Bad Habits You Must Break To Be More Productive

Moral licensing

One of the most difficult things about forming a new habit — whether it's a new diet, workout routine, or work schedule — is the urge to cheat as a reward for sticking to a routine for a while. This idea that we "deserve" to splurge on fancy meal after being thrifty for a week is called "moral licensing," and it undermines a lot of people's plans for self-improvement. Instead, try making your goal part of your identity, such that you think of yourself as the kind of person who saves money or works out regularly, rather than as someone who is working against their own will to do something new.