I recently watched a TED Talk by David Asch that I found fascinating.
His team wanted people to walk at least 7,000 steps per day.
They divided participants into three groups.
The first group was the control group. They simply tracked their steps and were told whether they reached their goal or not.
The second group received a financial reward. Every day they reached 7,000 steps, they earned $1.40.
The third group received the exact same financial incentive, but it was framed differently.
At the beginning of each month, they received $42 in a virtual account. Every day they failed to reach 7,000 steps, $1.40 was taken away.
An economist would probably argue that the two financial incentives are identical (if you do the math).
A behavioral economist would disagree.
And so did the results.
The group earning $1.40 for reaching their goal performed no better than the control group.
The reward didn’t seem to matter.
But the group that risked losing $1.40 reached their goal about 50% more often.
Why?
Because humans hate losing things.
And the more I thought about it, the more I realized this isn’t just about money.
It’s about habits.
When I first started running, skipping a session didn’t really matter.
I wasn’t losing anything.
I had no fitness to protect.
No routine to maintain.
No identity connected to it.
Today, skipping a run feels different.
I’m not thinking about the fitness I’ll gain from today’s run.
I’m thinking about the momentum I might lose.
The consistency I’ve built.
The routine that took years to create.
The same thing happened with reading.
And sleep.
And strength training.
Many healthy habits feel like sacrifices in the beginning.
You lose time.
You lose comfort.
You lose convenience.
But after a while something interesting happens.
The habit stops feeling like a cost.
It starts feeling like an asset.
And once you’ve built something valuable, your brain becomes much more motivated to protect it.
Maybe that’s why healthy habits often feel easier after a few years.
Not because we become more disciplined.
But because we’re no longer building them.
We’re protecting them.
🧪 Let’s Experiment
Starting a habit and maintaining a habit are often two different games.
When you start exercising, reading, or sleeping better, everything feels like effort.
You’re investing.
You’re building.
You’re sacrificing.
But years later, the same habit can feel completely different.
🎯 Try This:
Write down one healthy habit you’ve successfully maintained.
Then ask:
When did it stop feeling like work?
Can you identify the moment it became part of who you are?
🧠 Final Thought:
At some point, the goal stops being to build the habit. The goal becomes not losing it.
Keep it simple, stay curious, and keep learning—you’ve got this.
Take care,
Carina 🦊