Rule 4: Make it Satisfying
What makes a habit a “good habit” or a “bad habit”?
It depends.
It depends on what our goals are. It depends on our long-term desired outcomes.
We label habits “bad” when they pull us away from where we want to go. Conversely, we label the habits that inch us closer to our desired outcomes as “good”.
It may be obvious why we’d engage in bad habits, but it’s worth stating for clarity. They stick around for a reason: they deliver satisfaction right now. A little late-night “doomscrolling”, an extra helping of dessert, crashing on the couch, a cigarette, a flirt, leaving the dishes in the sink, ignoring conflict.Yes, these choices feel good in the moment. That instant hit is powerful. It’s why they’re so hard to shake.
Good habits work the opposite way. We choose them because they point toward better health, stronger relationships, clearer thinking, or real progress in our work. The catch? They rarely feel immediately satisfying. If they did, we’d already be doing them consistently! The workout ends and you’re out of breath, not euphoric. The early alarm goes off and you’re groggy. And the meaningful conversation takes effort and might have some risk. The payoff usually arrives weeks, months, or years later.
It might not become automatic immediately, but to get a habit established without painful effort, we want to ensure there’s an immediate reward. It seems crazy, but even to do something we know we want to do, we have to build in some immediate satisfaction that doesn’t sabotage the long-term goal. We’ve addressed habit stacking earlier, and this is a variation – pairing a habit with something you enjoy. Note: it has to be thoughtful. “Earning” a donut after push-ups sounds motivating until you realize you’re casting confusing votes: one for health, one for junk food. There’s a cognitive dissonance with that pairing.
What works better is visual evidence of progress. A simple calendar where you mark an X each day you show up. A jar where you drop a marble or paper clip for every completed session, a $1 toward new clothes (to match your improved fitness), or an on-going tally that gets you closer to a much bigger monthly goal. These small acts give your brain proof that something is moving forward. Seeing the chain grow or the jar fill creates a quiet sense of accomplishment right away. And Clear points out something important: we optimize what we measure. When progress becomes visible, we naturally pay more attention to it.
Streaks help too. Each day you follow through becomes a vote for the person you want to become. Focusing on the input—the thing you control—takes some of the pressure off the outcome. You don’t have to nail every workout perfectly; you just have to show up. That consistency builds momentum.
Life happens, though. You miss a day. It’s not ideal, but it’s rarely the end. The real danger is letting one miss become two. Clear puts it plainly:
The first mistake is never the one that ruins you. It is the spiral of repeated mistakes that follows. Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit.
- James Clear
For bad habits, flip the script. Make them immediately unsatisfying. One practical way is a habit contract with real consequences. Tell a friend you’ll pay them $50 if you check email after 8 p.m. for a week. Or donate to a cause you strongly disagree with if you skip your planned reading time. The sting of the penalty makes the bad habit less appealing in the moment. It’s not fun, but it works because the cost hits right away.
Design small, immediate wins into the habits that matter so they can actually stick. So that doing the habit becomes something we look forward to!
Thanks for reading, I hope it’s satisfying to know you’re Aiming Up!
