How to Create Automatic Rules

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Automatic rules turn your desired behavior into your default behavior and help you make pre-decisions. Rules are effective because people don't argue with them. Creating rules for yourself can be advantageous in difficult situations. An example is ordering the healthiest option and avoiding alcohol and dessert when dining out. Rules eliminate reliance on willpower. Automatic rules are context-specific and personal. They help you achieve destinations and desired behaviors. Creating a rule to work out every day, even for a short duration, can change your life by eliminating negotiations and consistently exercising. This simple principle can have a profound impact on your health.

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Shane Parrish (@ShaneAParrish) is the entrepreneur and wisdom seeker behind Farnam Street and the host of The Knowledge Project podcast, where he focuses on mastering the best of what other people have already figured out. Shane's popular online course, Decision by Design, has helped thousands of executives, leaders, and managers around the world learn the repeatable behaviors that improve results. His work has been featured in nearly every major publication, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Forbes.

Shane is the author of Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results.

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