Good Habits, Bad Habits: Secrets to Making Change Stick with Dr. Wendy Wood & Charles Good | The Good Leadership Podcast #198

Today, we are joined by Dr. Wendy Wood. Dr. Wendy Wood is Provost Professor of Psychology and Business at the University of Southern California, where she teaches classes on behavior change. Given her research over the past 30 years, she is widely considered the world scientific expert on habit formation and change. She has published over 100 articles, and her research has been supported by Proctor & Gamble, National Science Foundation, the Templeton Foundation, and the Radcliffe Institute. She is the author of Good Habits, Bad Habits. Dr. Wood is a popular speaker at scientific conferences and with a broad range of professional groups. In 2018, she gave the inaugural address in Paris for the Sorbonne-INSEAD Distinguished Chair in Behavioral Science. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, Washington Post, on radio shows like Freakanomics, and in podcasts like the People’s Pharmacy. In this episode, Dr. Wendy Wood teaches us the science of habit formation and maintenance. The discussion covers the effectiveness of uncertain rewards in reinforcing behaviors, the significance of repetition, and how to leverage context to build and sustain habits. She also explains habit stacking, habit discontinuity, and the role of rituals. Finally, Dr. Wood emphasizes the critical role of environment in shaping our behaviors, advocating for a focus on creating supportive contexts over relying solely on willpower. Dr. Wendy Wood’s Website: https://dornsife.usc.edu/wendy-wood/ - Website and live online programs: http://ims-online.com Blog: https://blog.ims-online.com/ Podcast: https://ims-online.com/podcasts/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesagood/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/charlesgood99 Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (03:53) Tool: The Power of Repetition in Habit Building (07:00) Techniques: Habit Stacking and Swapping (09:00) Tip: Leveraging Life Changes for New Habits (11:05) Tip: Stress and Its Impact on Habits (15:46) Tip: Rituals vs. Habits (19:13) Tool: Context and Environment in Habit Formation (22:13) Addiction vs. Habit (25:25) Conclusion