Think Small

To achieve big, you will need to think small

• Create an actionable plan

We usually assume that when we set ourselves a goal we will probably pursue it with focus and attention, drawing heavily on our slower, reflective system.

It’s a curious and wonderful thing about the human condition that we are often a mystery to ourselves

Think Small is not a checklist.

trengthening your social relationships;

getting healthy and active;

learning something new;

being more curious; and

giving to others.

Bright lines are one example of the single most important lessons advocated by the Behavioural Insights Team, which we have applied to hundreds of parts of government policy and that should be at the heart of any good ‘think small’ strategy: make it easy

We’ve adopted similar approaches to work: for example, setting aside Friday mornings for weekly feedback sessions with staff and quick touchdown sessions to celebrate success, or never doing any work on Sundays (this one isn’t too hard to stick to!)

very simple, transparent rules that make it easy to know whether he has transgressed. Psychologists have dubbed these ‘bright lines’, and they are effective because they’re unambiguous. You know instantly when you’ve stepped over a bright line, which significantly reduces the cognitive effort required to put the rule into practice.

But there was a danger that he was slipping into a bad habit described in the media as ‘middle-class drinking’5 in which a glass of wine or beer was no longer an occasional treat, but part of the daily routine