></ol>

Solution: Step-by-Step Guide

If you’re frustrated because you’re not where you want to be, chill – that’s just part of the journey. We all have that gap between who we are and who we want to become. Every action, no matter how small, can get you closer to being that person. Forget perfection, let’s focus on tiny steps that actually change things.

🔥 INTRODUCTION

Definition:Rewarding yourself for doing a habit makes your brain want to repeat it. The reward can be small, like a quick break or snack.Example:"I treat myself to a coffee only after I’ve studied for an hour. It’s a reward that makes studying feel worth it."Application:Find a reward that motivates you. If you study for 30 minutes, reward yourself with a song you love or a short chat with a friend.

🔄 4. Making Habits Stick Through Rewards

Problem: You want to study every day after school, but every time you try, you end up distracted by your phone or chatting with friends. You never seem to get into the habit, and it feels like a constant struggle.

🔥 LET'S TRY IT!

3. Add a Reward: Once you’ve completed the 10 minutes, reward yourself with a few minutes on your phone or a quick snack.4. Repeat and Build: After a week, increase your study time by 5 minutes. Keep the reward but gradually increase the work.5. Stay Consistent: After a month, studying after school will feel natural, and you won’t need to rely as heavily on the reward or the trigger.

Definition:Your brain has a “Wise Planner” for long-term goals and an “Impulsive Toddler” for instant gratification. They need balance.Example:"My Wise Planner sets a goal to study 2 hours a day, but my Toddler always gets distracted. I use a timer to keep them focused."Application:Let the Wise Planner choose study goals, but allow the Toddler to take breaks. Try studying for 25 minutes, then give yourself a 5-minute break. They’ll both stay happy.

🧠 5. Get the “Wise Planner” and “Impulsive Toddler” to Work Together

Definition:Routines are planned actions you consciously decide to do, like brushing your teeth.Habits are actions that feel automatic because you’ve done them so often – like reaching for your phone.Example:"I have a routine of setting my alarm for 6:30 AM every night. But reaching for my phone as soon as I wake up? That’s a habit."Application:Start with a routine to make a change. For instance, if you want to study in the morning, create a morning routine where your notebook is always on your desk by 7 AM. Repeat it daily – it’ll eventually feel like a habit.

🌱 1. Routines vs. Habits

Definition:Start with small, manageable tasks. These “micro-actions” build momentum and make real change less intimidating.Example:"I want to get fit, so instead of committing to an hour workout every day, I start with 10 push-ups. Easy to fit in, no excuses."Application:Identify one tiny action for each goal. Want to write? Start with 5 sentences a day. It’s simple, and you’re building consistency without feeling overwhelmed.

⚡️3. Turning Small Actions into Big Gains

Definition:A trigger is something that reminds your brain to start an action, like seeing your gym bag near the door = time to work out.Example:"I keep my sneakers by my bed, so every morning, I’m reminded to go for a jog before doing anything else."Application:Want to study more? Try leaving your notes on your desk each night. Seeing them as soon as you wake up becomes your “trigger” to dive right into studying.

🚀 2. Using Triggers to Build Habits

Your brain is like a jungle: everything you do leaves a path. The more you repeat something, the more it becomes your brain’s “go-to” route. That’s why you feel “stuck” in routines or habits. But here’s the thing: by understanding how your brain works, you can trick it into building new paths, helping you get closer to your goals with a lot less effort than you’d expect.

Change Your Life – One Tiny Step at a Time
Get your Habit Journal here: https://kgs.link/shop-162

Sources & further reading:
https://sites.google.com/view/sources-change/

If you are like most people, there is a gap between the person you are and the person you wish to be. There are little things you think you should do and big things you ought to achieve.
From working out regularly, eating healthy, learning a language, working on your novel, reading more or simply actually doing your hobby instead of browsing reddit.
But it can seem that to achieve your goals, you have to become a different person. Someone who is consistent, puts in more effort, has discipline and willpower. Maybe you have tried your hardest to be like that. And it worked! For a while. Until you find yourself slipping back into your old ways. In the end, you always seem to fail. And with every failed attempt, you become more and more frustrated and annoyed with yourself. 
If you believe “success and hustle” internet, it is all your own fault: if you don't succeed, you just didn’t want it enough and the failure is all you. But change is actually hard. But as with most things in life, understanding why makes things easier. 


