How to build a habit: guides

These guides take one habit and turn it into a plan you can start today: a tiny first version, a day-by-day schedule, and a rule for the day it goes wrong.

• How to build a reading habit

  To build a reading habit, pick a fixed cue such as the first ten minutes after dinner, start with five pages or five minutes, keep the book where you will see it, and mark each day on a chain. Raise the amount slowly after two weeks, and never skip two days in a row.

• How to build a walking habit

  To build a walking habit, start with a ten-minute walk at the same time each day, tied to something you already do, such as after lunch. Keep a wet-weather backup, track each day on a chain, and add five minutes a week.