The Law and Order Approach

In this article, you will learn about the Law and Order approach to creating a new habit. The Law and Order method was created by James Clear, an entrepreneur who has studied habits for over 15 years. His goal with the law and order system is to "make it so easy that people would be able to do it without thinking."

This article will teach you how you can apply this method in your life with 5 steps. You will also receive actionable advice on how to create a habit without relying on willpower, as well as bonus material to help you make other changes in your life that are necessary for success.

The Law and Order Method is the easiest, most effective way I know to create a habit you can stick to for months. You can even use it to create new habits.

You Can Create a Habit in 5 Simple Steps:

1. Decide on the habit you want to create. For example, if you want to improve your diet and get rid of junk food, start by deciding what meal of the day you want to eat, how much food should be allowed within this meal and what the amount of calories should be per day. After that you decide if you will do this during certain times or at certain days in a row. Finally, you decide if this is a short or long term goal.

2. Decide on a trigger that will remind you to do the habit. For example, if you want to eat vegetables, you will need to come up with a visual cue that brings back the thought of eating vegetables. If you don't want to eat junk food, then your trigger for that might be your favorite junk food (I am thinking those chocolate chip cookies with frosting). Another way to think about it is which action will cause your mind to remember what you wanted? Having pizza with friends might cause your mind to remember eating vegetables and not pizza.

3. Decide your reward. The reward is what makes the habit enjoyable enough for you to actually do it. If you are trying to eat vegetables every day and are not enjoying doing so, then the biggest reward will be to remind yourself that when it's time to eat, there is a vegetable plate with a big slice of pizza on it. If you want to go for a run every day, then the biggest reward will be finishing that race! Do not underestimate or neglect this step.

4. Make an actionable plan for yourself and figure out how much time you need. So in step 3, let's say that the best thing about eating vegetables is that it gets your brain feeling full and satisfied. This will cause you to be less hungry throughout the day. So after you make your plan, you decide that this is a good decision and it is best for your health. After that, when it's time to eat vegetables, your goal is to keep a healthy diet. An actionable plan is simply a way for you to remember what needs to be done and at what point do you do it. You could play a game of basketball every day or go to the gym every day, but how will you fit these things into your schedule?

5. Repeat until the habit becomes second nature.

Conclusion

The Law and Order method is simple to implement. By creating a plan that incorporates your desired habit, a trigger that reminds you to do it, an actionable plan to carry it out and a reward for completing the task, you will be able to create any habit that you want.

Once my goal becomes a habit I don't have to think about it anymore. I will be able to devote my mind on something else.