Healthy Change Made Easier

Chip and Dan Heath’s Change Model and 5 Tools to make healthy living easier

Kevon Saber

habits.stanford.edu

What enables change?

Direct the rider Provide direction for your rational mind. Find examples of what’s working, script critical moves, and point to the destination.

Motivate the Elephant Leverage the relevant feelings. Shrink the change into baby steps. Cultivate your identity and a growth mindset.

Shape the Path Make healthy behavior less difficult by tweaking your environment. Build good habits and act with your loved ones; change is easier in groups.

“Each person has a rational side (rider) and an emotional side (elephant). You’ve got to reach them both. And you’ve also got to clear the way (path) for them to succeed. In short, you must do three things.”

- Chip and Dan Heath

Wear a pedometer

Primary Change Mechanism: “Direct the Rider”

Why it works: Seeing how many steps you tookeach day enables you to make an informed decision to exercise. You can’t keep telling yourself “I got enough exercise today walking around” when the pedometer tells you otherwise. A networked pedometer helps you see your activity over time on your computer.

Put up an inspiring photo

Primary Change Mechanism: “Direct the Rider”

Why it works: Giving yourself a visible destination illustrates and reminds you how healthy decisions benefit you. Whether you’re getting in shape for a summer vacation, to feel more energized, or to prevent disease, visualizing your goal helps you persevere when you’re feeling discouraged. An inspiring photo also motivates “the elephant.”

Full disclosure: This is not a picture of my former self – Photoshop does wonders. Photo source: http://www.mensfitness.com/lifestyle/entertainment/300

Watch a video on

Primary Change Mechanism: “Motivate the Elephant”

Why it works: Learning how to cook can be daunting. Shrink the change by learning basic knife tools – arguably the easiest way to reduce cooking time. Search for “knife skills” on YouTube today and start chopping and dicing like Julia Child tonight.

Carry a water bottle

Primary Change Mechanism: “Shape the Path”

Why it works: Remembering to drink and finding clean water and something to drink from eight times per day can be difficult. A full bottle is a constant reminder and ensures you can hydrate on the go.

Buy a Rice Cooker

Primary Change Mechanism: “Shape the Path”

Why it works: A rice cooker makes cooking as easy as putting food in the microwave. Throw almost any grain (e.g. rice, barley, quinoa, amaranth) and water in the rice cooker. Then go exercise, surf the web, or call a friend. Come back twenty minutes later and like magic, your food is ready.

What about you?“Each person has a rational side (rider) and an emotional side (elephant). You’ve got to reach them both. And you’ve also got to clear the way (path) for them to succeed. In short, you must do three things.”

- Chip and Dan Heath

Change is never trivial. But it doesn’t have to be so hard. A little thinking about the Heath’s three levers can make change easier for you or your team.

These slides contain some of my favorite health tools. What tools have helped you? Please share them below so we can all benefit from your experience .