Ungoals and the Power of the Insteads  

Sometimes you want to be a quitter.  Your goal is to stop doing something.  You want to banish a habit.  We call that an ungoal.  It is a special kind of goal.

The easy way to quit.  Yes, Virginia, there is an easy way to quit.  Just make a resolution and forget about it.  You won't quit, of course.  But you won't waste much effort on it, either.

You can’t beat something with nothing.

Example:
Nail-bite:  Changing a habit
The simple way to quit.  Notice how people change clothes.  They don't decide to take their clothes off.  You don't see people standing around naked.  People change clothes by deciding what other clothes they want to wear instead.   

The power of the insteads.    That’s also the way to quit a habit.  Decide on something else to do instead

Set the cue.  The old habit already has a cue.   Find that cue and change it so that it will remind you of the new habit you want to use instead.

Find the instead.   If you don't see an obvious instead, treat that as a problem to solve.  Start by writing out the objective.

Objective:  I want to find an instead to replace………………….

Then use the Quick Solve Clipit on this objective. 

Your cue to remember

 

 

The sandwich model of habits

Habit Clipit

The Power of Positive Policies

Quick Solve Clipit

The hard way to quit.  People who are into brain discipline may prefer the fine art of force.  Just say no.  Call on the Head Nazis.

 If you think you are good at brain discipline, try the itch test.  Next time you have an itch, force yourself not to scratch it.  People who are really good at brain discipline can probably do this.  The rest of us will find that not doing something takes a lot of attention and goes on indefinitely. 

This is tolerable for people who have nothing else to do.  But people who need to use their attention on something more important will scratch, put on a bandage, or smear it with whatever.    

Think of the Instead as a less obnoxious replacement for the Head Nazis.

 

Head Nazis Mythical characters used to express the notion that people can best improve themselves by learning mental self-discipline.

Will Power
We don't even know the meaning of the term.

Manage your habits or your habits will manage you.

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The Thinkerer 04/30/2008
Copyright (c) D. F. Dansereau & S. H. Evans

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