To effectively change habits, you need incentives, whether positive or negative. Self-control is overrated, and setting up external commitments can help reinforce your goals, as I did when I announced my intention to start a company to my colleagues.

It's important to reward small positive behaviors in relationships, as this encourages individuals to repeat those behaviors.

Behavioral change is more effective when approached in small, manageable steps rather than overwhelming leaps.

The subjective reward should be focused on the hardest parts of a process, reinforcing positive behavior during tough conversations or challenges, while the process of learning and adapting involves creating neural pathways that become more efficient over time, allowing you to handle challenges with ease.

Reward prediction error, which is linked to dopamine, plays a significant role in habit formation; unexpected rewards can enhance the likelihood of repeating a behavior.

Intermittent reinforcement, such as varying the schedule of rewards, can effectively maintain motivation and prevent burnout in the pursuit of goals.

When giving feedback, focus on motivating behavior change rather than self-expression; trim everything that doesn't contribute to that goal.

When you see a behavior in someone that changes your perception of them, it can lead to an immediate shift in how you interact with them, which is more effective than trying to change your behavior through repetition.

The key to sustaining effort in any process is to reward the effort itself, especially during challenging moments, rather than just the outcomes.