How to achieve effective self-management

My daughter Mary Elizabeth, who is working on a master’s degree in behavior analysis, heard Ian Ayres, author of Carrots and Sticks: Unlock the Power of Incentives to Get Things Done, speak at the 38^th annual meeting of the Association for Behavior Analysis meeting in Seattle in May.

In his speech, Ayres discussed three factors that matter for effective self-management.

Other people matter. Trying to change a bad habit? Supporters can keep you honest with yourself and encourage you to stick to your goal.

Mindfulness matters. Rather than making a goal to lose weight, Ayres suggests starting with a goal of keeping track of your weight for two weeks. This provides a good baseline of your current behavior.

Framing matters. Ayres encourages you to be realistic and start with small goals—and to believe that you can change your own behavior.

For more suggestions from Ayres, read Mary Elizabeth’s blog post at Stale Cheerios.

–Joy