To Build a Habit, Try a Streak

Streaks work for two reasons: what behavioral economists call loss aversion and potential gain, said Dr. Katy Milkman, a behavioral scientist at the University of Pennsylvania.

Let’s start with gains: A streak can be profoundly motivating for people, Dr. Milkman said, “because there’s something bright and shiny that they can reach for. There’s a prize, in a sense, that’s making you more motivated to get a thing done.”

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To turn a streak into a habit, you should make it easy to repeat the behavior, said Dr. Wendy Wood, who taught psychology and business at the University of Southern California and is the author of “Good Habits, Bad Habits.”

“Get yourself to repeat something often enough — and in the same context — and ultimately it might become automatic,” Dr. Wood added.

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