I’ve experienced the power of obvious cues in my own life. I used to buy
apples from the store, put them in the
crisper in the bottom of the
refrigerator, and forget all about them. By the time I remembered, the
apples would have gone bad. I never saw them, so I never ate them.
Eventually, I took my own advice and redesigned my environment. I
bought a large display bowl and placed it
in the middle of the kitchen
counter. The next time I bought apples, that was where they went—out in
the open where I could see them. Almost like magic, I began eating a few
apples each day simply because they were obvious rather than out of sight.
Here are a few ways you can redesign your environment and make the
cues for your preferred habits more obvious:
If you want to remember to take your medication each night, put
your pill bottle directly next to the faucet on the bathroom
counter.
If you want to practice guitar more frequently, place your guitar
stand in the middle of the living room.
If you want to remember to send more thank-you notes, keep a
stack of stationery on your desk.
If you want to drink more water, fill up a few water bottles each
morning and place them in common locations around the house.
If you want to make a habit a big part of your life, make the cue a big
