To successfully change behaviours you need to do three things: You can repeat filling the dishwasher but it's still not going to become a habit unless you do some other work on the action. You can tell people about the perils of drinking and smoking until you're blue in the face, but they're still going to drink and smoke. There are two things to be clear about straight away: information doesn't make changes and nor does repetition.

It's our approach to change which is at fault - as he says it's a design flaw - not a personal flaw. The first thing he tells us is that it isn't our fault.

People do want to make changes and then blame themselves for not being able to do so, but BJ Fogg has the answer: tiny habits. Lack of willpower is another burden to add to the list. I constantly fail and then I get cross with myself for failing. Or put another way, I get cross with myself because I forget to do things or do some actions more than I should and no matter how I try to make what seem to be quite monumental changes I never quite seem to get to grips with the concepts. Other people, of course, are sorely afflicted by some dreadful flaws which they could so easily correct, if only they would make just a little bit of effort. You still have those odd, quirky, even loveable (to you) habits that seem to annoy other people. Go on, admit it - you're not quite perfect. Summary: Small changes which you can make to help you achieve your goals and which lead on to bigger things.

Tiny habits book review