Remove one small obstacle at a time

Eliminate tiny points of friction so the good behavior becomes the path of least resistance.

Why it works

Behavior follows the path of least resistance, so small frictions quietly suppress good habits and small conveniences quietly enable them. Removing one obstacle at a time steadily lowers the cost of the behavior you want, which raises how often it happens without requiring any extra willpower.

How to do it

1. Notice one small thing that makes the desired behavior slightly harder.
2. Remove or reduce that single friction point.
3. Repeat regularly — many small frictions removed add up to a frictionless path.

Evidence

Reducing friction to make a behavior easier is well supported in behavior-change and choice-architecture research; doing it incrementally is the kaizen flavor of that principle. (observational)

Friction reduction shifts the easy default but does not supply motivation; it helps a wanted behavior, it cannot manufacture the want.

Sources

• Choice-architecture / friction-reduction research (small barriers and conveniences shift behavior)

Common mistake

Trying to remove every obstacle at once in a big reorganization that itself never gets finished, instead of clearing one small friction at a time.