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Tiny Habits book cover
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Tiny Habits

by BJ Fogg

Tiny Habits

Core Concept

BJ Fogg’s Tiny Habits method challenges the “Information-Action Fallacy”—the mistaken belief that knowing something automatically changes behavior. Instead, behavior change happens through tiny actions (less than thirty seconds) anchored to existing routines and supported by celebration.

The Behavior Model (B = MAP)

For behavior to occur, three elements must converge: Motivation, Ability, and Prompt.

“Motivation is like a party-animal friend—great for a night out, but not someone you’d rely on to pick you up from the airport.”

Motivation is unreliable and fluctuates. Instead of chasing motivation spikes, successful behavior design focuses on:

  • Making actions easier (ability)
  • Ensuring reliable prompts

Behavior Design Steps

  1. Clarify your aspiration - Rather than vague goals
  2. Brainstorm “Swarm of Behaviors” - Specific actions that lead there
  3. Identify “Golden Behaviors” - Intersection of effective + what you want to do
  4. Start small - Three breaths instead of twenty minutes of meditation

Small behaviors with shallow roots can weather life’s storms better than ambitious habits requiring constant motivation.

Anchoring: The Power of Prompts

Three types of prompts:

  • Person Prompts - Reminders you give yourself
  • Context Prompts - External cues
  • Action Prompts - Habits triggered by existing routines (most effective)

Formula: “After I [existing behavior], I will [new tiny behavior].”

Example: “After I pour my morning coffee, I will do two push-ups.”

Effective anchors:

  • Happen in same location as new habit
  • Occur at frequency you want for new behavior
  • Use the “Trailing Edge”—precise moment when existing behavior ends

The Celebration Secret

“Emotions create habits, not repetition.”

When you celebrate immediately after performing a tiny behavior, you trigger dopamine release, which encodes the behavior-outcome relationship in your brain.

  • Celebration doesn’t need to be elaborate—fist pump, saying “Victory,” or smiling works
  • The key is authentic feeling
  • People who celebrate are dramatically more successful at creating lasting habits

Many adults find celebration uncomfortable, having internalized self-criticism. By retraining your brain to feel “Shine” (the feeling of success), you hack behavioral pathways and create sustainable change.

Scaling and Habit Categories

Tiny Habits naturally scale. As a behavior becomes automatic, you can expand it without losing foundation.

Three types of habits:

  • Uphill Habits - Easy to stop, hard to maintain
  • Downhill Habits - Easy to maintain, hard to stop
  • Freefall Habits - Extremely difficult to stop

For unwanted habits, reverse the strategy: remove prompts, reduce ability, adjust motivation downward.

Practical Impact

The method doesn’t require willpower, inspiration, or perfect conditions. By matching yourself with behaviors you already want to do, creating reliable anchors, and celebrating successes, you shift from fighting your nature to working with it.

Transformation comes not from dramatic overhauls but from tiny, intentional repetitions.