Shovelgloves and extreme moderation (with Reinhard Engels)

1. Embrace Extreme Moderation

Apply the discipline of “hard lines” (like abstinence) to moderate goals, such as limiting consumption to “two of something” instead of complete prohibition. This makes moderation powerful and clear, rather than wishy-washy.

2. Prioritize System Sustainability

Before starting any new behavior change, ask if you can imagine doing it forever. If not, the system is likely unsustainable and not worth the effort, as quick fixes often lead to relapse.

3. Implement Bright Line Rules

Define behavior changes with clear, unambiguous rules (e.g., “eat bread once a day”) rather than vague goals (e.g., “eat less carbs”). This clarity makes rules easier to follow and reduces self-deception.

4. Focus on Maintenance Over Progress

Prioritize consistently performing a habit at a sustainable level over continually striving for rapid, aggressive progress. This prevents injury, burnout, and ensures long-term adherence, even if progress is slow.

5. Design Simple Systems

Create behavior change systems that are very simple and clear (e.g., a few words). This enables snap decisions without intellectualization, making new habits easier to build and stick to.

6. Adopt the No S Diet

Follow three core rules: no snacks, no sweets (dessert-level), and no seconds at meals. This system helps reduce overall caloric intake and retrains awareness of dietary excess.

7. Utilize No S ‘S Days’

Allow all No S Diet rules to be off on Saturdays, Sundays, and special holidays. This provides a controlled “safety valve” to enjoy forbidden foods, preventing demoralization and making the diet sustainable long-term.

8. Practice Meal-Based Eating

Focus on three distinct meals a day without snacking, as in-between meal eating accounts for a significant portion of caloric intake increase. This turns each meal into a limited resource, encouraging more mindful eating of better quality food.

9. Develop Intelligent Dietary Defaults

Identify frequently eaten meals and establish reasonably healthy, easy-to-prepare default options (e.g., oatmeal, German black bread). This standardizes healthy eating choices, especially when better alternatives are not readily available.

10. Engage in Shovel Glove Exercise

Use a sledgehammer (wrapped in a sweater for safety) to perform manual labor-inspired movements at home, catching the hammer before impact. This offers a convenient, physically satisfying, and fun workout leveraging ancestral movement patterns.

11. Exercise in Insignificant Time

Dedicate a very short, specific amount of time to exercise (e.g., 14 minutes), and stop when that time is up. This removes the “no time” excuse, makes the routine highly sustainable, and prevents over-exertion or injury.

12. Exercise on N Days

Perform exercise routines only on weekdays (N days), taking weekends (S days) and special holidays off. This provides a clear, consistent schedule with built-in rest and recovery days.

13. Implement Weekend Luddite

Abstain from using computers and phones between breakfast and dinner on weekends. This creates a regular, consistent break from digital distractions, allowing for psychic recharge and focus on real-world interactions.

14. Whitelist Digital Activities

During digital detox periods like Weekend Luddite, allow only specific, necessary activities on devices (e.g., music, recipes, GPS, family texts). This provides a controlled break without complete isolation.

15. Prioritize Important, Non-Urgent Tasks

Use periods of digital disconnection to reflect and focus on important tasks that are not necessarily urgent. This helps shift attention from constant urgency to long-term priorities and can preempt future urgent situations.

16. Employ Habit Branding

Give behavior change systems striking, absurd, or funny names and metaphors (e.g., “No S Diet,” “Shovel Glove,” “Glass Ceiling”). This creates an easy-to-recall handle for the habit and makes it harder to rationalize skipping.

17. Embrace Arbitrary Rules

Acknowledge that some rules in a system are arbitrary (e.g., specific numbers or days). This playful awareness prevents getting bogged down in defending the rules and makes adoption easier.

18. Choose Frugal Systems

Opt for behavior change systems that require minimal or no financial investment. This removes financial barriers and aligns with a philosophy of anti-waste.

19. Avoid Tracking Results

Do not track metrics like calories, carbs, or weight daily, as this is time-consuming, often unsustainable, and can sabotage long-term adherence.

20. Track Habit Compliance Only

If tracking is desired, only record whether the habit was performed (Yes/No/Exempt) rather than specific results. This keeps the focus on the controllable behavior itself.

21. Focus on Ideal Behaviors

Instead of fixating on an “ideal weight” or specific outcome, consistently perform “ideal behaviors” (e.g., moderate eating, moderate exercise). The resulting physical state will naturally be your ideal.

22. Combine Habits for Reinforcement

Couple seemingly unrelated habits (e.g., exercise with language learning) to make both easier to do and mutually reinforcing. This can also make routines more pleasant and efficient.

23. Adapt or ‘Roll Your Own’

Feel empowered to significantly adapt existing behavior change systems or create entirely new ones that resonate personally. This personal investment, especially with a sense of humor, makes systems more likely to stick.