OUR CHANNELS
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
German:        https://kgs.link/youtubeDE
Spanish:        https://kgs.link/youtubeES
French:          https://kgs.link/youtubeFR
Portuguese:  https://kgs.link/youtubePT
Arabic:           https://kgs.link/youtubeAR
Hindi:             https://kgs.link/youtubeHI
Japanese:     https://kgs.link/youtubeJA
Korean:          https://kgs.link/youtubeKO


HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT US?
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
This is how we make our living and it would be a pleasure if you support us!

Get Merch designed with ❤ https://kgs.link/shop-162  
Join the Patreon Bird Army 🐧  https://kgs.link/patreon  


DISCUSSIONS & SOCIAL MEDIA
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
Reddit:            https://kgs.link/reddit
Instagram:     https://kgs.link/instagram
Twitter:           https://kgs.link/twitter
Facebook:      https://kgs.link/facebook
Discord:          https://kgs.link/discord
Newsletter:    https://kgs.link/newsletter


OUR VOICE
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
The Kurzgesagt voice is from 
Steve Taylor:  https://kgs.link/youtube-voice


OUR MUSIC ♬♪
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
700+ minutes of Kurzgesagt Soundtracks by Epic Mountain:

Spotify:            https://kgs.link/music-spotify
Soundcloud:   https://kgs.link/music-soundcloud
Bandcamp:     https://kgs.link/music-bandcamp
Youtube:          https://kgs.link/music-youtube
Facebook:       https://kgs.link/music-facebook

The Soundtrack of this video:
Soundcloud: https://bit.ly/3MeaN4M
Bandcamp: https://bit.ly/3as6FB9

If you want to help us caption this video, please send subtitles to subtitle@kurzgesagt.org
You can find info on what subtitle files work on YouTube here:
https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2734698?hl=en-GB&ref_topic=7296214
Thank you!

🐦🐧🐤 PATREON BIRD ARMY 🐤🐧🐦
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
Many Thanks to our wonderful Patreons (from http://kgs.link/patreon) who support us every month and made this video possible:
ziipzaaapM16A4, Filippo, Alloy robot, Harold Mabin Jr, Toby Lowe, BiohazardVictim, Riad Salihu, Gunnstein Lye, Jeff Wheeldon, Andy Kelly, Quenby Joanette, Daniel Schulte-Hillen, Val Kabalkin, Maximilian Thomas Goldstein, Tyler Lindberg, Felix, Davesanify, Russ Newman, Kira, Thomas Schenck, Skyler Stanley, dirk from wellington, LoveGiants (Polyamorous) Seeking 4 BrotherHusbands, BalrogWing, Coffee is the path to victory, Addie, Lucas, vb, Santiago Perez, Robert Walsh, Angus Jake Smith, JamesDBartlett3, Marlison Gosalvez de Alencar, Rahul Golwalkar, Keerthi Vasan, Brian Bradley, Lincoln Volk, Haubrechts, Avalanche, Craig B, Tina Hatch, Nathan Ornat, Amathara, khalifa almehairbi, jtfletchbot, Steven Zeck, Maurice Ibler, Bafy78, Andreas Høve Smidt-Nielsen, Victoria Camp, Andrew Dawson, pierluigi valente, GH, Jay C, Sergey Melnik, CultistLemming, Thane Stevens, Alex MacKay, SimpleAvocado, Dave Kircher, Karen Rosenow, James Pita, Kyron

productivity

Productivity

mindfulness

Mindfulness

habits

Habits

meditation

Meditation

videos

Videos

Animation videos explaining things with optimistic nihilism since 12,013.

We’re a team of illustrators, animators, number crunchers and one dog who aim to spark curiosity about science and the world we live in. To us nothing is boring if you tell a good story.

For updates on our videos and other news from the kurzgesagt universe follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
