For years, he had wanted to start exercising. Every year, on the first day of Nowruz, he would decide that tomorrow he would go to the gym. But tomorrow never came. Until one day, a friend who was a fitness coach told him: “Mohammad Reza, you’ve been wanting to exercise for years. But you’re doing it wrong. Instead of saying you’ll go to the gym for an hour tomorrow, say today you’ll just put on your shoes and stand in front of the house. If after that you want to go to the gym, go. If not, come back inside.” That day, Mohammad Reza put on his shoes and stood in front of the house. Then he smiled and said: “Well, now that I’m here, let’s go to the gym.”
Analysing current habits brings us to the point where we need a coherent framework and principles for building positive habits. Mohammad Reza, like many of us, had fallen into the trap of “big changes.” But his friend showed him that the secret to success lies in small, effortless starts.
To build positive habits, we must carefully understand the habit loop and reshape it in our favour. James Clear, in *Atomic Habits*, offers four simple yet powerful laws for creating good habits: 1) Make it obvious, 2) Make it attractive, 3) Make it easy, 4) Make it satisfying [2]. These four laws are essentially a redesign of the habit loop (cue, routine, reward).
The first step: Make cues obvious
Many of our habits occur unconsciously, and we are not even aware of them. By consciously recording our habits (for example, in a notebook), we can identify the cues that trigger them. I recommend using the “implementation intention” technique: “At [time/location], I will do [new habit]” [2]. This simple sentence makes the cue specific and conscious.
The second step: Make the routine attractive
Our brain seeks pleasure. If a new habit we want to build feels boring, it won’t last. To make it attractive, we can pair it with an enjoyable activity (the “temptation bundling” technique). For example, listen to an interesting podcast while exercising. On the other hand, we can create social motivation by joining a group or community with shared goals.
The third step: Make it easy to start
Friction is the greatest enemy of new habits. The harder something is to do, the less likely we are to do it. The “two‑minute rule” is one of the most effective strategies: design every new habit so that it can be done in less than two minutes. “Daily reading” becomes “read one page.” “Exercise” becomes “put on workout clothes” [2]. Mohammad Reza, by simply putting on his shoes, did exactly that: he made the start so easy that his brain couldn’t resist.
The fourth step: Make the reward satisfying
Our brain prefers immediate rewards over delayed ones. For a habit to stick, we need to receive a reward immediately after performing it. This reward can be an inner good feeling (a sense of achievement, logging progress in a notebook), or a small external reward. In a spiritual framework, this reward can be the “sense of presence” and “heartfelt satisfaction” that comes from doing good.
But these four steps are only part of the story. There are other key principles that guarantee our success. **”Creating a supportive environment”** – designing our surroundings to make positive habits easier and negative habits harder – plays a decisive role. Successful people, instead of relying on willpower, design their environment so that success becomes inevitable [10]. **”Tracking progress,” “self‑compassion and flexibility”** in the face of slip‑ups, and **”focusing on the process, not the outcome”** are also key principles.
Core exercise of this subchapter: “Reverse Narrative”
Imagine a positive habit you would like to develop over the next year (e.g., 20 minutes of daily reading, regular exercise, or meditation). Now write it from end to beginning:
“Now, one year later, this habit has become part of my being. But where did this journey begin? Three months after starting, what challenges did I overcome? One month in, what small change did I make to my routine that made a big difference? In the first week, what did I do that gave me energy? On day one, what exactly did I decide? What was the very first step I took?”
This exercise shows you that big changes start with small steps, and the path is never linear.
Sensory exercise: Designing the space for a new habit
Choose a place in your home or workplace where you want to build a new habit (e.g., a study desk, a workout corner). Spend 10 minutes arranging this space to make the new habit “easy” to do. Place the book you want to read on the table. Put your workout shoes by the door. Place your notebook next to your bed. After arranging, write: “What feeling and message does this space give me? Does it invite me to do the new habit, or does it discourage me?”
For those in a hurry:
Four quick principles for building positive habits:
1. **Make it obvious** (identify the cue).
2. **Make it attractive** (pair it with an enjoyable activity).
3. **Make it easy** (start with the two‑minute rule).
4. **Make it satisfying** (give yourself an immediate reward).
Remember that every change, even as small as 1%, leads to astonishing results over time.
For those who want to go deeper:
– Clear, James. (2018). *Atomic Habits*. (Persian translation by Saeed Safaeian, 2019). Novin Publications. (Chapters 4‑8)
– Ferriss, Tim. (2007). *The 4‑Hour Workweek*. (Persian translation by Arash Hakimi, 2017). Amoot Publications. (Environment design section)
– Tabatabaei, Seyyed Mohammad Hossein. (2001). *Tafsir al‑Mizan*, Vol. 1. Qom: Islamic Publications Office. (Discussion on disposition and habit)
