We live in an aspiration-driven culture that is rooted in instant gratification. We find it difficult to enact or even accept incremental progress. - B.J. Fogg

We live in an aspiration-driven culture that is rooted in instant gratification.

Write your aspiration inside the cloudlike shape shown in the graphic. Then start filling in the boxes with specific behaviors.

The Starter Step is a kind of mental jujitsu — it has a surprising impact for such a small move because the momentum it creates often propels you to the next steps with less friction. The key is not to raise the bar. Doing the Starter Step is success. Every time you do it, you are keeping that habit alive

Finish the sentence “I’m the kind of person who” with the identity — or identities — you’d like to embrace. Go to events that gather people, products, and services related to your emerging identity. When I decided I wanted to get into fermented foods, I went to the local Fermentation Festival. I met enthusiasts who were more experienced than I was. I learned about new products. I attended a workshop where an expert showed us how to make sauerkraut. I bought gear to ferment foods. I came home with a much stronger identity about being the kind of person who eats — and even makes — fermented foods. Learn the lingo. Know who the experts are. Watch movies related to the area of change you’re interested in. As I learned to surf, I looked up the lingo that described waves and started using it. I paid attention to big surfing events and watched videos of the most proficient people in the sport. I learned to understand the tide shifts and