A Trick for Retraining Yourself

Previously, I suggested that one way to change your mind is to start with a discipline, evolve it into an habit, and let the habit reprogram your thinking.

Getting through the discipline phase can sometimes be challenging. In my experience, old habits try to reassert themselves a lot in this phase and sometimes they succeed.

When this happens, one trick that I used was to always undo whatever I did and redo it using the discipline I'm adopting.

I use this technique a lot. Back when the Earth was still cooling, I used it to help me stick with writing tests first. I regularly use it to upgrade my habitual refactoring paths or to start using a new hotkey. I even use it to rewire how I talk or how I engage people, from time to time.

The undo-redo technique leaves room for the old habit to by creating a binary choice. You can do it the new way or waste a little effort and then do it the new way.

This creates a feedback-loop. Your lizard brain quickly picks up on the redundancy in the second option and our innate laziness does the work for us. The old habit withers from lack of effect, making way for the new habit.

I don't know if that will work for you but it worked for me.